This quinoa biryani has fragrant grains of quinoa in a highly spiced, scrumptious masala of black chickpeas, or kala chana. It’s a smooth weeknight dinner; this is prepared in beneath forty-five minutes!
A biryani may be one of the most indulgent Indian foods; however, it can without difficulty be converted right into an amazing, healthy—and decadently delicious—weeknight dish.
This vegan Quinoa Biryani with Kala Chana has all of the flavor of traditional vegetable biryani, as it has the same spices and flavor building blocks. And it comes collectively just as speedy.
The quinoa biryani is even more healthy, though, because it combines the healthiest substances within the pantry: quinoa and kala chana, or black chickpeas. Both are loaded with fiber and protein.
Why use quinoa for biryani?
A classic biryani is made with rice, especially long-grain white basmati rice, which makes a biryani more fragrant and scrumptious. Rice is a healthy food, and basmati rice mainly has a lower glycaemic index than different types of rice. Even so, it lacks fibre. Quinoa is a better fit for the rice, and we make it just as aromatic by simmering it with spices earlier than adding it to the quinoa sauce.
You can use any kind of quinoa in this quinoa biryani recipe, such as the beige model most commonly found in shops, the black variety, and the pink range. Keep in mind that black quinoa and red quinoa do need longer to prepare dinner, so you will ought to alter the cooking time therefore by about 5 minutes. The beige quinoa, which I used, desires 12 minutes of simmering after the water has come to a boil.
You can use ordinary chickpeas in this recipe, but kala chana or black chickpeas have more fiber and protein than everyday chickpeas, and in addition, they have more antioxidants and minerals. I use them in this quinoa biryani because they preserve their form higher and are chewier, which adds a scrumptious texture without the need for meat or a processed meat substitute.
Why you will love this quinoa biryani
Delicious.
Taking rice out of this biryani recipe does now not imply there’s any compromise in flavor. This quinoa biryani is as scrumptious as any biryani you’ve eaten or will.
Nutritious.
The biryani uses hardly ever any oil, and the chickpea and quinoa make a delicious aggregate that still provides loads of fiber and heart-wholesome protein to your food plan. You can bypass the tiny quantity of oil if you are oil-loose.
Easy to make.
If you’ve got the kala chana cooked and equipped, it ought to take you no more than 30 minutes to make this recipe.
The allergy was pleasant.
This is a great biryani recipe for anybody who would not need to include any processed vegan ingredients or meats in their food regimen. The biryani is also soy-loose and gluten-unfastened, and it can be nut-loose in case you use nut-unfastened vegan yogurt.
Ingredients
For the quinoa rice
Quinoa
Spices: cinnamon stick, green cardamom pods, cloves, and black cumin or shahi jeera.
For the kala chana sauce
Spices:
biryani masala, ground coriander, turmeric and paprika (optional)
Herbs:
ginger garlic paste, sparkling cilantro, dried mint, and dried dill. If you’ve got clean herbs to be had, use¼ cup fresh mint and¼ cup fresh dill.
Vegetables:
onions and tomatoes.
Vegan yogurt. Make your own or use store-offered yogurt. When I first published this recipe in 2013, I used coconut milk rather than yogurt, but I’ve since come to strongly trust that the flavor of coconut milk doesn’t work properly in most North Indian dishes. If you need to make this recipe nut-unfastened, use any nut-loose vegan yogurt.
Juice of ½ lemon
Fried onions (optional).
You can pass these; however, they upload a definitely unique, restaurant-fashion flavor to the biryani, so I strongly suggest the use of them. You can fry sliced onions till golden and crisp, or use store-bought fried onions, as I do.
Oil of choice.
Use any neutral oil, such as avocado oil, grape seed oil, or sunflower oil. You need just a teaspoon for the complete recipe.
How to make quinoa biryani
Add 2 ¼ cups water to a saucepan. Add cinnamon sticks, black cumin seeds, green cardamom, cloves, and bay leaves to the water. Add salt to taste.
Stir the washed quinoa into the water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid, and cook the quinoa for 12 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the quinoa stand until it has absorbed all the water. Then put a fork in it.
Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add salt, flour, and black pepper. Cook until the onions are browned. When the onions start to stick, add a little water and scrape up anything brown from the bottom of the pan.
Once the onions are browned, add the ginger and garlic paste and stir for a couple of minutes.
Stir in the tomato puree and mix well with the onions.
Add turmeric and cayenne and stir.
Stir in the coriander, fennel and mint. Cook the sauce over medium heat for 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until visibly dark and most of the liquid has evaporated
Add the vegan yogurt and lemon juice to the pot and stir.
Then the art grade.
Followed by way of the biryani masala. Let the sauce come to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for a few minutes. If the sauce is simply too thick, you can add a little bit of water.
Stir in the cilantro…
And half the fried onions, if the usage of.
Turn warmth all the way down to the lowest factor, mix the whole lot well, and check for salt. Layer the cooked quinoa over the sauce in a good layer.
Sprinkle the last fried onions over the quinoa and a chunk of dried mint. Cover the pot with a decent lid and cook dinner over low heat for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and permit the quinoa biryani to stand 10 minutes earlier than serving.
Top tips
Browning the onions and cooking the tomatoes down till they’ve darkened and misplaced their moisture are both key steps for developing flavor. They will upload the layers of flavor so critical to Indian food.
If you’re using store-offered biryani masala and are sensitive to warmness, upload less biryani masala at the start, taste, and upload greater if needed. The spice degree in biryani masalas, even in the same logo, can range significantly for each batch.
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