Quinoa Pan cakes

Thank you Siri @cooking with Siri

It was my project manager at work place who introduced 'Quinoa' to me and I must confess that I was least interested in the beginning. But as the proverb goes - "Necessity is the mother of Invention", I ran out of rice this weekend and had to experiment with this substitute.

A little of Quinoa (KEEN-wah):




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Quinoa is a not-so-common item in an American kitchen, which is technically not a true grain, but is the seed of the Chenopodium or Goosefoot plant. When cooked, it has a slightly crunchy texture and a nutty flavor. Studies show that the health benefits of Quinoa are abundant as they are rich in amino acids and essential proteins, much better than 'carbs' that we usually take through rice. Its a great choice for vegans and relatively a high source of calcium, iron and vitamins.

I tried couple of recipes out of Quinoa and all of them turned out to be super-delicious, to my pleasant surprise ofcourse.

Here is one such dish, 'Quinoa Pancakes'..:) - a great way to start out to use this unknown grain..:D



Quinoa Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 cup Veggies (finely chopped): Zucchini, Bell peppers, Onion, Tomatoes
1 cup cooked Quinoa * (look for it in any local grocery stores)
1 egg
1 cup All purpose flour
Salt to taste
1/4 cup Milk
2 tsp Olive Oil

*(Cook as per package instructions. I used my rice cooker with 1 part Quinoa to 2 part water proportion.)

Preparation:

Step 1: Heat a tsp of oil in a wok and saute all the veggies for 3-4 mins. Set aside.

Step 2: In a mixing bowl, combine egg and milk . Add flour and water stirring into a fine batter with a consistency of a pancake batter. Season with salt and add a tsp of olive oil.

Step 3: Finally add in quinoa & veggie mixture and mix well.

Step 4: Heat greased griddle and pour a small batter. Tip to spread out (or) spread with a spoon.

Step 5: Cook one side for 2-3 mins on a medium-low flame and turn over to cook the other side.

Serve hot!