Quinoa upma with peas

Step by step

1. Step 1

   Upma is a typical Indian dish made with quinoa and often eaten for breakfast. Dhal is a term commonly used to refer to split pulses in southern Asia.

   You should wash the quinoa well before use. Soak in water for about 30 minutes, then dry and set aside.

   Peel the carrots and cut into cubes. Peel and chop the onion and garlic. Pour a dash of olive oil into a frying pan and add the dahls, cumin seeds and mustard seeds.

   When the dahls have turned golden, add the peas and other chopped vegetables together with the curry leaves. Gently fry for another couple of minutes and then add the water and salt.

   When it comes to the boil, add the washed quinoa and turn the heat down to the lowest setting. Put the lid on and let it simmer for 10–12 minutes, until the water has been absorbed.

   Turn off the heat, stir well and let the quinoa rest for about 5 minutes.

2. You might have trouble finding some of the ingredients, depending on where you live. Here are some possible substitutions:
   – Curry leaves. Don’t confuse these fresh leaves from the curry tree with curry powder. You can find dried curry leaves in Spain, which work just as well as fresh ones. If you can’t find dried curry leaves, use fresh spinach instead.
   – Dahl refers to various types of split pulses. You can use different kinds of beans (e.g. kidney beans) instead. It’s best to add them ready cooked at the end.
   – Mustard seeds shouldn’t be too hard to find and they’ll keep for a long time. If you can’t find them, add a spoonful of wholegrain mustard to give it some flavour.
   – You can replace the quinoa with semolina or brown rice. But don’t forget that semolina isn’t gluten free!