Quinoa Cauliflower Biryani Indian Recipe

Quinoa Cauliflower Biryani Indian Recipe

Ingredients

• biryani. Serve with raita.

QUINOA:

• 1/2 teaspoon safflower or other neutral oil
• 1 cup quinoa, well-rinsed and drained
• 1 green cardamom pod
• 2 cloves
• 1 (1-inch) cinnamon stick
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 2/3 cups water
• 2/3 teaspoon salt, or to taste

VEGETABLES:

• 2 teaspoons safflower or other neutral oil
• 1 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 1 hot green chile, chopped (remove seeds to reduce heat) 1 (1-inch) knob of ginger, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 green cardamom pod
• 2 cloves
• 1 (2-inch) cinnamon stick
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala or biryani masala blend 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 2 cups cauliflower florets
• 1/3 cup fresh or frozen peas, thawed if frozen
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup nondairy yogurt or 3/4 cup cashew cream + 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons raw cashews, divided
• 2 tablespoons raisins, divided
• 2 teaspoons dried cranberries

ASSEMBLY:

• 2 tablespoons almond milk
• 1/2 teaspoon saffron strands (6 to 8 strands)
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
• 1/2 cup mint leaves (optional)

Method

1. Quinoa: Heat 1/2 teaspoon oil in a saucepan over medium heat
2. Add the quinoa, cardamom pod, cloves, cinnamon, and bay leaf
3. Roast the quinoa and spices for 2 minutes
4. Add the water and salt and mix well
5. Cover and bring to a boil
6. Reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes
7. Remove from heat
8. Let the quinoa sit for another 5 minutes
9. Uncover, fluff with a fork, and set aside
10. Taste, and adjust salt if needed
11. Vegetables: Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat
12. Add the onion, ginger, garlic, and chile, and cook until the onion is golden brown, about 6 minutes
13. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the browned onion mixture to use as garnish
14. Add the spices, cumin through cayenne
15. Mix well and cook for 1 minute
16. Add the cauliflower, peas, and salt
17. Mix well, cover, and cook for 5 minutes
18. Add the yogurt
19. Mix well and cook until the cauliflower is tender-crisp, 6 to 7 minutes
20. Mix in 2 tablespoons nuts, 1 tablespoon raisins, and cranberries and set aside
21. Assemble and bake: Preheat the oven to 350°F
22. Add the saffron strands to the almond milk, stir, and let sit for 2 minutes
23. Grease a 2-quart or larger baking dish, and layer half of the veggies and cream sauce mixture
24. Top with half of the cooked quinoa
25. Drizzle half of the saffron almond milk over the quinoa
26. Top with half of the cilantro and/or mint
27. Layer the rest of the veggies
28. Top with the remaining quinoa
29. Drizzle the remaining saffron almond milk over the quinoa
30. Scatter the remaining cashews, raisins, and browned onions reserved from Step 2 over the quinoa
31. Sprinkle with the remaining cilantro and mint
32. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes
33. Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving
34. Be sure to serve all the layers, as you would serve a layer cake
35. For a quick version: Instead of baking, serve the veggies and cream sauce over the cooked quinoa
36. Garnish with nuts, raisins, browned onion, saffron almond milk, cilantro, and mint

Full List of Vegan Recipes
Full List of Quinoa Recipes