Apparently 2013 was the year of quinoa and like most trends, it arrived late in India and is yet to leave. But with good reason! Rice is a huge part of our meals, particularly in the south, so when I started altering my diet I found that quinoa was a great alternative to rice. A cup of quinoa will give you twice the protein and 5g more fiber than a cup of rice.
This recipe has nothing to do with rice and everything to do with my obsession with cinnamon and apples. Apple pie flavours are classic for a reason. Be it in pies, ice creams or tarts, cinnamon and apples is a safe and familiar combination that just works. I’m not a huge fan of sweet breakfasts but this recipe changed my mind!
Equipment
The Wonderchef Nigella 2-Litre Pressure Cooker is my friend when it comes to cooking quinoa. Stick your quinoa and water into the cooker, let it cook for 5-6 whistles and let the pressure release by itself. For this recipe I like to add some brown sugar and cinnamon to the cooking liquid just to enhance those warm notes. Fluff it up with a fork and add it to whatever recipe you like! The 2 Litre cooker is very compact, something that I particularly love since I’m mostly cooking for myself. Smaller pressure cookers cook food a lot faster but the one downside is that you also risk burning your food. The Nigella cooker has got a thick core of aluminium between two sheets of stainless steel and while all this technical stuff might seem boring, all you need to know is that this ensures an even heat and prevents annoying hotspots that burn your food! I haven’t had much experience cooking food in a pressure cooker but I have unfortunately had tons of experience with food sticking to the bottom of one! Thanks to that same heavy duty bottom of the cooker, I haven’t had that happen in a while!
Choice of apple
Any apple would do of course, but you might have to adjust the amount of sugar based on how sweet your apples are or how sweet you’d like the final result to be. The skin of cooked apples can be a little tough so I would recommend peeling them but I will admit that I’ve been lazy enough to avoid this several times and it hasn’t ruined the dish, so it’s completely optional. I like to use Granny Smith apples for that extra tartness but a sweeter apple with an extra squeeze of lime would be great as well.
Mix-Ins
This is the base recipe, so feel free to add whatever mix-ins you like! The chocolate swirls were added for visual appeal but I actually ended up liking how it tasted. Walnuts, almonds and pecans would be amazing too. This is also a fantastic make ahead meal and I’ll often make a large batch and store it for the week. That way you don’t need to cook on busy mornings, lazy afternoons or exhausted evenings – honestly, I could eat this at any time of the day.
So go ahead and make yourself a sweet bowl of Apple Pie Quinoa and do let me know if you enjoyed it!
Serves 2
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup Quinoa
- 1/2 cup Water
- 1/2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
- 1/4 tsp Cinnamon
- 1 Apple (peeled and diced)
- 1/2 Tbsp Oil
- 1/2 Tbsp Sugar (adjust according to preference)
- 1/4 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/2 Tbsp Water
- A quarter Lime
- 1 Tbsp Chocolate Sauce (optional)
Instructions
- Wash the quinoa a couple of times until the water runs clear.
- Add the quinoa, water, brown sugar and cinnamon to a pressure cooker and cook for 5 whistles.
- Allow the pressure to release naturally before opening the cooker and fluffing the quinoa with a fork. Set aside.
- While the Quinoa is cooking, peel and dice the apple.
- Add the oil to a pan and once it’s hot, add the apples.
- Add the sugar, water and cinnamon to the pan.
- Cover and cook the apples for about 5-6 minutes or until they’re soft.
- Once cooked, add a few drops of lime juice.
- Add the quinoa to the pan and mix well.
- Transfer to a bowl and swirl some chocolate sauce over the quinoa.
- Serve hot or cold!
About the blogger
Sneha Sundar is the creator of You Dim Sum, You Lose Some; a philosophy she adopts both in and out of the kitchen!
No Comments