Lemony Quinoa and Pea Pilaf

Quinoa (pronounced Keen-waah) has been on my must-try wish list since the time I embarked on this vegan/raw journey. Its supposed to be this super grain with tons of protein - and that is something most non-meat eating folks desperately need. So, I bought a rather expensive jar of imported and organic Bolivian quinoa from the Farmers Market a couple of weeks ago.

But, I was unsure how its supposed to taste and how its supposed to be cooked or best served with. So, after getting my queries resolved on Foodista, and on a rather chilly night, I had a go at this. You're supposed to use quinoa in any dish that calls for bulgar wheat or rice. And it can be served sweet or savoury.

Lemony Quinoa and Pea Pilaf

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup of quinoa
• 1/2 cup of peas
• 1 lime
• 1 spring onion
• 1 small tomato
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1-2 cloves of fresh green garlic (along with the green stem)
• Coriander to garnish
• 5-10 black pepper corns

To make:
In a pot, put about 1.5 cups (twice as much as the quinoa) of water, and the quinoa and boil for 10-15 minutes. I had only frozen peas, and so added them in as well - which was a mistake, coz the peas have lost their right green color, this way. I'd add the peas in last along with the other veggies, the next time.

Add the juice of half a lime and the curry powder when the pot first comes to a boil. Mix well.

Chop the tomatoes, spring onion and garlic.

Turn off the heat after 15 minutes max. Let it cool for 5 minutes. Then add the rest of the veggies. Mix well.

Add the black pepper powder and coriander to garnish along with the remaining lime juice.

It tasted really good and I will definitely be cooking a lot more with quinoa in the future!