Lemon rice is a best lunch box item as well as best to carry while travelling. Recent times quinoa is considered as a best alternative to white rice. Quinoa is a nutritious, ancient grain containing a complete protein profile. So I tried to make lemon rice with quinoa. Lemon juice gives a very refreshing and tangy flavor to the quinoa. Give it a try and enjoy having healthy meal with your family.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup – Quinoa
• 1 no – Lemon
• 1/4 tsp – Turmeric powder
• Salt as needed

Seasonings:

• 1 tbsp – Oil
• 1/4 tsp – Mustard seeds
• 1/4 tsp – Split black gram
• 1 tbsp – Bengal gram (kadalai paruppu)
• 6 or 7 – Cashew nuts
• 6 or 7 – Peanuts
• 2 or 3 nos – Dry red chili (as needed)
• 1 pinch – Asafoetida
• 5 or 6 – Curry leaves

Preparation method:

1. Wash and pressure cook quinoa in 2 cups of water for upto 3 whistles or until well cooked. Otherwise cook the quinoa as per instructions given on the packet.Spread cooked quinoa on a wide bowl and let it cool completely.
2. Cut the lemon, squeeze the juice and discard the seeds.
3. Heat oil in a pan, season with items given in list for seasoning. Then add squeezed lemon juice along with turmeric powder and required salt; bring to boil. Add cooked quinoa to this mixture and mix everything well to blend. Hot and tangy lemon quinoa is ready to serve.

Notes:

• I pressure cooked quinoa instead of directly cooking on the pot. It came out perfect.
• You can fry cashew nuts and peanuts each separately and add it to the dish after adding quinoa.
• After adding lemon juice do not over cook it because it will get absorbed quickly. So immediately add quinoa and mix well.