This is one of my recent food experiments and is an attempt at cultivating my tumultuous love affair with Indian cuisine. In 2003 I attended a research conference in Los Angeles with a cohort of my colleagues. The first evening of our stay, members of my cohort decided we should eat at this little Indian restaurant near the beach in Santa Monica. I was cautious as I had never eaten Indian food and I sheepishly believed there couldn’t be a single item on the menu that I would enjoy. I couldn’t have been more wrong. I instantly fell in love with the rich spicy flavors and delectable aromas Indian food offers. Since that time I have invested a bit of time into re-creating Indian dishes at home, some with tremendous success, others were tossed into the trash with utter disappointment.
This dish combines my love for veggies and creamy sauce with my exploration with the South American grain, quinoa. As a vegetarian, I am constantly looking for food with high protein content and quinoa is one of the most complete proteins and is superior to most other common grains. Quinoa is an excellent source of calcium and iron and contains a near perfect balance of all eight essential amino acids required for human survival. Additionally, it is gluten-free. The texture is not grainy and eating quinoa is like eating tiny little beads that pop a little in your mouth as you chew. Here is my first of many experiments with this grain. I hope you’ll enjoy as much as I did.
Serving Size: 3-4 bellies.
1 cup Red Quinoa (and a rice cooker)
2 cups water
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 white or yellow onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
16 oz. bag frozen cauliflower/broccoli mix, defrosted
2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
3 tablespoons curry powder or paste
2 cups vegetable broth
14 oz can coconut milk
• Prepare the quinoa, either as directed on the package, or by putting 1 cup quinoa and 2 cups water in a rice cooker for 45 minutes.
• While the quinoa is cooking, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet over medium low heat and sauté the onion and garlic 3-4 minutes until the onions turn translucent.
• Turn the heat up slightly to medium high and add the defrosted cauliflower/broccoli mix. Cook approximately 3 minutes.
• Gently stir in the chopped spinach and cook until wilted.
• In a bowl, mix the vegetable broth with the curry powder. Pour mixture over the veggies and simmer to a low boil.
• Stir in the coconut milk, cover and cook on medium for 5 minutes.
• Serve the curried vegetables over the hot quinoa.
• Voila, FEED!
