Methi Soy Chunks Zunka - Guest Post for Prathima of Prathi Ruchi

I love getting invited to other people's places. I mean, who doesn't? Today I am going to Prathima's place as a guest. Blogging has extended my boundaries to meet new people and to get to know new cuisines. Prats (as she is fondly known) is a dear blogger friend of mine. We became close with emails and online chats. She is a sweet and genuine person with a passion for cooking, the thing we share. I also admire the way she almost never gets stuck up for words, a boon we bloggers crave for. Here, again I am stuck up without any words for her.. 
She is getting married in November and I wish all happiness in the next phase of her life. Wishing her a Happy Married Life and all Happiness!

Did you know that soy chunks make a great snack. A bowl of simple soy chunks stir fry will make me happy. It is like snacking without feeling guilty. Coming to this recipe, zhunka was something which I have not heard of before I started blogging. As I said before, blogging has extended my boundaries and helped me getting to know various cuisines. Zunka is of Maharashtrian origin and is a simple to make tasty dish. I have already made Okra Zunka, but decided to bring in more flavour by adding dried methi leaves (kasuri methi) to the besan.

Just hop over to Prathima's Space for the ingredients and the complete recipe.

Babycorn Satay with Peanut Sauce - Guest Post by Prathima of Prat's Corner

Prathima from Prats Corner is this month's guest host in my kitchen. Prats and I are real "virtual" friends. Though it may sound oxymoronic, it is a true statement. We got to know each other through the blogging world and Facebook and became good friends. Emails and chats kept us connected. I love her elegant blogspace and unique dishes. My favorite is the authentic Davanagare Benne Dosa. I completely adore her style of writing which makes her posts enduringly interesting. She recently celebrated 1,00,000 hits in her space. Prats Corner is not just recipes but also about her other interests. Her charcoal painting of her grandpa is just awesome. Here is Prats in her own words.

"We sometimes encounter people, even perfect strangers, who begin to interest us at first sight, somehow, suddenly, all at once, before a word has been spoken" ~ Fyodor Dostoevsky

Some people you meet in the journey called 'life', you will take a little while to get acquainted to. And then with some its an instant connection! You go on and on chatting with this newly met friend all about your past, your dreams maybe or your opinions and anything about you find interesting. And in the end you say it was like a reunion with an old friend!

I now know that distance cannot act as barrier between friendship, nor does difference in culture or language. This reminds me of my grandmother who by conversing in  Kannada and very few words of English thrown in between made good friendship with a German lady. And this lady simply adored my grandma! Essence of  a good friendship leans more towards feelings, emotions and the bond we share with the other person.

I have no idea what plays a role in this 'instant connection' between two strangers - is it the positive vibes or similar interests or fate?? Whatever the reason, this stranger is now your new found friend, a treasure worth cherishing for ever.

One such special person or my new found treasure in Krithi of Krithi`s Kitchen. She is friendly, a software engineer turned foodie with a fabulous food blog loaded with delicious, elegant, interesting recipes! Not to forget - she is also a good photographer!  She is someone I came in contact with through the food blogging world. She is someone I have not met personally and yet it does not seem that way! Just few casual messages exchanged and now she is a good friend of mine!

And I was truly delighted when I was asked to do a guest post on her blog - Krithi`s Kitchen. I picked a Thai starter recipe - Satay for this guest post which turned out to be delicious & more-ish!

What is a Satay?

Satay (pronounced - SAH-tay) is a popular South East Asian starter dish. Many articles on satay mention Indonesia as being the origin of satay. But it has now become popular in other South-Asian countries like Singapore, Malaysia and particularly Thailand. Thai cuisine being popular worldwide has led to considering this dish as originated from Thailand.

One or few main ingredients - be it vegetable chunks, tofu, meat, fish are seasoned and threaded onto satay sticks or bamboo skewers. They are then grilled or barbecued over a charcoal over wood fire. An authentic satay will have turmeric added to the marinade, giving it the characteristic yellow shade and will have a smoky flavor, the result of cooking over charcoal.

The difference between the satay recipes of these South East nations is mainly in the accompaniment served along with the barbecued ingredient and also in the way the vegetable/ meat is cut.

One popular accompaniment to the satay is the spicy peanut sauce served in Thailand. The sauce is generous in its spice level. Tang from the lemon and a hint of sweetness from palm sugar make this  a lip smacking dip!

In Singapore satay is sold in food courts, by street vendors and in upscale restaurants. The popular one here is the Chicken satay.

Different parts of Malaysia have their own versions of this popular appetizer. One popular veraion is the Sate Kajang where a sweet peanut sauce and some fried chilli paste is served along side with barbecued meat. Another version is the sate lok-lok from Penang where the dip is a sweet dark sauce or a chilli sauce. Sate celup is a verion where the satay is cooked in boiling peanut sauce.

The country where this popular appetizer originated - Indonesia, serves satay with soy based dip.  There are several versions of satay in this country. One popular one is the Sate Madura where meat is served with sweet soy sauce and eaten with rice or rice cakes wrapped with banana or coconut leaves. Such rice cakes are called ketupat. Few more accompaniments to other satay versions include - sambal (chilli paste), pineapple based satay sauce, sliced shallots or sliced fresh chillies.

Baby corn and vegetable satay on satay sticks :

Spicy, sweet peanut sauce with a hint of lemon :

BABY CORN SATAY Ethnicity : Thai / Course : starter Makes 12 pieces INGREDIENTS Baby corn – 12 whole pieces Onion – 1, medium Red capsicum – 1, medium Vegetable oil – 2 tbsp, to pan fry vegetables Satay sticks – 12+2 or as needed, soaked in water for 5 mins For Marinade : Soya sauce – 1 tbsp Lemon juice – 1 tsp Ginger garlic paste – 1.5 tsp Brown sugar – 1 tsp Honey – ½ tsp Salt – 1 tsp/ to taste For Peanut Sauce : Vegetable oil – 1 tbsp Onion – 1, small Ginger – ½ “ Garlic – 4 cloves Soya sauce – ¾ tbsp Peanuts/ groundnuts (without skin) – 6 tbsp Coconut milk – ¾ cup (tetra pack or fresh thin extract) Lemon juice – 1 tbsp Lemon rind – ½ tsp Red chilli powder – 1 tsp OR 1-2 chopped fresh red chilli Honey OR brown sugar – 1 tbsp For garnish – red chilli flakes (optional) METHOD Prepare the vegetables – Wash baby corn, cube onion and red capsicum. Blanch baby corns in salted boiling water for 2 mins OR pressure cook for up to 2-3 whistles (open lid when pressure drops). In a bowl combine the above vegetables, marinade ingredients. Toss. Set aside to marinade for 15 to 20 mins. Pierce all baby corns into satay sticks (1 per stick). Thread the other remaining vegetables between 2 to 3 separate sticks Heat oil in a grill pan/ griddle. Place the sticks with vegetables onto the griddle. Pour any excess marinade on top of vegetables. Cook the vegetables, turning sticks in between to cook the vegetables evenly on all sides. Cook till baby corn is brown and caramelized , onion-capsicum a bit charred on the edges. Remove and set aside. For the sauce –  Chop onion for the sauce. Chop ginger, garlic. Grind the peanuts to a coarse powder, then add 1-2 tsp water and grind to smooth paste. Extract coconut milk if using fresh. Heat oil in a pan, sauté onions till transparent. Add ginger, garlic, sauté for 1 min. Add soya sauce, peanut paste, 3 to 4 tbsp water and stir. Add coconut milk, salt, honey/ brown sugar, chilli powder, lemon rind. May stir with a whisk if peanuts form lumps. Stir and simmer for 10 mins. Lastly add lemon juice. Stir and remove sauce from heat. To serve – Arrange the vegetable satay on sticks on a serving plate. Serve the sweet, spicy, tangy, nutty peanut sauced on the side. May sprinkle with red chilli flakes if desired. Serve hot! NOTES 1. Instead of above vegetables, you could make satay from tofu, button mushrooms, paneer (cottage cheese), green, yellow and red capsicum. You could serve cubed cucumbers too but no need to marinade or grill them. Just thread cubed cucumber onto skewers and serve with the peanut sauce. 2. Instead of the above marinade, you could marinade the vegetable/tofu/mushroom/paneer with few tablespoons of the peanut sauce for 15 mins. Then grill as above. Serve hot with remaining peanut dip. 3. You could also add coconut milk made from coconut milk powder. 4. You could also serve this peanut sauce with boiled/teamed/grilled vegetables. 5. You may also add chopped lemongrass stalks along with coconut milk. Then reduce the amount of lemon juice.

Peanut Butter ~ 3 ways - Guest Post by Priya of Bon Appetit

The Guest Post series in my blog was on a break last month since I was on a blog break. I am still trying to get back to blogging by posting atleast once in a week but still working on the possibilities. Meanwhile for this month on the guest post series I have Priya Sreeram of Bon Appetit. She has a lovely space with a colorful array of dishes. Her 'A La Carte' menu card is sure to draw your attention and have you read twice. My favorite dishes which I have marked for trying are the Stuffed Paniyaram and the Potato in groundnut & Onion Curry.
I have had peanut butter flavored snack bars and chocolates but have never really tasted peanut butter. Ok Ok.. I hear you saying "You are kidding right?". But that is true. Somehow never really got into try it. And now this would be another shocking news to many or almost all. I have never tasted Nutella - The chocolate hazelnut bliss.. Now I hear you saying "You must be crazy.." Priya's Peanut butter recipe below has instigated the interest in me to try both very soon.

Krithi’s invitation to share my hearth adventures in her space saw me doing a happy jig as it is always a pleasure when a blogger asks for a guest post. While she is busy with her bundle of joy, I am here to light her space with this simple but elegant spread/dip.

Peanuts is a great source of plant protein and nutrients and eating it in moderation has health benefits.I love peanut butter and if you follow my hearth adventures, you would know very well that licking it direct from the bottle is my favorite way of eating it up. I hence prefer making it at home as it is simple and gentle on the pockets. It is definitely a healthier option as well as store bought peanut butter is generally loaded with preservatives.

Here are some ways of how I bring variety to the spread. I generally eye the measurements while making and hence the quantity mentioned in the recipes can be varied to suit one’s taste palette.

Crunchy N Salted Peanut Butter
The most simplest way of making the butter and very tasty too.

Peanuts  (Roasted) – 2 cups
Olive Oil – 1 to 2 tbsp (You can also use peanut oil/vegetable oil/canola oil)
Salt – to taste

Bake or dry roast the peanuts to get started. Tip it into a food processor and give it a good swirl. Add olive oil and continue blending it till it comes together. Add salt to taste. Tip it to an airtight container. I usually add a handful of roughly chopped peanuts to the final mix for a chunky butter.
Note:  If you prefer a sweeter version, you can tip in brown sugar or honey or alternatively use jaggery.

Coffee kissed Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter
This is my most favourite way of making peanut butter. The hit of coffee in every lick gives the butter a different high.

Peanuts (Roasted and unsalted) – 2 cup
Dark Chocolate (melted) – ¼ cup ( I used Bournville Dark Chocolate)
Instant Coffee – 1 ½ tsp to 2 tsp (I used Instant Nescafe Powder)
Honey - to taste

Melt dark chocolate in a microwave or alternatively using double boiler method. Grind peanuts till creamy, scraping sides. Blend in melted chocolate, honey and coffee powder. Store in a airtight container.
Note: You can add Cocoa Powder and/or Drinking Chocolate to the mix instead of using dark chocolate.

Dark Chocolate and Banana flavoured Peanut Butter 
(Source: Dinner Dishes & Desserts)
The addition of dried banana chips was an interesting addition. Sometimes, I add a dollop or two of Nutella Hazelnut Spread to the recipe.

Peanuts (roasted n unsalted) – 2 cups
Dried Banana Chips – ¼ cup
Dark Chocolate melted – ¼ cup
Vanilla Extract – 1 tsp
Salt – ¼ tsp
Nutella - 2 to 3 tbsp (optional) / my twist to the recipe

Grind peanuts till creamy, scraping sides occasionally. Add banana chips and grind. Blend in chocolate, vanilla, salt. While the blend tastes good like this you can induce more pep to it by mixing Nutella.
Enjoy !

Paal Vaazhakka ~ Banana in Coconut milk ~ Dessert from Kerala ! - Guest post by Dhyuthi of Mélange

The guest for this month's guest post is from Dhyuthi of Mélange. As the name says, her space is a mixture of different ingredients. One could find authentic Kerala recipes, All time favorite Indian curries to delicious Brioche buns. My favorite recipes from her site are Chemmeen Thoran and Koottu Curry. When I asked her to do a guest post for Krithi's Kitchen she was all excited and asked me what I would want her to make. My immediate reply was to have a native recipe from Kerala, her specialty and my favorite. Go ahead and check out what she made specially for me..

Before I go on thanking Krithi here,I may acknowledge this is an overdue. Krithi is a good old food blogger,a nice girl and friend who is there from the initial days of Melange.I would love to hug,a gesture of gratitude and friendship before going on to the recipe.
Krithi was particular about me doing something special from Kerala. That's completely logical. Isn't it? Melange being Keralite. But then I thought I will post something really really special here.A re-creation or re-invention from the past. A childhood favorite of mine,yet forgotten.

I was quite confused and anxious while waiting for my dessert Che Chuoi at a Vietnamese Restaurant. In a way more than expectation. Like many other Vietnam desserts, coconut milk was the main ingredient cooked along with banana and tapioca pearls. That was the description they had with it. Oh no,it struck me that I have tasted something like that somewhere in the past. I was trying to recollect where and when. Nothing occurred to me till delicious Che Chuoi made it's appearance. Relishing the first spoonful it was almost instinctive for me to go back. To the fever bed. The smell of fever. This was a special mild sweet prepared during my fever-struck days during childhood. Since I skip my steamed bananas (Nethrappazham as we call in Kerala) often,they were done with a complete make over in this dessert. Infused in coconut milk and cardamom,bananas virtually rock in this dessert. To convert it more healthy,I may suggest to add honey instead of sugar. On to the recipe now.

Ingredients:
2 medium sized bananas,cut into medium pieces. (Nenthrappazham is better since it offers you kind of sourness too)
2 cups of thin coconut milk
1 cup thick coconut milk
handful of sago/chavvari
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
sugar,as required
pinch of salt
few cashews & raisins to garnish (optional)
Method:
Boil thin coconut milk in a sauce pan.Stir in between.When it start boiling add sago and cook in low heat.After 5 minutes add the chopped banana and cook again till sago gets cooked completely and bananas done three fourth.Sprinkle cardamom powder.Pour thick coconut milk and cook in medium heat adding sugar and salt.When it start boiling switch off .You may garnish with cashews and raisins as well.(In Che Chuoi apparent difference is sesame.They garnish it with white sesame which gives it a unique flavour)

Vetrilai Poondu Sadham / Rice flavored with Garlic and Betel Leaves - Guest post by Reva of Kaarasaaram

This month's guest post is by Reva of Kaarasaaram. She is one of the dearest blog buddies of me. If you have not stopped by her place you should do so now. She has a pretty and neatly laid out space with gorgeous pictures. She hails from Coimbatore - the heart of the Kongu region in South-India, which has a deep-rooted culture and history associated with it. The Kongu cuisine always uses the freshest ingredients for every meal and has its own distinct cooking methods. This recipe Vetrilai Poondu Sadham is one of her Kongu region specialties. Reva's space does not only focus on the kongu cuisine but a variety of cuisines from all over the world. She is talented in making unique flavored dishes. My favorite is the Thai Icecream with Homemade wafer cones, which uses all the flavorings of Thai cuisine. And when I say flavorings, it includes lime leaves, lemon grass and surprisingly thai red chilli. See what I mean by unique??
She is a great flower lover too.. You could see almost all of her posts has pictures of gorgeous flowers which she uses to accentuate her food clicks.


Hi everyone,

When Krithi asked me to do a guest post for her blog, I was overwhelmed at first for the simple reason that her beautiful blog is filled with traditional recipes and dishes from around the globe that are simple to make yet tastes immensely flavourful.
My favourite is Tawa Pulao with Paneer and Gobi Manchurian.. they are absolutely delicious and makes a lovely combo meal… try it sometime and you will know what I am talking about.
Krithi has the simple friendly attitude of "girl next door" and connects with the fellow blogger is an instant moment. The most outstanding thing about her is that she host a lovely events on her blog named  "Serve it Series" along with her buddy Denny which has different mode of cooking style every month but also she is the number one participant and contributor to most of the event hosted by fellow bloggers.

She lends her complete support to all her virtual friends in this blogging world in spite of her busy  schedule…. It is hard to find such a lovely dedicated person..:)
So when she asked me for a gust post, I didn’t know where to begin with. So at times of difficult decision making, it is always better to stick to the traditional recipe. I am from Coimbatore and I love Kongunad Cuisine. 
This recipe is one of the most traditional and age old recipe handed over from generation to generation. 
Truly an Ayurvedic combination of ingredients, it speaks volumes about unusual tastes and flavours but does tonnes of goodness to your internal systems. 

As you go through the ingredient list, you will understand that all are readily available in your store cupboard except for the betel leaves. This add an unusual flavor to the rice, the typical spicy betel leaf  flavor that is so refreshing.
The original recipe calls for dried turmeric stick [virali manjal] to be dry roasted and ground to a powder along with the other masala items. I had some fresh turmeric bulbs in hand and used them instead. The fresh turmeric not only tasted awesome but the aroma was wonderful and it also lent a lovely yellow tinge to the rice. 

Hope everyone enjoys this recipe from my city of Coimbatore..:))
Thank you Krithi for this lovely opportunity, it is indeed an honour to do a guest post for your wonderful blog … keep up your good work.

Vetrilai Poondu Saadham
Betel leaves: 4.
Seeraga Sambha Rice: 250 gms.
Large garlic pods: 5-6 .
Fresh turmeric bulbs: two – 1 inch pieces.
Fennel seeds: ½ tsp.
Cinnamon stick: one 1 inch piece.
Curry leaves: 1 sprig.
Special masala powder: 2-3 tbsp.
Gingelly oil: 3 tbsp.
Warm water: 450 mls.
Salt: to taste.

For the special masala powder:
Black sesame seeds: 1tsp.
Pepper corns: 1 tsp.
Ginger powder [sukku]: ½ tsp.
Red chillies: 5-6.
Method:
1. Roast all the ingredients in a dry pan on medium flame, cool and grind to a powder. Reserve until needed.
2. Wash the rice twice and soak it for ½ hour. Drain and add 1 tsp of salt and 1 tbsp of oil and water. Mix well and  cook in microwave high [850 HW] for  20-21 minutes until all the water is absorbed.
3. Remove from the oven and let the rice cool down. Once cooled very gently separate the rice with a fork. Keep aside until the masala is ready.

4. Wash the betel leaves, remove the stalk and chop the leaves finely. Peel the fresh turmeric bulbs and slice them thinly.
5. Place a large pan on medium flame and heat the remaining oil. Splutter the fennel seeds, curry leaves and add the cinnamon stick.
6. Add the garlic pods, sliced turmeric and chopped betel leaves. Fry for a minute.
7. Add the masala powder and sprinkle some water to prevent the masala powder from burning.
8. Add the cooked rice and a little salt and mix well.
9. Add just a sprinkle of water and reduce the flame to a slim flame. Cover the rice and let it sit for 5 -6 minutes on low flame.
10. After 5 minutes open the lid and give a final stir to the rice, check for salt and remove from heat.
Serve hot with some appalams and a teaspoon of pickle of your choice.

Note: It is essential to prepare the masala powder fresh as the flavours are at their full intensity. The betel leaves should not be too young nor too mature [very strong flavor edging towards bitterness] but just medium. You can add more garlic if you want.
The major contributor of flavor is the rice. If this variety is not available then use basmati rice but make sure it is not over cooked. You can also substitute ghee instead of oil.
Enjoy…
Scribbled by Reva

Oma podi - South-Indian Tea-time Snack - Guest post by Vardhini of Cooks Joy

This month's guest host is by my dear blogger friend Vardhini. I believe most of my blog friends would definitely know Vardhini of Cooks Joy (Previously Zesty Palette). She is an ingenuous food blogger giving the most tempting recipes. She is one person who presents each post with beautiful step-by-step pictures. Now how cool is that. It takes a lot of sincere effort to do that and I know it is pretty tough for me :). I especially like her Dish-It-Out event. If you are wondering what it is you should head over to her space and check it out.
She recently moved to her own domain - Cook's Joy and it is simply elegant. When I asked her to do a guest post, she happily agreed even on a very short notice. And she made this delicious snack - Oma Podi, just for me. Oma podi is a South-Indian deep-fried snack made with Besan and carom seeds (Bishop's weed). It is similar to murukku/chakali but has a thinner texture and literally melts in your mouth. Now I present Vardhini in her own words.


I probably have told this quite a few times already, but blogging has opened a whole new world for me and brought me a lot of friends. My first interaction with Krithi was roughly a year ago when she was hosting the pancake event. I was new to blogging and did not know how to link up to the event :). Thus, started my conversation with her on the same.
Over the past year we have interacted a lot of times and I was thrilled when she asked me to do the guest post and finally decided on this recipe. She has a warm and cozy blog and her pictures are adorable. She does a lot of fusion cooking and her recipes are mostly healthy.
Ever since I made Idiyappam, this has been on the list. A lot of recipes call to grind the ajwain(omam), but my mom suggested that I just extract the water so that I do not end up with tiny pieces of ajwain blocking the holes. Just the water had a lot of flavor and everyone loved it. As with most snacks this one also flew out in a very short amount of time.

Ingredients:

1 cup besan (kadala maavu)
1/4 cup rice flour
1 tsp ajwain (omam) soaked in 1/4 cup hot water
1 tsp ghee
Salt to taste
Pinch of turmeric
Asafoetida
Oil to deep fry
Method:
Soak ajwain in hot water for an hour.

We have to extract the water. For this mash the ajwain with a spoon to get the flavors.

Then strain using a tea strainer. Keep the strained water aside.

Take besan and rice flour in a bowl.

Add asafoetida and turmeric powder.

Add salt.

Add ghee.

Add the strained ajwain water little by little and form a stiff dough. (If more water is needed, use regular water.)

We need a murukku press for this and this is the disc we will be using.

Heat oil in a vessel and load the murukku maker with the dough. Directly press the murukku maker over the hot oil allowing the strands to fall into the oil. Keep moving the murukku press to form a circle.

When the hissing sound stops the oma podi is done. Remove from oil. It hardly takes time to cook because it is thin.

Stack of yummy oma podi ready to be eaten.

Enjoy!


For more recipes from Vardhini, do head over to Cook's Joy!

Quinoa Upma - Guest post by Denny of Oh Taste N See

I have been wanting to invite my dear fellow bloggers to do guest post on my blog. I am happy that I am able to materialize the idea now. To start with the guest post series I asked my friend Denny of Oh Taste N See. As I have mentioned in (many of) my earlier posts, Denny has been one of the important inspirations for me to start a food blog. I believe that one sentence says it all. Without further blah.. blahs from my side, here I present Denny in her own words..
Thanks to Krithi for having invited me to do a guest post for her blog and a first one at that. I think it has been mentioned so many times in both of our blogs, that it is redundant to mention that we are college best friends and have been friends for 13 years now. We also share a love for food and cooking and often times find ourselves chatting about food or topics related to food. I have recently switched to a more healthy diet and this dish is a perfect way to meld a healthy meal to comforting Indian food.

A healthy dish - is always determined by the ratio of carbs to protein and the amount of fat in the recipe. Being vegetarian or vegan it is always difficult to get the right amount of protein in your diet. A great solution is 'Quinoa' - which is the only grain that has a complete protein - something that is realized easily by people who eat meat, but very difficult in the vegetarian diet. It is an ancient grain, rich in manganese and folate and due to its nutritional value, it is highly recommended for people who have migraine headaches, diabetes and even pregnant and breastfeeding mothers.
Here, I have increased the flavor of the quinoa by toasting it first, which not only adds a nice nutty flavor, but also quickens the cooking process. Here is the recipe..

Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1/2 cup diced vegetables - carrots, beans and peas
1 small yellow onion, diced
3 green chillies slit
1 tsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard
1/2 tsp urad dal
1 tsp channa dal
a sprig of curry leaves/cilantro
salt to taste
2 cups water

Method:
In a dry pan, add the quinoa and roast it over medium high heat until you get a nutty aroma and the quinoa is slightly golden brown and toasted. Remove the quinoa onto a plate and put the pan back on the stove. Heat the oil and add mustard seeds, urad dal and channa dal. Let it splutter and add the green chillies and the curry leaves. Add the onion and saute until translucent. Add the diced vegetables and saute until partly cooked. Add 2 cups water and salt to taste. Let the water come to a boil. Slowly add the still warm quinoa and cook stirring. Let the quinoa cook until all the water is absorbed. Switch off stove. Pop a lid on the pan and let rest for another 5 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro (I didn't have any, but it makes it awesome) and fluff with a fork. Serve as is, or with any chutney as an accompaniment. 
Note: Alternately you could also cook quinoa first and then temper with the said ingredients like pulao/fried rice. It tastes fabulous either way.

I am gonna try this for dinner tonight for sure. Look how colorful and inviting yet super healthy this one is!!! Check out more of Denny's recipes here at Oh Taste N See.