Quinoa with mixed vegetables,squash ribbons & spicy baked chicken drumsticks Roast

 Well,after aVege and an eggy rendition,now it's time for something spicy,bakey and chicken-y. It's time for a masaaledaar/spiceful Quinoa makeover.King P is soo happy-whistle whistle wink wink ;p.So is this humble daasi/his maid . That means the menu and the Queen-dom is not bland anymore. Thank you my dear spices ,you make my food and life tad more interesting.

Hail King P,Queen Q & Indian Spies-ces (spices) !

Quinoa with mixed vegetables,squash ribbons & spicy baked chicken drumsticks Roast

Ingredients

 Quinoa - 1 cup

Water - 2 cups

Onion(medium size),sliced - 1 no.

Green Chillies,slit - 3-4 nos.

Ginger-Garlic paste - 1 teaspoon

Tomato(medium),chopped - 1 no.

Mixed vegetable (I used frozen peas,corn,beans,carrots),boiled-1 cup

Yellow long sqush (medium size),ribbons- 5-6 nos

Cloves- 2 no.(optional)

Cardamom - 2 nos.(optional)

Cinnamon-2 nos.(optional)

Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon

Red chilli powder - 1 teaspoon

Shan Biryani Masala- 1 tablespoon

 Salt to taste

Oil/Ghee - 1-2 tablespoons
              
Baked spicy Chicken Drumsticks Roast
Ingredients
 Chicken Drumsticks -6 nos
Onion,sliced-1/2 cup
Green chillies - 2-3 nos.

Any spice mix (I used Eastern's Chicken fry) - 1-2 teaspoons
Ginger-garlic paste-1 teaspoon
Pepper powder - 1 teaspoon
Chilly powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Lime juice - 1 teaspoon
Yogurt-1 tablespoon
Tomato,sliced - 4-5nos
Salt to taste
Oil-2 tablespoons
Oil spray

Method:

• Rinse quinoa under the tap water and put it in a saucepan with water and little salt.
• Place that saucepan on the stove and allow it to boil on high heat.
• Once it reaches the boiling point,reduce the fame to medium-low,cover it and let it cook for about 15-20 minutes until all the water is absorbed and most importantly,grains become translucent with a spiral tail.or watch this ...
• Put off the stove.Let it stand covered for another 5 minutes to make sure it absorbs any moisture left.If there is any water left,do drain it completely.
• Fluff it with a fork and keep it aside.
• Cut the squash into long,thin strips using a vegetable peeler that should look like ribbons .
• Heat a pan with little oil ,add the squash ribbons,sprinkle little turmeric powder,chilli powder and saute for a minute,then cover it and on low flame allow it to get tender.
• Heat another pan/kadai with oil ,add the cloves,cardamom & cinnamon to it .Saute for a minute.
• Add the onion slices and green chillies to it and saute them until onions become translucent.
• Add the ginger-garlic to it and stir until its raw flavor is gone.
• Add the chopped tomatoes ,turmeric powder,chilli powder and biryani masala to it.Mix well.Stir well.Low the flame.Cover it to make the tomatoes soft and mixed well with all the powders.
• Once tomatoes are soft & mushy,remove the cover,add the boiled mixed vegetables, followed by cooked Quinoa to it and mix well.
• Finally add the tender fried squash ribbons to it and mix everything well.
• Add the salt as needed.
• Quinoa s ready.

To bake the spicy chicken drumsticks :-

• Pierce the drumsticks with a sharp knife all over (here & there) so that flavor gets infused in and out.Now,combine all the ingredients with 1 tablespoon oil in a big bowl and allow it to marinate for 30-1 hr approx in the refrigerator.
• Preheat oven to 350 degree F.
• Take a 9*13 baking pan and put the remaining oil and swirl to make sure the entire pan gets well coated.
• Now place the marinated chicken drumsticks with space in between.(Not crowded)
• Bake them at 375 degree F for about 35 minutes approx and then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degree F and turn the chicken drumsticks,onions,chillies and tomatoes,spray them with cooking oil lightly (don't do it directly in oven,it will be dangerous ,raher take out the pan carefully & spray outside the owen) .
• Bake them again for another 30 minutes or until the chicken is well cooked,juices run clear and is not pink anymore or use a cooking temperature which should show 165 degree F meaning cooked and ready to eat.

Note:

• Adjust the spices as per your spicy level.
• Use any spice mix . 
• How to make perfect Quinoa in 15 minutes 

That's it Quinoa filled with the goodness of mixed vegetable and squash with a spicy chicken-y kick is ready for my highness,King P.

Well, this humble daasi would like to take a leave now and let King P and Queen Q enjoy to the fullest.I don't want to be "Swaragthil katturrumbu (Malayalam)/Kabaab mein haddi (Hindi)/to play gooseberry".What say ??

All I say now ,Hail King P and Queen Q !!

 

P.S.Incase you mixed , Quinoa with raw papaya & red potato ,Quinoa with mixed vegetables,broccoli ,red bell pepper & scrambled egg , Quinoa Pilaf with baked spicy chicken ,

Quinoa pilaf with broccoli,red bell pepper & scrambled egg

 

 The king of my life (my better 1/2) and the queen of all grains (Quinoa) are ruling my house these days and I am the humble daasi/servant at their service .Oh,by the way the name of our kingdom is "Kingdom of health and well-being".Must say,my highness king and queen are playing a vital role in making sure we all keep ourselves in pink of our health.My king ordered me to show my creativity on his queen,Maadaame Quinoa.As generous and obedient as I am ,I humbly obliged !!


Earlier I decorated Madamme quinoa with the goodness of raw papaya and red potato and today ,I decorated her with the greeny Broccoli and red-y bell pepper with a sprinkle of scrambled egg .Look at her -how appetizing she looks! Did I say,how impressed my king was ? I got double promotion as the CEO of the royaaal kitchen !! Oh wow..what a destiny !!




Hail king P & Queen Q !!

Quinoa with broccoli,red bell pepper & scrambled egg

Ingredients

Quinoa - 1 cup

Water - 2 cups

Onion(medium size),sliced - 1 no.

Green Chillies,slit - 3-4 nos.

Ginger-Garlic paste - 1 teaspoon

Tomato(medium),chopped - 1 no.

Mixed vegetable (I used frozen peas,corn,beans,carrots),boiled-1 cup

Red ball pepper,julienned- 1 cup

Broccoli florets - 1cup

Cloves- 2 no.(optional)

Cardamom - 2 nos.(optional)

Cinnamon-2 nos.(optional)

Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon

Red chilli powder - 1 teaspoon

Shan Biryani Masala- 1 tablespoon

 Salt to taste

Oil/Ghee - 1-2 tablespoons

Scrambled Egg
Egg - 3-4 nos
Salt & pepper -1/4 teaspoon
Cheese - 1/4 cup (optional)
Oil

Method:

1. Rinse the quinoa under tap water and put it in a saucepan with water and little salt.
2. Put that saucepan on the stove and allow it to boil on high heat.
3. Once it reaches the boiling point,reduce the fame to medium-low,cover it and let it cook for about 15-20 minutes until all the water is absorbed and grains become translucent with a spiral tail.
4. Put off the stove.Let it stand covered for another 5 minutes to make sure it absorbs any moisture left.If there is any water left do drain it well.
5. Fluff it with a fork and keep it aside.(Click to see -How to make perfect Quinoa in 15 minutes )
6. Boil broccoli florets until just tender.Keep it aside.
7. Heat a pan with little oil ,add the red ball pepper and saute for a minute,then cover it and on low flame allow it get cooked.Once cooked well ,add broccoli florets to it and sprinkle little turmeric powder & red chilli powder ,saute everything well and keep it aside.
8. Heat another pan/kadai with oil ,add the cloves,cardamom & cinnamon to it .Saute for a minute.
9. Add the onion slices and green chillies to it and saute them until onions become translucent.
10. Add the ginger-garlic to it and stir until its raw flavor is gone.
11. Add the chopped tomatoes ,turmeric powder,chilli powder and biryani masala to it.Mix well.Stir well.Low the flame.Cover it to make the tomatoes soft and mixed well with all the powders.
12. Once tomatoes are soft & mushy,remove the cover,add the boiled mixed vegetables, followed by cooked Quinoa to it and mix well.
13. Finally add the fried ball pepper and broccoli  to it and mix everything well.
14. Add the salt as needed.
15. Beat eggs,salt,pepper and cheese well .
16. Heat a pan with oil on high flame.Put a few drops of water on to it,if it sizzles the pan is ready for preparing egg.
17. Reduce the heat to low-medium.
18. Pour the beaten egg and using the pan handle just swirl the pan so that egg mixture coats the entire pan well.
19. Once it starts cooking,using a spatula keep on scraping the egg mixture until it gets scrambled and cooked well.
20. Add this to the quinoa pilaf.Mix well.
21. Quinoa Pilaf with broccoli ,bell pepper and scrambled eggs is ready to serve.

Gotta go,have to prepare the next menu ..you know with what ..right ..

Eat,love,live deliciously,

P.S.: Incase you missed it Quinoa Pilaf with raw papaya & red potato

Quinoa Pilaf with raw papaya,red potato & mixed vegetable

"Hail,O grainy Keen,the Mother of all grains,hail, our health,our life,our hope.To thee we beg two unhealthy ,infused with unwanted calories , immune to exercises,burdened with doctor's bill.Turn our misery into mystery I mean history ,bless us & heal,we sincerely appeal.Amen !!"

Well,now you can relax those eyebrows and pause racking your brain because what you just read above was nothing but a prayer .I mean,that's how we say grace before meals nowadays.Because nowadays, we have become brand & grand loyal to none other than the mother of all grains,the powerhouse of multivitamins & minerals & treasure trove of multi-health benefits,"The Quinoa,the great."Pronounced as "Keen-wah ". Though I love to call it "Queen-waaah".

We've been introduced to Mother Quinoa lately ,before that ,I've never ever heard of anything like this but recently it has got a "Super-duper-bumper powerfood status" in the food-o-sphere.Needless to say, I became an agent 007 to trace the past,present and future story & glory of this grain.I didn't have to work that hard, as all the information I needed was already mentioned at the back of the food packet itself (the one I bought).So,if you don't know either or wanna know more about it.Allow me to enlighten you.May I?

Quinoa dates back to some 5000 years approx,grown bountiful in the mighty Andes mountains of South America in the Inca civilization.Quinoa was so significant to their diet that every year,the mighty king of Inca ,planted the first row of Quinoa with a solid gold spade.It was also considered to be quite sacred and used in various religious rituals.According to WHFoods, Quinoa “was the gold of the Incas” because they believed it increased the stamina and the quick recovery time of their warriors. It was even used to treat liver and urinary tract problems, tuberculosis, appendicitis, and altitude and motion sickness to name a few.

 However,what truly made it extraordinary in the food kingdom is that it is a complete protein-packed grain that supplies all nine essential amino acids in a balanced pattern unlike whole wheat or oats etc.As a matter of fact,though it grows as a grain,the edible part is actually a seed.It is also called pseudo cereal and is closely related to the family of beetroots, spinach and tumbleweeds. Interesting right !

Nutritional benefits:

• Quinoa is naturally gluten-free and contains iron, B-vitamins, magnesium, manganese,lysine,phosphorus, potassium, calcium, vitamin E .
• Quinoa contains almost twice as much fiber as most other grains that makes one eat less and feel full longer and thereby helps in weight loss,relieves constipation,prevents hemorrhoids and keeps digestive system healthy.  
• It is low on the Glycemic Index scale (no blood sugar spikes & steady energy),contains flavonoids ,is anti-inflammatory,lowers cholesterol,blood pressure,balances sugar and prevents many chronic diseases.
• Quinoa also provides small amounts of the Omega-3 fatty acid & Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA).
• It is rich in magnesium so it keeps migraines at bay.
• It acts as a natural anti-depressant that helps to raise serotonin levels and provides a relaxed,calm state of mind.

The Quinoa Corporation calls quinoa the “Supergrain of the Future.”NASA proposed this super grain as an ideal food for long duration space flights.Kewl!!

Quinoa is a tiny grain, size of a mustard seed,that cooks up just like rice and has a mild, nutty flavor and a light, fluffy texture similar to couscous..It has a naturally bitter coating called Saponin that infact keeps insects away sans any pesticides. Saponin is easily removed by rinsing quinoa with water prior to consuming.

So,it is quite obvious that,it is quite a super health friendly food and it just makes nutritional sense to start consuming Quinoa more.Now you know why it has become the "Go to" meal of my menu lately and the reason behind that prayer .My better 1/2 blindly swears and cheers for it.Gosh,Quinoa corporation or NASA, please make him the brand ambassador of Quinoa,will you ?

My experimentation with it so far have proved that it is easy aaand tasty to incorporate quinoa into our diet . It cooks like rice and the small grains cook to tender with a spiral tail, in as little as 15 minutes.

 So,here is one recipe among my successful trials-an extra healthy Quinoa recipe-A Quinoa pilaf made with mixed vegetables,raw papaya and red potato.

 Here is how I make a vegetarian Quinoa Pilaf :

Quinoa Pilaf with Red Papaya & red potato

Ingredients

Quinoa - 1 cup

Water - 2 cups

Onion(medium size),sliced - 1 no.

Green Chillies,slit - 3-4 nos.

Ginger-Garlic paste - 1 teaspoon

Tomato(medium),chopped - 1 no.

Mixed vegetable (I used frozen peas,corn,beans,carrots),boiled-1 cup

Raw Papaya,julienned- 1 cup

Red potato(medium),sliced - 1 no.

Cloves- 2 no.(optional)

Cardamom - 2 nos.(optional)

Cinnamon-2 nos.(optional)

Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon

Red chilli powder - 1 teaspoon

Shan Biryani Masala- 1 tablespoon

 Salt to taste

Oil/Ghee - 1-2 tablespoons

Method:

1. Rinse the quinoa under water and put it in a saucepan with the required water and salt.
2. Put the pan on a stove and allow it to boil on high heat.
3. Once it reaches the boiling point,reduce the fame to medium-low,cover it and let it cook for about 15-20 minutes until all the water is absorbed and grains become translucent with a spiral tail.
4. Put off the stove.Let it stand covered for another 5 minutes to make sure it absorbs any moisture left.
5. Fluff it with a fork and keep it aside.(Click to see -How to make perfect Quinoa in 15 minutes )
6. Heat a pan with little oil ,add the papaya,potato slices and saute for a minute,then cover it and on low flame allow it get cooked.Once cooked well sprinkle little turmeric powder & red chilli powder ,saute everything well and keep it aside.
7. Heat another pan/kadai with oil ,add the cloves,cardamom & cinnamon to it .Saute for a minute.
8. Add the onion slices and green chillies to it and saute them until onions become translucent.
9. Add the ginger-garlic to it and stir until its raw flavor is gone.
10. Add the chopped tomatoes ,turmeric powder,chilli powder and biryani masala to it.Mix well.Stir well.Low the flame.Cover it to make the tomatoes soft and pasty mixed well with all the powders.
11. Once tomatoes are soft & mushy,remove the cover,add the boiled mixed vegetables, followed by cooked Quinoa to it and mix well.
12. Finally add the fried papaya and red potato slices to it and mix everything well.
13. Add the salt as needed.
14. Papaya potato Quinoa Pilaf is ready to serve.

Note:

• You can add any vegetables of your choice.
• You can use any masala even garam masala but tastes will be different then and I personally love shaan masalas.

Eat,love,pray,live DELICIOUSLY,

            

Quinoa Boondi (colorful & sugarfree)

Wow,today is Vijaydasami,the last day of Navratri also called Dussehra .Though I do pujas and prayers of Maa Durga (Hindu Goddess) at home,though I go to temple on this occasion as well,honestly speaking,I hardly felt like it was Navratri and it is Dussehra today .Well,I guess,that's what is called "Being-abroad-syndrome" !! and let me tell ya,it's not fun,something is always missing here.I am so jealous of all of you who are living in India and enjoyed the festival in and out.

Every year it reminds me of my childhood days when my mom would be busy preparing festival delicacy (& me eating like there is no tomorrow) and by evening dad would take us all across the town every 10 days to show us different pandals( temporary platforms where goddess is being placed and worshiped) and different one-of-a-kind beautiful Devi idols worshiped that day .

I was (&am) so crazy about all those fairs and processions of that day .Those ten days I would dump all my books for good :D and moreover, one of the day is dedicated to worship Goddess Saraswati ,the goddess of Knowledge,wisdom and art and on that day, after performing all rituals,the students are suppose to put their books,pens etc  in front of the goddess for her blessings and no one is suppose to study that day .Not to mention my favorite day of the Navaratri festival :D .

Now being far far away from my motherland and my home ,with hardly any relatives here in US and friends with benefits mostly :p ,I am dead homesick.Ab kya karein paapi pett ka sawaal jo hai ;kuch paanein/kamanien keliye kuch khona bhi padtha hain :P.

However,I believe what makes me to remind ,reemphasize and celebrate this festival are "Sweets" / Festival delicacies. One such sweet I made is "Quinoa Boondi "which is infact kinda healthy version of the traditional boondi.

Boond in Hindi means Drop and this sweets look just like sweet droplets,made with thick and runny Besan/chickpea/Gram flour batter and deep fried in oil and later on dunked in sugar syrup. This sweet are usually offered as Prasad/offerings to Hindu Gods and Goddess during festivals .I added the extra goodness of quinoa and covered it in sugar free .This is exclusively for diabetic patients.


This is how I make healthy sugar free Boondi:

Sugar Free Quinoa colorful Boondi

Ingredients

Quinoa flour - 1 cup
Gram flour/Besan -1/2 cup

Cardamom powder - 1 teaspoon

Baking soda - 1/4 teaspoon

Water - 1/2 cup

Ghee or oil for deep frying

Beetroot juice - 1-2 teaspoons

Hemp/Spirulina juice - 1-2 teaspoons

Saffron strands (4-5) in warm water

Perforated frying ladle/spoon

Stevia/Sugarfree - 1-2 tablespoon

Method:

• Take a bowl and combine quinoa flour,besan,cardamom powder ,baking powder and water.Mix well until it is lump free.Keep it aside for about 10 minutes (approx).(The consistency should be thick yet runny)
• Take three bowls and divide the batter into each of them respectively.
• Add beetroot juice in one bowl of batter , hemp powder/spirulina powder in other bowl and saffron in the third bowl of batter.Mix well the colors to each bowl.Keep pink,green and yellow colored batter aside .
• Heat the ghee/oil in a pan and put it on high flame for a minute.Drop a batter and if it fluffs up and surfaces on the top of oil/ghee ,it's ready to deep fry.At this point reduce the flame to medium-low.
• Take the perforated ladle/spoon,hold it about 3-4 inch above the pan ,pour about 4 tablespoons of batter at once and and slightly move the ladle up and down in such a way that the batter easily flows out of the hole of the perforated spoon and falls freely as droplets into the ghee.
• Deep fry them on medium flame.Repeat the steps for rest of the batter.
• Remove them using the slotted spoon.
• Once all boondis are ready,sprinkle the stevia or any sugar free on the top and mix well so that all boondis are covered with sugar free well.
• Serve immediately.

Note:

• I used Baking powder as this flour needs it to get it fluffy later unlike the Chickpea flour/Besan.
• Grate little beetroot and juice it in blender , sieve it and use it.There is no aftertaste of any of this or hemp/spirulina.Make sure when you add the juice to the batter it shouldn't turn it too runny otherwise it won't come out good .In case, if it happens,add more quinoa flour and adjust accordingly.
• You can also use simply a spoon and dip it in the batter and put the batter as drop by drop and fry it too.It is time consuming though and may not yield evenly shaped boondis.
• You can also make sugar syrup and use it instead of sugar free.That will be certainly more tastier comparatively.
• Serve this boondi immediately otherwise it'll get dry and won't taste that good later.

Enjoy the victory of truth over evil !

Happy Dussehra to one and all .

Jai Mata Di,