This Lemon Quinoa is a South Indian-inspired dish, similar to lemon rice, but made with quinoa instead. It can be prepared on the stovetop or in an Instant Pot, where cooked quinoa is flavored with a tempering of mustard seeds, lentils, curry leaves, and turmeric. A splash of fresh lemon juice adds a tangy twist, enhancing its vibrant flavor. This dish is vegan, gluten-free, and a healthy alternative to traditional lemon rice!
Quinoa, pronounced 'keen-wa', is a gluten-free, whole-grain carbohydrate, as well as a whole protein (meaning it contains all nine essential amino acids).
I love incorporating quinoa into my meals at least twice a week because of its amazing health benefits. Some of my go-to dishes include quinoa black bean salad, quinoa pulao, curd quinoa, and quinoa fried rice. Today, I’m sharing another delicious quinoa recipe that I’m sure will become your next favorite—Lemon Quinoa! Inspired by the classic South Indian lemon rice, this dish is light, tangy, and packed with flavor.
If you like this recipe, then check out more Lemon Recipes
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What Is Lemon Quinoa?
Lemon Quinoa is a delicious and easy recipe made in the South Indian style, flavored with mustard seeds, curry leaves, and lemon juice. This tangy quinoa recipe will be delicious and fill you with so much energy that you will want to have it every other day. Enjoy your healthful breakfast with this high-protein and healthy quinoa dish.
Ingredients
- White Quinoa: Make sure to rinse it under cold water to remove the natural coating, called saponin, to avoid any bitterness before adding it to the Lemon Quinoa recipe.
- Nuts: You can use any nuts, like roasted peanuts or cashew nuts, for the crunch.
- Mustard seeds, Cumin seeds, Urad dal are part of any South Indian tempering. You can increase the quantity if you desire.
- Curry Leaves: are added for flavoring, so dont skip them.
- Asafoetida (Hing): a pinch of hing. To make it gluten-free, lemon quinoa, skip it or use GF asafoetida.
- Onions: finely chopped red onions.
- Water: For making in an Instant Pot, add ¾ cup of water for ½ cup of dry quinoa, and in a stovetop pot, use 1 cup of water for ½ cup of dry quinoa.
How to Make Indian-Style Lemon Quinoa
How to Cook Quinoa:
On Stovetop Pot: Cook the ½ cup of rinsed quinoa with 1 cup of water on medium-low heat until cooked, and let it cool.
Stovetop Pressure Cooker: Pressure cook the ½ cup of rinsed quinoa with 1 cup of water for two whistles on medium-low heat. Let the pressure release naturally.
In Instant Pot (Electric Pressure Cooker): Pressure cook the ½ cup of rinsed quinoa with ¾ cup of water on MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK mode for 1 minute. Let the pressure release naturally. Check the detailed recipe "how to cook perfect quinoa in instant pot".
To Make Lemon Quinoa
In a Kadai, Heat 2 tablespoons oil. Add in the 2 tablespoons of raw peanuts and saute them until they turn slightly golden brown. Take them out and keep them aside.
In the same Kadai, add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds, ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon urad dal, and saute until the dal turns light brown.
Then add 2 green chiles (finely chopped), 1 stalk curry leaves, 1 pinch of hing, and saute for a few seconds.
Next, add 1 small chopped onion and ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, and saute until the onions turn light brown.
Turn off the flame, add the cooked quinoa, salt, and juice of half lemon, and mix everything well.
Garnish with roasted peanuts, and 2 tablespoons coriander leaves, and serve Indian Style Lemon Quinoa hot with papad or pickle.
How to Make Lemon Quinoa in Instant Pot
- Press SAUTE on Instant Pot. Add oil once it's hot, add in the peanuts, and fry them until they turn slightly golden brown. Take them out and keep them aside.
- Then add mustard seeds, jeera, and urad dal, and saute till the dal turns light brown. Then add green chilies, curry leaves, hing, and saute for a few seconds.
- Next, add the chopped onions, turmeric, and saute till the onions turn light brown.
- Add ½ cup of rinsed quinoa, ¾ cup of water, salt, and mix well.
- Close the Instant Pot with pressure valve to Sealing. Cook on High Pressure for 2 minutes.
- When the instant pot beeps, Let the pressure release naturally.
- Remove the lid away from you, add roasted peanuts, lemon juice, and garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Gently mix everything. Enjoy Instant pot quinoa lemon rice hot.
How to Serve with Lemon Quinoa?
Serve this tangy and flavorful South Indian-style lemon rice quinoa with a side of kachumber salad, pickle, papad, or cucmber raita. Plain yogurt also works well or can be eaten without any add-ons.
Storage Suggestions
- Store: Leftover quinoa lemon will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Let it cool completely, and then store it in an airtight container.
- Freeze: You can freeze the leftover lemon quinoa pilaf in a freezer-safe ziplock or container for up to 2 months.
- Reheat: Sprinkle some water and reheat the quinoa lemon rice in the microwave or stovetop until it warms through.
Expert Tips
- Rinsing Quinoa: Rinse quinoa in water 1-2 times to remove the bitter coating (saponin) and dirt from the quinoa.
- Don't Overcook Quinoa: Cook the Quinoa until it is tender. If you overcook it, it will become mushy.
- Cook with vegetable broth: Cooking quinoa with broth instead of water adds more flavor to the dish.
- Cool the Quinoa to Room Temperature: Make sure to cool the quinoa to room temperature before tempering, it to get fluffy and nonsticky quinoa.
- Water-to-quinoa Ratio: Be careful about the water-to-quinoa ratio since you want lemon quinoa rice with each grain separate and fluffier.
- Add Lemon juice at the end: Always add lemon juice after switching off the flame, followed by a quick mix. This preserves the fresh taste of the lemon juice and prevents it from having a bitter flavor.
Variations and Notes
- Other Grains: You can easily swap quinoa with millet to create another wholesome and nutritious dish — millet lemon rice.
- Add Vegetables: You can add vegetables such as carrots, bell peppers, green beans, peas, or broccoli for extra nutrition.
- Raw Mangoes: If raw mangoes are in season, you can add ¼ cup of grated raw mango during tempering, which gives a nice twist to this quinoa, similar to my raw mango rice.
- Lemon Zest: You can also add a little lemon zest to the lemon quinoa rice. It adds a zing and great flavor to the dish.
- No Onion: You can skip onions to make a no-onion lemon quinoa recipe.
Indian Style Lemon Quinoa Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
For Cooking Quinoa
- ½ cup raw quinoa
- 1 cup water (¾ cup water for instant pot)
- salt to taste
For Lemon Quinoa
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons peanuts
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon cumin (jeera) seeds
- 1 teaspoon urad dal
- 2 green chilies finely chopped
- 1 stalk curry leaves
- 1 pinch hing (asafetida)
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- salt to taste
- juice of half lemon
- 2 tablespoons coriander leaves
Instructions
Stovetop Method:
- How to Cook Quinoa:On Stovetop Pot: Cook the ½ cup of rinsed quinoa with 1 cup of water on medium-low heat until cooked, and let it cool.Stovetop Pressure Cooker: Pressure cook the ½ cup of rinsed quinoa with 1 cup of water for two whistles on medium-low heat. Let the pressure release naturally.In Instant Pot (Electric Pressure Cooker): Pressure cook the ½ cup of rinsed quinoa with ¾ cup of water on MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK mode for 1 minute. Let the pressure release naturally. Check the detailed recipe.
- How to make Lemon Quinoa:In a Kadai, add oil. Once it's hot, add in the peanuts and fry them until they turn slightly golden brown. Take them out and keep them aside.
- In the same Kadai, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal, and saute until the dal turns light brown.Then add green chiles, curry leaves, hing, and saute for a few seconds.
- Next, add the chopped onions, turmeric, and saute until the onions turn light brown.
- Turn off the flame, add the cooked quinoa, salt, and juice of half lemon, and mix everything well.
- Garnish with Coriander leaves and roasted peanuts and serve Indian Style Lemon Quinoa hot with papad or pickle.
Instant Pot Method:
- Press SAUTE on Instant Pot. Add oil once it's hot, add in the peanuts, and fry them until they turn slightly golden brown. Take out and keep them aside.
- Then add mustard seeds, jeera, urad dal, saute till dal turns light brown in color. Then add green chilies, curry leaves, hing and saute for few seconds.
- Next add in the chopped onions, turmeric, and saute till onions turn light brown in color.
- Add rinsed quinoa, water, salt, and mix well.
- Close the lid on the pot, and turn the pressure valve to SEALING position.
- Set the pot to MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK (High Pressure) and set the timer to 2 minute. When the instant pot beeps, Let the pressure release naturally.
- Remove lid away from you, Add roasted peanuts, lemon juice, and garnish with fresh cilantro/coriander leaves. Gently mix everything together.
- Enjoy Instant Pot Quinoa Lemon Rice with pickle, papad, and raita.
Notes
Tips to make Perfect Lemon Quinoa
- Rinsing Quinoa: Rinse quinoa in water 1-2 times to remove the bitter coating (saponin) and dirt from the quinoa.
- Don't Overcook Quinoa: Cook the Quinoa until it is tender. If you overcook it, it will become mushy.
- Cook with vegetable broth: Cooking quinoa with broth instead of water adds more flavor to the dish.
- Cool the Quinoa to Room Temperature: Make sure to cool the quinoa to room temperature before tempering, it to get fluffy and nonsticky quinoa.
- Water-to-quinoa Ratio: Be careful about the water-to-quinoa ratio since you want lemon quinoa rice with each grain separate and fluffier.
- Add Lemon juice at the end: Always add lemon juice after switching off the flame, followed by a quick mix. This preserves the fresh taste of the lemon juice and prevents it from having a bitter flavor.
Variations and Notes
- Other Grains: You can simply replace quinoa with millets to make another healthier option.
- Add Vegetables: You can add vegetables such as carrots, bell peppers, green beans, peas, or broccoli for extra nutrition.
- Raw Mangoes: If mangoes are in season, you can add ¼ cup of grated raw mango during tempering, which gives a nice twist to this quinoa. Here is the recipe for Raw Mango Rice.
- Lemon Zest: You can also add a little lemon zest to the lemon quinoa rice. It adds a zing and great flavor to the dish.
- No Onion: You can skip onions to make a no-onion lemon quinoa recipe.
Nutrition
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bhavana
You are welcome! ,Great healthy recipes in your website 🙂