When it comes to versatility, Quinoa ranks best in the kitchen. Quinoa does not only blend well with chicken and vegetables. It can almost be combined with any other edibles. Match it with fruits and nuts and it will perfectly please your palate. The fusion of sweet fruits, nutty seeds and protein enriched beans can irresistibly spark off your appetite.
For this recipe, you will be needing 1 cup quinoa, 2 cups of bite-size chunks of fresh pineapple, 1 cup pineapple juice, 4 ounces of unsalted raw cashew, 1 cup green peas or cooked edamame, 1 hot red chile, thinly sliced into round, 2 cloves of minced garlic, 2 thinly sliced scallions, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, 1 diced red bell pepper, half an inch of minced ginger, half of rolled fresh basil leaves in thin shreds, 3 tablespoons peanut oil,1 cup cold water, 1 tablespoon mirin, 3 tablespoons vegetable stock, ¼ teaspoon of soy sauce for boiling the quinoa and 3 tablespoons soy sauce for frying. You may add lime wedges for garnishing but it can be dispensable.
First, you need to cook the quinoa. Combine quinoa, water, pineapple juice and a drizzle of soy sauce into a medium-sized pot and bring it to boil over high heat. Occasionally stir the same while you adjust the heat into medium-low. If the quinoa becomes thin, loose the heat and set aside the mixture to cool down.
Use a dry skillet or wok for stir frying. Over a low heat, toast the cashew nuts for about 4 to 5 minutes. Set aside.
Using the same pan, put the peanut oil, scallions and garlic and let them settle until the latter sizzles. Add the chile pepper and ginger. Stir it for 2 minutes and then add the bell pepper and peas. The peas must soften before adding the quinoa mixture and basil. Blend the vegetable stock, mirin and soy sauce in a cup then pour this into the pan of quinoa. Stir it until it completely covers the quinoa. Add more soy sauce to taste and stir fry the dish for 10 to 14 minutes to make it hotter.
Transfer this dish into a beautiful bowl. Garnish it with lime wedges and get ready to satisfy your ravished appetite. As far as stir fry recipes go, this is one of the best!