Quinoa upma recipe with step by step photos – quick and easy breakfast recipe of mix vegetable quinoa upma. A vegan recipe.
I had got some requests to share quinoa recipes. Hence this recipe. I will also add more quinoa recipes later.
Quinoa pronounced ‘keenwah’ or ‘kinuwa’ is a crop grown for its edible seeds. Quinoa is also a super food. being a good source of protein, its beneficial for vegetarians as well as vegans. Its also rich in iron, manganese and phosphorus.
The texture of cooked quinoa is soft yet chewy with a crunch. The cooked seeds have a nutty flavor. On cooking the seeds become translucent.
Quinoa is not native to India. so in hindi, there is no name for these seeds. Similar to quinoa, we have a seed that is native to India and its amaranth. Like quinoa even amaranth has nutrient rich profile and is not expensive in India. amaranth is also called as ‘rajgira’ or ‘ramdana’ in hindi. If you can get amaranth (seeds or flour) then you can make many recipes from it.
Quinoa can be used as a substitute in recipes which use rice or other cereals. The possibilities are many.
Serve quinoa upma hot or warm with a side coconut chutney or a side lemon pickle.
How to make quinoa upma
1. Take ½ cup quinoa in a fine strainer and rinse very well in running water. Keep aside.
2. Heat 1.5 tbsp oil in a pan. Add ½ tsp mustard seeds.
3. Once the mustard seeds begin crackling, then add ½ tsp cumin seeds, ½ tsp urad dal and ½ tsp moong dal or chana dal.
4. Stir and saute on a low flame.
5. Saute till the urad dal and moong dal turn golden.
6. Then add ½ tsp finely chopped ginger, 1 tsp chopped green chilies, chopped, 1 dry red chili and a pinch of asafoetida (optional). Saute for about half a minute. For a gluten-free upma, skip asafoetida or use gluten-free asafoetida.Â
7. Next add ⅓ cup finely chopped onions and 5 to 6 curry leaves.
8. Stir and saute on a low to medium flame.
9. Saute till the onions become translucent.
10. Then add ⅓ cup finely chopped carrots, ¼ cup finely chopped french beans and ⅓ cup frozen peas. You can use your choice of veggies. Do chop them finely, so they get cooked by the time the quinoa cooks. If using fresh peas, then steam or cook them separately. Add them once the upma is done.
11. Mix well.
12. Saute on a low flame for two minutes.
13. Then add the quinoa.
14. Mix very well again.
15. Saute for a minute or two on low flame.
16. Then add water. For ½ cup of quinoa, 1 cup of water can be added. I added 1.25 cups water as I wanted a more fluffy and softer texture.
17. Stir well.
18. Add salt as per taste.
19. Cover the pan with its lid and simmer on a low flame till the quinoa seeds are cooked.
20. Once or twice you can stir the upma while its being simmered.
21. When all the water has been absorbed and the grains appear translucent and cooked well, remove the lid and switch off the flame. It will take about 20 to 22 minutes for the quinoa to cook.
22. Add 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves.
23. Give a quick stir and Serve vegetable quinoa upma hot or warm with a few lemon wedges or coconut chutney or lime pickle.
More upma varieties
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Quinoa Upma
By Dassana Amit
Ingredients
- ½ cup quinoa
- 1.5 tablespoon oil
- 1 medium onion or 1/3 cup finely chopped medium onion
- ½ teaspoon finely chopped ginger
- 1 teaspoon chopped green chilies or 1 to 2 green chilies - chopped
- 1 dry red chili - stem removed
- 1 pinch asafoetida (hing) - optional
- 5 to 6 curry leaves
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon urad dal
- ½ teaspoon moong dal or chana dal
- 1 small to medium carrot or 1/3 cup finely chopped carrots
- 5 to 6 french beans or ¼ cup finely chopped french beans
- 1/3 cup frozen peas
- 1 to 1.25 cups water
- 2 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves (cilantro leaves)
- salt as required
Instructions
- Take ½ cup quinoa in a fine strainer and rinse well in running water.
- Heat 1.5 tbsp oil in a pan. Add ½ tsp mustard seeds.
- Once the mustard seeds begin crackling, then add ½ tsp cumin seeds, ½ tsp urad dal and ½ tsp moong dal or chana dal.
- Stir and saute on a low flame. Saute till the urad dal and moong dal turn golden.
- Then add ½ tsp finely chopped ginger, 1 tsp chopped green chilies or 1 to 2 green chilies, chopped, 1 dry red chili and a pinch of asafoetida (optional). Saute for about half a minute.
- Next add 1/3 cup finely chopped medium onion and 5 to 6 curry leaves.
- Stir and saute on a low to medium flame.
- Saute till the onions become translucent.
- Then add 1/3 cup finely chopped carrots, 1/4 cup finely chopped french beans and 1/3 cup frozen peas. Mix well.
- Saute on a low flame for two minutes.
- Then add the quinoa. Mix very well again.
- Saute for a minute or two on low flame.
- Then add water. For 1/2 cup of quinoa 1 cup of water can be added. I added 1.25 cups water as I wanted a more fluffy and softer texture.
- Stir well. Add salt as per taste.
- Cover the pan with its lid and simmer on a low flame till the quinoa seeds are cooked.
- Once or twice you can stir the upma while its being simmered.
- When all the water has been absorbed and the grains appear translucent and cooked well, remove the lid and switch off the flame.
- Add 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves.
- Give a quick stir and serve vegetable quinoa upma hot or warm with a few lemon wedges or coconut chutney or lime pickle.
Nutrition Info Approximate values
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Great way of telling the recipe, it made the entire process so simple that even an amateur cook like me could get it in the first attempt.. n trust me I was trying Quinoa for the very first time and was appregensive that if this upma dont come up well, I might stop liking quinoa otself.. but here we are, I am in love with it..
Thanks a ton, looking forward to other dishes of urs 🙂
So good to read your comment and I am glad you found the recipe helpful and were able to make it easily. Definitely do try some more recipes from the blog and I am sure you will like them.
Didn’t come out well. Was all mushy. I imagine it will take a few tries and perhaps a good quality of quinoa to get it right.
thanks for the feedback. depending on the quality of quinoa, less or more water will be required for cooking. after a few trials, you can gauge how much water is needed to cook the quinoa (specific brand) perfectly. usually, the proportion of water mentioned in the recipe works well for most varieties of quinoa.
Only quinoa recipe I have really actually liked 😀 Thanks for sharing!
Washed the quinoa a couple of times before straining, skipped the red chili as I don’t eat very spicy food. Followed the recipe, otherwise. Oh, and I liked it with a little lime juice over it.
welcome radhika and glad to read your feedback. thanks for review and rating. lime or lemon juice tastes so good with quinoa upma. thanks again.