Tandoori-inspired vegetarian quinoa

So I’ve only got one week left of my cleanse, and I think I’ve become pretty damn good at it.

This is only going to be a short post, but it’s a delicious one! My friend Carl made me this dish for dinner the other night and I was hooked. It’s rich, savoury, spicy, sweet, and all around easy to boot. It’s a vegetarian one-pot wonder full of veggies and protein – flavoured with Indian garam masala.

This dish obviously isn’t really cooked in the tandoor, but it’s pretty great all the same! You could easily substitute a variety of root vegetables for the carrots and the squash in my recipe. It would be really yummy with potatoes. When Carl made it, it had chicken in it instead of squash, and that was delish. All in all – it’s really just the spices, quinoa, and the one-pot technique that are key to this recipe.

Enjoy!

• Servings: 4-6
• Time: 1hr
• Difficulty: Easy
• Print

Inspired by Yup It’s Vegan

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil or coconut oil
• 1 cup carrots, peeled and cut into coins
• 1/2 white onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup acorn squash, cooked and cubed
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• 2 tbsp garam masala or tandoori masala
• 1 tbsp tumeric
• 1 can cooked chickpeas
• 1 1/2 cup diced tomatoes (equal to one large can)
• 1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 1/2 tsp. agave nectar or brown sugar
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Fresh lime juice, for serving
• Chopped fresh cilantro, for serving

Directions

1. In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat.
2. Combine all vegetables in the pot, and add spices.
3. Cook for 5-8 minutes, and until fragrant. Add chickpeas and tomatoes.
4. Add the quinoa, vegetable broth, and agave nectar, and stir to combine. You may need more broth, just make sure to cover the ingredients and have an inch of liquid above them. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover.
5. Cook until the quinoa is cooked through, about 25 minutes. If there seems to be too much liquid, simmer uncovered to evaporate the excess. Add salt, pepper, and additional garam masala or sweetener to taste.
6. Serve with a squeeze of fresh lime or lemon juice and a generous sprinkle of chopped cilantro.