Curried Quinoa & Pumpkin
Salads that you can make in a big batch are a winner, and the Curried Quinoa & Pumpkin Salad is perfect for exactly that.
Quinoa is a complete source of protein containing all 9 essential amino acids!
Quinoa is a gluten-free grain that is also one of the grains that is highest in protein. It’s a good source of carbohydrates & fibre and contains some resistant starch, which is beneficial for your gut bacteria by acting as a fuel source. And on top of that, it’s also packed with vitamins and minerals.
Quinoa can seem daunting to cook, but its really easy and follow my tips below to making your quinoa nice and fluffy. Serve this as part of your plate, include a leafy green salad or some streamed veggies and your choice of protein. This tastes great served with roast chicken and Pear, Walnut & Avocado Salad or with 2 fried eggs and falafels.
Curried Quinoa & Pumpkin
Ingredients
- ½ cup quinoa (white or tricolour)
- 1 tbsp turmeric
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- 1 small half butternut pumpkin
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
- ½ bunch fresh coriander
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Cook quinoa, following instructions below.
- Heat oven to 180-200 degrees and chop the pumpkin into cubes and place on a tray and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and roast until crispy, approx 20-25 minutes.
- For the last 5 minutes of the pumpkin roasting, add the pumpkin seeds to the oven tray and roast until browned and crunchy.
- Chop the fresh coriander.
- Once the quinoa, pumpkin and pumpkin seeds are ready, add to a bowl and add the fresh coriander and mix together.
- You can add a dressing, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil or add some avocado and read above for some serving suggestions.
Quinoa
- Add ½ cup quinoa to a sieve and rinse thoroughly before adding to a saucepan.
- Add 2 parts water to every 1 part quinoa, so ½ cup quinoa = 1 cup water.
- Add 1 tbsp turmeric and 1 tbsp curry powder to the quinoa and water and stir thoroughly.
- Bring water to the boil and once boiling turn down straight away to a low heat simmer.
- Check and stir regularly and the quinoa grains will absorb the water. Once the water is absorbed turn the heat off and leave the quinoa in the pan covered with a lid to make the quinoa fluffy.
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Amy Savage is a qualified Nutritionist with a Bachelor of Health Science in Nutritional & Dietetic Medicine and is available for consultations online and in Sydney CBD. Email amy@amysavagenutrition.com for further details.