Quinoa Biryani

Name: Quinoa Biryani
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; 1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root; 2 cinnamon sticks; 1 teaspoon ground turmeric; 1 pod cardamom; 3 whole cloves; 3 cups water; 1 cup peeled, diced potato; 1 cup chopped carrots; 1 cup cauliflower florets; 1 cup broccoli florets; 1 cup fresh green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces; ½ cup fresh or frozen peas; 1 tablespoon butter; 1 onion, sliced into rings; 2 tablespoons cashew pieces; ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Rating: 3.1 stars

21 Ratings
17 Reviews
4 Photos

A delicious take on the traditional Indian biryani.

By Jennifer Lynn Gunderson

Gallery

Recipe Summary

prep:

35 mins

cook:

45 mins

total:

1 hr 20 mins

Servings:

Yield:

4 servings

Nutrition Info

Directions

Step 1
Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in quinoa and allow to toast briefly. Stir in the garlic, ginger, cinnamon sticks, turmeric, cardamom, and cloves. Cook and stir until the spices are fragrant, about 2 minutes. Pour in the water. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil; add potatoes, carrots, and cauliflower. Recover, then reduce heat to low and cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

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Step 2
Stir in the broccoli and green beans, then replace cover and simmer until the quinoa is tender and the water has been absorbed, about 10 minutes. Stir in the green peas, and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and discard cinnamon sticks and cloves.
Step 3
Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion; cook and stir until the onion is golden, about 8 minutes. Mix in the cashew pieces, stirring constantly until lightly toasted. Transfer quinoa and vegetables to a large platter or bowl. Top with the onion/cashew mixture and chopped cilantro.

Nutrition Facts

Per Serving:

334 calories; protein 10.6g; carbohydrates 50.3g; fat 11.2g; cholesterol 7.6mg; sodium 129.4mg. Full Nutrition

Reviews (17)

Most helpful positive review

Kym Cox Surridge

02/11/2010

This is a great base but I found it bland as is. Other than caramelizing red onions in coconut oil while the quinoa was cooking I followed the recipe exactly but after tasting it I increased the cardamom (I used 1/2 tsp ground; 1 pod = 1/6 tsp) added salt and 1/2 tsp garam masala and added raisins. The raisins really gave the dish a needed punch. Once these changes were made it was delicious! Read More

Helpful

(36)

Most helpful critical review

brigitte

04/05/2010

most certainly is a great way to combine veggies with a natural protein-rich grain. Needs more spices unless you're serving small young ones. Read More

Helpful

(14)

21 Ratings

5 star values: 2
4 star values: 7
3 star values: 5
2 star values: 5
1 star values: 2

Reviews: Most Helpful

Most Helpful Most Positive Least Positive Newest

Kym Cox Surridge

02/11/2010

Helpful

(36)

brigitte

04/05/2010

most certainly is a great way to combine veggies with a natural protein-rich grain. Needs more spices unless you're serving small young ones. Read More

Helpful

(14)

camilleod

02/17/2010

Great and easy recipe. I used vegetable broth instead of water and add 3/4 cup of raisin. it adds a bit a sweet and flavour to it Read More

Helpful

(13)

mle

03/09/2011

This is an amazing way to eat quinoa. I am trying to get more healthy quinoa in my diet but get tired of the simple quinoa-onion-beans combo or the add-it-to-soup. This is a super delicious novel way to eat it! My fiance is from Bolivia the land of of quinoa and he loved it and said he had never had quinoa made this way before. I also added more spice and plenty of salt as other readers commented and I just used the vegetables I had on hand: corn instead peas butternut squash cubed instead of broccoli or cauliflower and it was great! Read More

Helpful

(12)

YumYum

08/17/2010

I happen to love the indian basmati rice version of biryani but this recipe was SO BLAND! Very dissappointing. I've had quinoa in salads and love it but I didn't feel that it's a good base for a biryani. I don't think I'll be making this again. Read More

Helpful

(10)

virgi

05/24/2010

I found it bland. I thought it was because it was my first time using cardamom and I didn't really know how to use it but reading other reviews reassure me. I might try it again if somebody has a great suggestion for tweaking it. I was so excited about eating a good biryani that night...:-( Read More

Helpful

(8)

Mindy

03/12/2010

pretty bland I added some raisins and that helped Read More

Helpful

(7)

MarianneZ

04/22/2011

I also found it bland and certainly would not put potato in it again as that didn't seem to match and was just another bland addition. I added craisins as I didn t have raisins and that was slightly better but I would not make this again. Read More

Helpful

(7)

Emily Thrush

02/08/2010

very tasty! it does need some additional salt/pepper but otherwise great flavoring! will use again! Read More

Helpful

(6)

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All Reviews for Quinoa Biryani

- of Reviews

Quinoa Biryani

Servings Per Recipe: 4
Calories: 334.3

% Daily Value *

protein: 21 %

carbohydrates: 16 %

dietary fiber: 40 %

sugars:

fat: 17 %

saturated fat: 14 %

cholesterol: 3 %

vitamin a iu: 127 %

niacin equivalents: 20 %

vitamin b6: 24 %

vitamin c: 88 %

folate: 18 %

calcium: 8 %

iron: 11 %

magnesium: 18 %

potassium: 17 %

sodium: 5 %

thiamin: 19 %

calories from fat:

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

**Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-)Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.