Two Bolivian Quinoa Kitcharis - one pot shots

[Alberta Louise]

Two Bolivian Quinoa Kitcharis

Prepare and cook the quinoa to packet instructions. ½ cup per person to 1 cup of water. I favour au natural or tri-coloured. Drain and put aside.

In a skillet fry the herbs for a few minutes starting with 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp chilli powder, 1 tsp white pepper with chilli (Togarashi), 1 tsp turmeric 1 tsp dried chilli flakes and 1 tsp onion seeds (Kalonji seeds) and salt to taste.

Add the vegetables including: 5 x baby beets; cooked and peeled, 1 bunch of Mexican asparagus; cooked, 1 bunch of broccolini, 4-5 medium button mushrooms; sliced, red onion; diced, 4-5 small cloves of garlic.

Transfer the quinoa to the vegetables and gently fold in.  Add a splash of rice wine vingar.

Toasted white sesame seeds to garnish and ½ bunch of chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley to garnish. Salt to taste. Squeeze a quarter of lime juice to taste. Drizzle olive oil on top.

And the second dish is:

Prepare and cook the quinoa to packet instructions. ½ cup per person to 1 cup of water. I favour au natural or tri-coloured quinoa. Drain and put aside.

In a skillet fry the baby capsicums and the herbs for a few minutes.

5 x baby coloured (red, yellow, orange) capsicums, cut into strips, 4 x spring onions; minced, 1 medium red onion; diced, 1 tsp turmeric, 4-5 button mushrooms; sliced, 4-5 small cloves of garlic, 1 tsp dried chilli flakes, 1 tsp white pepper with chilli (Togarashi), 1 tsp onion seeds (Kalonji seeds) and salt to taste.

Transfer the quinoa to the vegetables and gently fold in. Add a splash of white wine vinegar. 

Toasted white sesame seeds to garnish and ½ bunch of chopped coriander to garnish. Squeeze a quarter of lime juice to taste.

 Drizzle olive oil on top

[Alberta Louise]

Quinoa takes 20 minutes to cook. Because Quinoa is gluten free, whilst cooking, you can add the asparagus and in the last 5 minutes of cooking add the mushrooms to the cooking water of the Quinoa. That way you tranfer stock per ratio to the vegetables, having a quick acting stock at hand at all times that keeps topping up and replenishing the vegetables already cooking with the herbs in the skillet two tbsps at a time. 

Recommended also, these two dishes suit a can of cooked beans i.e., chickpeas, kidney beans and black beans etc. Kitchari is a grain, vegetables and a spice mix. This is an alternate to rice or cous cous.