Spicy Quinoa Casserole
This fluffy quinoa casserole is packed with amazing Indian spices, toothsome chickpeas, and lots of veggies. 1 Pan 1 Step dump and bake. No need to stand around to sauté. It comes together quickly and easily. Gluten-free, soyfree, Nutfree
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 2 tablespoons ginger garlic paste or 5 cloves garlic, minced and 1” of ginger, minced
- 2 teaspoons Kashmiri chili powder or use paprika
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce , use tamari for gluten-free or omit
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 red or green bell pepper chopped or thinly sliced, or use a mix of both
- 1/4 cup chopped carrots
- 1 cup dry quinoa washed and drained
- 15 ounce can chickpeas drained, or 1 1/2 cups of cooked chickpeas
- 2 1/4 cup water or stock heated until boiling
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- green onion, pepper flakes, chopped nuts and/or seeds, wonton strips, or other crunchy topping, fresh herbs, and lemon or lime juice for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400° F (205° C).
- In a 9x11” or similar-sized baking dish, add the oil at the bottom of the pan and spread evenly, then add in the onion, ginger garlic paste/mince, Kashmiri chili powder, soy sauce, ketchup, black pepper, and bell pepper and toss to mix really well. Even this mixture out at the bottom of the dish, then sprinkle the carrots, quinoa, chickpeas on top, and spread but do not mix with the bottom layer. (they will roast on the bottom, while the quinoa cooks on top ). Alternatively, bake the aromatics for 10 mins then continue with adding the carrots quinoa, chickpeas.
- Add salt to the water. Heat up the water or stock, if you haven't already, until almost boiling, and then pour it lightly all over the baking dish. Lightly even it out, top the baking dish with parchment paper, and bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Check in at the 35-minute mark to see if the quinoa is done or not and also lightly stir the mixture, if the edges are starting to scorch. Cover with parchment again, and continue to bake for another 5 minutes, if the quinoa isn't done yet.
- Take the baking dish out of the oven, let it sit for another 5 minutes or so. You can add in about 1/2 cup of finely-chopped broccoli while the quinoa is still hot, mix in, and then cover it with parchment and let it sit for 5 to 6 minutes. The heat of the casserole will blanch and cook the broccoli. If you would like a creamier version, then fold in 1/4 cup of non-dairy cream or non-dairy yogurt at this point, and mix in.
- Mix and fluff the quinoa really well, then serve in bowls topped with some crunchy green onion, cilantro, or chopped onion and some pepper flakes or black pepper and a good dash of lime juice or lemon juice. Some nuts or seeds will also be great garnish
Video
Notes
To change up the flavor profile, use Jamaican curry powder, cajun spice blend, or a chili powder blend. You can also add in some garam masala or curry powder with the current recipe, as well. It is complementary with the flavor profile. The recipe profile is adapted from my schezwan fried rice.
To make this with rice, use 1 cup of white basmati rice and reduce the water to 2 cups.
Saucepan: sauté onion ginger and garlic over medium heat for 3 mins. The. Add the rest of the ingredients. Mix well, partially cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low, continue to cook for 15 minutes, check if quinoa is cooked, else cook for another few. Switch off heat Fluff, cover and let sit for a few mins. Fluff and serve
This recipe is gluten-free and nut-free. You can use some chopped nuts and seeds for garnish, but they are not necessary for the recipe.
To make it soy-free, use coconut aminos.
For gluten-free, use tamari instead of soy sauce.
Nutrition
Calories: 369kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 511mg | Potassium: 681mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 2154IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 5mg