Spiced Indian Quinoa Salad Recipe

Spiced Indian Quinoa Salad Recipe

Revamped Grain Delight: A Homemade Garam Masala Quinoa Salad

Embrace the aromatic charm of garam masala with this fabulous grain dish! This exotic spice blend, a fancy concoction of cinnamon, cloves, coriander, and cardamom, hails from the chilly northern regions of India. It masterfully complements grains and veggies, creating a symphony of flavors.

Whet your appetite with our homemade garam masala recipe, skipping the store-bought versions for a personal touch. This salad keeps well for 2 days, tucked away in the refrigerator.

Salad Savvy: The salad serves up to 6 hearty helpings.

• Difficulty: Easy peasy
• Prep Time: About 45 minutes
• Total Time: Approximately 1 hour

Your Shopping List (10 items):

• 2 cups quinoa
• 4 cups water
• 2 teaspoons homemade garam masala (recipe below)
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup currants
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 3 celery stalks, finely diced
• 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
• 5 scallions (white and green parts), thinly sliced diagonally
• 1/2 cup toasted almonds

Garam Masala Recipe:

To whip up your own garam masala, follow these easy steps:

Ingredients (11):

• ½ cup coriander seeds
• ¼ cup cumin seeds
• ¼ cup fennel seeds
• 2 tbsp cinnamon sticks, broken
• 10 green cardamoms
• 6 black cardamoms
• 2 tbsp cloves
• 1 tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• 2 bay leaves

Instructions:

1. Dry the Spices: Either sun-dry the ingredients for a couple of days or roast them gently on low heat in a pan. For sun-drying, lay the ingredients on a tray and let them rest, covered, for 2-3 days. For dry roasting, heat the pan and add the spices in batches, roasting each batch until fragrant. Let them cool before grinding.
2. Grind the Spices: Use a grinder or blender to powder the cooled spices along with nutmeg. Sift the mixture to ensure it's finely ground.
3. Use in Salad: Stir 1-2 teaspoons of homemade garam masala into your quinoa salad dressing. Customize to your taste buds.

Salad Prep:

1. Rinse the quinoa and drain. Toast it in a heated skillet for 10 minutes or until golden and fragrant.
2. Combine 3 cups water, 1 teaspoon garam masala, and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add quinoa and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the liquid evaporates and grains are tender.
3. Soak currants in hot water for 20 minutes until plump, then drain.
4. Sauté celery, bell pepper, remaining garam masala, and scallions in oil until tender.
5. Mix sautéed veggies, currants, and almonds with cooked quinoa. Serve at room temperature or chill in the refrigerator. Enjoy!
6. The exotic spice blend, garam masala, used in the Revamped Grain Delight: A Homemade Garam Masala Quinoa Salad, is a cultural concoction of various spices like cinnamon, cloves, coriander, and cardamom.
7. To make the salad a more personal touch, homemade garam masala recipe is provided, using freshly roasted and ground spices like coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, and more.
8. For an enriching flavor experience, stir 1-2 teaspoons of the homemade garam masala into the quinoa salad dressing, ensuring it complements the spices in the rest of the ingredients, such as currants, celery, bell pepper, and almonds.

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