Control the spice by reducing or increasing the cayenne and jalapeno. For our dish, we went full force on the cayenne, but then used only 1/2 of the jalapeno because it was so large. When selecting your ingredients, make sure to pick low sodium options for vegetable stock and beans. This puts you in control of the salt levels.

Ingredients

1 ½ cups dry quinoa, rinsed and drained (4 cups cooked)

1 chopped onion

1 diced bell pepper, any color

1 jalapeno, halved, seeded, and finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

4 teaspoons curry powder

½ teaspoon cayenne

½ teaspoon cinnamon

4 cups vegetable stock

1 15-ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained.

1 14.5-ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained

1 ½ cups cooked lentils, lightly mashed

2 medium zucchinis, diced

¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1 ½ teaspoons + 2 teaspoons salt (divided)

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Procedure

1. In a saucepan, combine the quinoa with 3 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer on low heat, covered, for 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Let cool slightly and fluff with a fork.

2. While the quinoa is cooking, heat a large pan over medium heat. Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Once the oil is hot, add ½ of the chopped onion and 1 of the minced garlic cloves and cook until fragrant. Add the zucchini to the pan and allow to cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt.

3. Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot, add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pot. Once the oil is hot, add the remaining onion and cook until translucent. Add the remaining garlic, the bell pepper, the jalapeno, 2 teaspoons curry powder, ¼ teaspoon cayenne, and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon and cook until the bell pepper is soft, about 5 minutes.

4. Add the vegetable stock, chickpeas, tomatoes, lentils, the remaining 2 teaspoons curry, ¼ teaspoon cayenne, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, 2 teaspoons of salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Stir to combine.

5. Turn the heat up to high until it starts to boil, then turn down the heat to medium low and allow the mixture to simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.

6. Add the zucchini mixture to the pot and allow to cook on medium heat for another 5 minutes.

7. Serve with the quinoa in a bowl and top with the chopped cilantro.

Recipes and Tips

Spicy Indian Chili with Quinoa