Upma is my favorite and I prepare it often. I love all varieties of upma, be it rava upma or arisi upma or aval upma or oats upma.. Quinoa upma is very delicious, flavorful and packed with protein and nutrients. It is a quick and easy recipe that you can put up for breakfast or lunch or dinner in no-time. It is perfect for bachelors, vegetarians, vegans looking for healthy protein rich recipes. Today we will learn how to make Quinoa Upma following this easy recipe with step wise pictures.
Quinoa Vegetable Upma
Prep Time : 10 mins
Cook Time : 25 mins
Serves: 1
Recipe Category: Breakfast-Dinner
Recipe Cuisine: South Indian
Serves: 1
Recipe Category: Breakfast-Dinner
Recipe Cuisine: South Indian
Ingredients needed
Quinoa -1/2 cup
Onion -1/3 cup or 1 onion chopped
Green chilli -2 slit
Peeled and chopped ginger -1 tbsp
Carrot + beans together -1/2 cup
Capsicum -1/2 a capsicum or 1/3 cup chopped
Potato -1/4 cup or a small potato
Tomato – 1 small
Salt -1 tsp flat or as needed
For the seasoning
Oil -2 tbsp
Mustard seeds -1 tsp
Urad dal -1/2 tsp
Bengal gram -1/2 tsp (optional)
Red chillies -1-2
Hing -1/4 tsp
Curry leaves – few
Preparation
Chop all the vegetables. Wash the quinoa well in a sieve (put it in a sieve or fine mesh strainer) under running water and keep it aside.
Keep all the vegetables, seasonings needed for the upma ready. It saves a lot of time and mess.
Method
Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, when it splutters, add urad dal and bengal gram dal. When dal turns golden brown, add red chillies, hing and curry leaves.
Add chopped onions, green chilli, ginger and saute until onions turn transparent.
Add all the vegetables (except capsicum and tomato) 1/3 cup of water and cook covered.
Once the vegetables are 3/4 th cooked, add the capsicum and tomatoes. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add 1 cup of water and needed salt. (taste the water to check for salt – the water should be slightly salty, once you add the quinoa, it will be perfect).
When water starts boiling, reduce the flame and add the washed quinoa. Cook covered on low flame. Stir once in between.
It will take around 15 minutes. Once all the water has evaporated, turn off the heat, mix well and enjoy!! Filling, and nutritious quinoa upma is ready and the great thing is you have just one utensil to wash!!
You do not need any side dish for this upma as we have added lot of vegetables. But if preferred, you can have it with chutney or sambar.
| Picture shows quinoa upma and a bowl of chopped pineapple. |
Tips from my personal experience – I have the habit of having a bowl of any seasonal fruits (organic preferable) an hour before breakfast or dinner. Either eat fruits on an empty stomach or 1 or 2 hours before breakfast or meals. In this way, you will feel energized and can avoid most digestive problems. It also helps in weight loss as we are not tempted to overeat. Try it and see. You will feel good!!
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View Comments (29)
Nice one. Thanks.
what is quinoa in tamil is it varagarisi?
It's Thinai, if I'm not wrong :)
It is not thinai. Thinai is foxtail millet and is a grain. Quinoa is a seed. Check Wikipedia
Quinoa doesn't have any Indian name
I'm passing on this recipe to my mother (for my mother). Thank you so much for putting it in.
Loved it thanks a lot.
Please advise the time needed for Quinoa to cook as this is not as soft as Rava,
Approximately around 15 minutes.
Thanks for a gluten-free recipe , except for hing which I will avoid as it is not gluten-free :)
where to get quinoa in Chennai?
Praveena- you get it easily in Nilgiris and other gourmet shops but very costly.
Was unable to cook as shown here. Is there a pre cook procedure for quinoa... Please help
Quinoa is very easy to cook. Boil water well, add washed and rinse quinoa and cook covered. Check this detailed post on How to cook quinoa
This was really great. Very simple to make, and definitely worth making again! Thanks for a great recipe Padhu!
What do I ask for quinoa in Tamil - if it is not in Nilgiris ?
There is no Tamil word for quinoa. It will be available only in big supermarkets as it is imported.
A good diet recipe. Thanks for the idea of using quinoa for upma.