Chinese fried quinoa

 Quinoa is a flowering plant whose seeds are edible. Though in its natural state, the seeds have a bitter tasting coating, they are processed to remove this layer. Quinoa is gluten-free and has a high level of protein content. The Chinese fried quinoa that I prepared is just a variant of the well liked Chinese fried rice. It is traditionally wok or pan fried and consists of leftovers as the Chinese did not like food wastage. Its origin has been traced back to the Sui dynasty in China.

The ingredients of my dish..

Quinoa - 1 cup

Water - 1 and 1/4 cup

Olive oil, extra virgin - 2 tsp

Green peas (frozen) - 1/2 cup

Corn (frozen) - 1/4 cup

Cabbage (shredded) - 1/2 cup

Beans - 200g

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Freshly crushed peppercorn - 1/4 tsp

Dark soy sauce - 3/4 tsp

Red chili sauce - 3/4 tsp

Apple cider vinegar - 1/2 tsp

The method..

Wash quinoa well and soak in water for at least half an hour. Drain water. Pressure cook with water, a drop of oil and a pinch of salt. Keep aside for later.

Defrost peas and corn. Cut beans into small pieces. 

In a deep bottomed saucepan, dribble oil. When it heats up, add cabbage and beans. Toss them around for a few minutes. Follow this with the addition of peas and corn. Add salt and pepper. Stir until the beans are just cooked and still remain a bit crunchy. Add the sauces, vinegar and mix. Add cooked quinoa and intermingle them with the vegetables. Enjoy the simple vegetarian dish!