A quick and easy biryani recipe made with quinoa. This healthy gluten-free cereal cooks fast and has a chewy yet fluffy texture. It is a good substitute for rice or even couscous. It is important to rinse the quinoa very well before cooking to remove the natural coating, which has a slightly bitter taste.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 pound pumpkin, peeled, seeded, and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 cups quinoa, well rinsed and drained
1/2 cup pistachios, shelled
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the fennel, onion, and garlic and sauté until the onions are golden. Add the pumpkin, cayenne pepper, and quinoa with half the pistachios and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in 3 cups of hot water with the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Cook, stirring occasionally until the quinoa is tender, the pumpkin is cooked, and all the moisture is absorbed.
Serve hot, garnished with remaining pistachios and parsley.
Excerpted from Indian Harvest. Text and recipes copyright © Vikas Khanna 2015. Photographs copyright © Vikas Khanna and Michael Swamy 2015. Published by Bloomsbury USA, reprinted with permission.
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