Get Your Peas and Carrots On With This Yogi Quinoa

I’m always on the hunt for quinoa dishes that use ingredients I’m bound to have around so I don’t have to make a federal case out of making something delicious on the fly. This one is so simple and so delicious that I feel obligated to share it with you right away. One of my favorite weekends of all time with Bob was the weekend we spent at the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Technically, we were attending a trail running workshop led by the amazing Sarajean Rudman but actually we were frequenting the Buddha Bar in the awesome Kripalu cafeteria a often as possible.

I was cooking this on the stove last week when Neile stopped by to say hello. She lifted the top off the pot of quinoa and took a peek inside. I was caramelizing the carrots in another pan.

Just as I was about to add turmeric and coriander, Neile and I started to talk about how to pronounce “turmeric.”

“You know there’s an ‘r’ in there, right?” she said.

Hmmm, yeah, but do you actually pronounce the r?

I promise you’ll love this one, and it’ll be a staple in both your pantry and in your vegetarian repertoire.

Serves 6 as a side

Ingredients

1 cup pre-rinsed Quinoa (lately I’ve been buying the organic pre-rinsed quinoa sold at Costco)

1/2 teas. turmeric powder

1/2 teas. coriander powder

1/2 teas. salt

1 cup carrots, chopped

1 cup green peas, fresh or frozen

2 teas. olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped, or 2 teas. dried dill

Freshly ground pepper

Preparation:

In a saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add the turmeric, coriander, salt, and quinoa.

Bring to a boil again, then cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the peas and cover and cook an additional 5 minutes or until all of the liquid is absorbed. Turn off heat, and let everything rest for at least 5 minutes.

In a small sauté pan, heat the olive oil and sauté carrots for about 10 minutes, until caramelized.

Add the carrots to the quinoa and peas. Add the dill and black pepper. Fluff with a fork and serve. Can be served warm, at room temperature, or even cold, so it’s perfect for a holiday pot luck.

Enjoy!

Note: I usually add Better Than Bouillon Seasoned Vegetable Base (1 teas./cup of water) when I cook quinoa, and I’ve made this recipe both with and without the bouillon. Ultimately I don’t think it’s necessary for this one. Probably because you want the full flavor of the turmeric to stand out :)

Adapted from the Ayurveda Yoga Institute