Lemon Quinoa recipe is a South Indian style lemon rice made with quinoa on the stovetop and Instant Pot. Quinoa is cooked and sautéed with onions and tempered with mustard seeds, lentils, curry leaves, and turmeric. Fresh Lemon juice makes it slightly tangy, further enhancing its taste and giving it a distinctive flavor. Vegan, Gluten-Free.
What is Quinoa?
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). There are two types of quinoa available: red and creamy white. They open up to release little white curls (like a tail) as they soften. Technically, quinoa is a seed, not a whole grain.
Lemon Quinoa Recipe 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.
- Oil: You can use any cooking oil.
- Nuts: You can use any nuts like 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.
- Green chilies: I have used Thai green chilies for the heat.
- Curry Leaves: are added for flavoring, so dont skip it.
- 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 Instant Pot, add ¾ cup of water for ½ cup quinoa, and in stovetop pot, use 1 cup water for ½ cup quinoa.
- Lemon juice: freshly squeezed lemon juice.
- Coriander leaves: for garnish.
How to Make Lemon Quinoa
How to Cook Quinoa:
On Stovetop in a Vessel: Cook the rinsed quinoa with 2 cups of water on medium-low heat until cooked, and let it cool.
In traditional Pressure Cooker on a Stovetop: Pressure cook the rinsed quinoa with 1.5 cups of water for two whistles on medium-low heat. Let the pressure release naturally.
In Instant Pot (Electric Pressure Cooker): Pressure cook the rinsed quinoa with 1.25 cups of water on MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK mode for 1 minute. Let the pressure release naturally. Check the detailed recipe.
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, jeera, urad dal, and saute until 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 cooled 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.
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, urad dal, and saute till 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 rinsed quinoa, 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 lid away from you, Add roasted peanuts, lemon juice, and garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Gently mix everything.
- Enjoy Instant Pot Quinoa Lemon Rice with pickle, papad, and raita.
How to serve with Lemon Quinoa?
Serve this tangy and flavorful South Indian-style lemon rice quinoa with pickle, papad, or raita. Plain yogurt also works well or can be eaten without any add-on.
Variations and Suggestions
- You can simply replace quinoa with millets to make another healthier option.
- Always add lemon juice after switching off the flame, followed by a rough mix.
- Be careful about the water-to-quinoa ratio since you want lemon quinoa with each grain separate and fluffier.
- 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.
- You can also skip onions during sauting.
More Indian Lentil Recipes
- Dal Tadka – Dal prepared with split pigeon peas lentils, assorted spices
- Green Lentil Soup – lentil soup made with green lentils, carrots, celery, red bell pepper, and Indian spices
- Spinach Dal / Palak Dal – Dhal cooked with spinach leaves
- Whole green moong dal – Dal cooked with whole mung beans
- Panchmel dal – dal prepared with five varieties of lentils
More Quinoa Recipes
Indian Style Lemon Quinoa
Equipment
Ingredients
measuring cup used 1 cup = 250 ml
- ½ cup raw quinoa
- 1 cup water ( ¾ cup water for instant pot)
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons peanuts
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ¼ teaspoon cumin (jeera) seeds
- 1 teaspoon urad dal
- 1 stalk curry leaves
- 2 green chilies finely chopped
- a pinch hing (asafetida)
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon coriander leaves finely chopped
- juice of half lemon
Instructions
Stovetop Method:
- How to Cook Quinoa:On Stovetop in a Vessel: Cook the rinsed quinoa with 2 cup of water on medium low heat until cooked and let it cool a bit.In traditional Pressure Cooker on Stove Top: Pressure cook the rinsed quinoa with 1.5 cups of water for 2 whistles on medium-low heat. Let the pressure release naturally.In Instant Pot (Electric Pressure Cooker): Pressure cook the rinsed quinoa with 1.25 cups 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 out and keep them aside.
- In the same Kadai add mustard seeds, jeera, urad dal, saute till dal turns light brown in color. Then add green chiles, curry leaves, hing and saute for few seconds.
- Next add in the chopped onions, turmeric, and saute till onions turn light brown in color.
- Turn off the flame and add cooled quinoa, salt, 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
- You can make this recipe without onions too.
- Always add lemon juice after switching off the flame followed by a rough mix.
- You can use lime or lemon juice to make this dish. Lime juice is more acidic than lemon juice so adds accordingly.
Nutrition
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bhavana says
You are welcome! ,Great healthy recipes in your website 🙂