Wholesome and hearty Quinoa dish that has the sweetness from the sweet potatoes cooked with lemony spiced onion and peppers. An easy option for lunch, light dinner or a side dish that sure will be a staple in your weekly menu!
Ingredients
1 cup quinoa
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
2 small sweet potatoes, boiled, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chile powder
1 tablespoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped (deseed to go easy on the heat)
⅓ cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
Juice of half a lemon
Kosher salt, to taste
Roasted cashew nuts, for garnish (optional)
Method
Fill the pot/pan about half way with water and add a dash of salt. Bring this to a boil and add the sweet potatoes. (There should be enough water to cover the sweet potatoes) Cover the pan and cook for 12-15 minutes or until soft yet tender to the touch of a knife. Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into 1-inch cubes. Set aside.
Now wash the quinoa two-three times and drain well.
Transfer the quinoa to a saucepan, add 2 cups of water and ½ teaspoon of salt. Bring to a simmer and then cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium low and cook until the quinoa is tender and the liquid is almost absorbed. This takes anything between 12-15 minutes.
Drain the cooked qunioa and transfer it to a bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, set aside.
In the pan heat 3 tablespoon of oil. Add the chopped red onion and garlic and cook until the onions have softened a bit, about 3-5 minutes.
Now add the cumin, coriander and chilli powder and cook, stirring until the spices realeases aroma, about a minute or so.
Add chopped green chilli/jalapeno and bell peppers and cook for another 3-4 minutes or so. You want the peppers to retain the crunch.
Add the cooked qunioa to the onion-pepper mixture and mix well and season with salt.
Now add the sweet potatoes, lime juice and cilantro leaves and toss well.
Garnish with extra lemon wedges and roasted cashew nuts, Serve!
My Notes
Always wash quinoa 2-3 times before cooking to rid off quinoa's natural bitter coating, called saponin, which can make it taste bitter or soapy.
You can add any veggie you like, just make sure all veggies are cut in same size.
If you do not prefer much of a spice in your food, then just omit jalapeño and add only red Chile Powder.
Recipe by at https://www.urbancilantro.com/spicy-sweet-potato-quinoa-bowl/