Quinoa ‘Biryani’

Quinoa ‘Biryani’

Biryani is a fragrant Indian rice-based dish. Here we’ve given it a bit of a twist by using our cooked quinoa instead of rice. If you come across a ‘biryani’ spice blend, by all means use that. But regular curry powder is pretty tasty!

serves 2

300g (11oz) cooked quinoa (recipe here)
2-3 teaspoons curry powder
1 bunch mint, leaves picked
4-6 tablespoons natural yoghurt
large handful brazil nuts or almonds, chopped

1. Heat a little oil in a large frying pan. Add quinoa and curry powder and cook over a medium high heat until the quinoa is hot.

2. Remove from the heat. Taste and season with salt. You may like to add a little more curry powder too.

3. Stir through mint. Drizzle over yoghurt and scatter over nuts.

leftover potential?

Great! Will keep in the fridge for a week or longer. The mint will wilt but it will still be tasty.

variations for fun

dairy-free / vegan – replace the yoghurt with a mixture of equal parts tahini, lemon juice and water.

no quinoa? – replace with cooked brown or basmati rice.

nut-free – replace the nuts with diced red capsicum (bell pepper).

different herbs – parsley or cilantro (coriander) could be used instead of the mint.

carnivore – serve as a side to a meaty curry.

more substantial – serve with hard boiled or poached eggs.

problem solving guide

too dry – serve with extra yoghurt.

bland – add more curry powder and be more generous with the seasonings. Next time you might like to try a different brand of curry powder.

serving suggestions

Lovely on it’s own. Or as part of an Indian banquet.

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