Quinoa with Crunchy Sprouted Beans

Bean sprouts has a crunchy and nutty flavor.  They are rich in vitamins, minerals, amino acids, protein and phytochemicals.  Usually I add these sprouts in salads which give a nice crunchy taste.  But due to the recent outbreaks of salmonella, or Escherichia coli I started cooking them in high heat so it will at least kill the bacteria to some extent.

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup Quinoa
  • 1 ¼ cups water
  • About 2 teaspoons canola oil
  • ½ lb mixed vegetables (such as bell pepper, mushroom, squash etc)
  • About ½ inch piece of ginger
  • 1 small red onion

  • 1 cup mixed bean sprout
  • Few cashew nuts (optional)
  • ½ teaspoon chili paste
  • 1 teaspoon crushed pepper
  • Salt to taste

Method:

  • Roast quinoa on low flame for a couple of minutes or until fragrant (make sure not to burn it or turn brown)
  • Add water and salt and bring to a rolling boil.  (When adding water to the roasted quinoa, it might splatter since the pan is quite hot).
  • Reduce flame and cook until all the water is absorbed. When quinoa is cooked you will see a tiny tail coming out of the grain.  (See my image for recipe quinoa with vegetables).  Let cool
  • Chop ginger into very small pieces (you can also grind and crush them)
  • Chop bell pepper, squash, and mushrooms into thick sliced.
  • Add oil to a skillet and add ginger and fry for about a minute.
  • Add red onion and sauté until lightly transparent.
  • Now add the rest of the vegetables and sprouted beans and stir fry on medium to high flame for about 5 minutes
  • Reduce flame and add chili paste, crushed pepper and mix well and cook for another minute
  • Transfer cooked quinoa to the skillet and mix well.
  • Season with salt.
  • Roast cashew nuts and sprinkle on the top and mix into the quinoa.
  • Serves about 2

Note: you can use any vegetables you want for this dish.  For example snow peas or sugar snap peas can be another option (I did not have those).  If you are non vegetarian, you may want to try a bit of fried shrimp on the top.

Happy Deepavali

Wish every one a Happy Deepavali! (தீபாவளி நல்வாழ்த்துக்கள்)

இனிய தமிழ் புத்தாண்டு நல்வாழ்த்துக்கள்

 

Wish every one a Happy New Year (இனிய தமிழ் புத்தாண்டு நல்வாழ்த்துக்கள்)

A Winter Wonderland

 

 

More Snow!

 

 

 

Pasta with Sundried tomato & Pine nut sauce

Ingredients

  • 4 oz pasta (Rotini, penne etc)
  • ¼ cup + 2 teaspoons pine nuts
  • 12 halves of sun dried tomatoes
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup water
  • ½ teaspoon pesto sauce (basil pesto)
  • 1 tablespoon parmesan cheese
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
  • 3 oz baby spinach
  • ¼ cup whole black olives

Method

  • Lightly toast pine nuts
  • Cook pasta and drain and set aside

  • Add ¼ cup pine nuts, 10 halves of sun dried tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, water, pesto sauce, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to blender and puree until smooth.  Transfer to a dish and set aside
  • Chop the rest of the sun dried tomatoes into very small pieces
  • Add olive oil to a skillet and add cherry tomatoes and sauté for about 15 – 20 seconds (make sure the tomatoes do not get over cooked and become mushy)
  • Add pasta sauce, cooked pasta and spinach to the skillet and continue to cook on very low flame until spinach is wilted.
  • Add black olives, chopped sun dried tomatoes and mix well
  • Sprinkle rest of the pine nuts on the top.
  • Serve warm (It’s best served immediately)
  • Serves 2

இனிய பொங்கல் நல்வாழ்த்துகள்


இனிய பொங்கல் நல்வாழ்த்துகள்

Thai Pongal is the harvest festival celebrated by tamils throughout India and Sri Lanka (nothern part of Sri Lanka).   According to the tamil calendar, January 14th (or 15th) denotes the first day of January.  So according to a tamil saying “தை பிறந்தால் வழி பிறக்கும்” means the comencement of January (தை) paves the way of new opportunities.  Also its  the first day of spring and farmers thank the god surya (sun) for the good harvest.

Pongal is celebrated by making sweet milk rice.  Traditionally in Jaffna, Sri Lanka pongal is made in a new clay pot early in the morning – during sun rise.  Milk is added to the clay pot and when it starts boiling over, uncooked rice is added to the pot and cooked.   When the milk boils over, its considered good luck and brings prosperity in the following year.  Traditionally the pot is placed facing east  when making the pongal (sweet milk rice).   When the rice is cooked Jaggery, raisins, cashew nuts, ghee and cardamom are added.

The day after Thai pongal is called “Maattu Pongal” which means honoring the cattle that worked in the fields with the farmer.  In  Jaffna, Sri Lanka on the Maattu pongal, cows are bathed and their horns are painted.  Then pongal is made for the cows and they are worshiped.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to Every One!

No mood for cooking today

Woke up to see this beautiful winter wonderland.  So took my camera and plouged through the snow to capture the moment.

My neighbours car burried in snow.

Happy Thanksgiving

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.