Quinoa and Spinach Khichdi

A confession: I use my blog to jot down my recipes. Even the day to day ones. Why? Because of late I have been hit with this bout of irremediable case of forgetfulness. Those recipes usually lie in the draft section of my blog and I just refer to them whenever I need to! But this Quinoa Khichdi turned out so well, and also this is the kind of one-pot meal you would want to feed your family, I had to share it.

Quinoa has been recognized as a food with high nutritive value in the recent years and is slowly making itself known in the world kitchen. Be sure to wash the quinoa well before you use it, otherwise there is a soapy residue. The best way to wash quinoa is run the seeds under running water in a strainer. Drain and use. 

Ingredients: (Yield: About 3 to 4 servings)

• Quinoa - 1/2 Cup, washed and drained
• Green Moong - 1/2 Cup
• Spinach - 1 Cup, packed (I used frozen)
• Cilantro - a handful, finely chopped
• Tomatoes - 1 small, chopped
• Garam Masala - 1 inch cinnamon stick, 2 split green cardamoms and 2 cloves
• Onions - 1/2 Cup, chopped
• Garlic - 2 fat cloves, minced
• Green Chilies - 1, finely chopped
• Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
• Paprika - 1/2 tsp
• Oil - 2 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Water - 1 3/4 to 2 Cups

In a pressure cooker, heat up 1 tsp of oil and temper it with cinnamon stick, cloves and green cardamom (split). Once it nice and fragrant, add the chopped onions and minced garlic. Once the onions start caramelizing a little, add the quinoa and green moong and fry for few minutes. Throw in the tomatoes, green chilies, cumin powder, coriander powder, paprika, salt and cook till the tomatoes turn mushy. Dump in the spinach, chopped cilantro and stir to mix well. Add the water (do adjust according to need). Cover and pressure till you hear at least 4-5 whistles. Serve warm.