Quinoa Indian Chicken Curry

Although quinoa seems to have just recently become a popular whole grain alternative, its first human consumption dates back around 4,000 years ago. The Incas are believed to be the first to discover it in regions of Chile, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and Columbia.  Today, you will find it sold in almost every grocery store. 

Quinoa seeds are coated by bitter-tasting saponins which are usually removed prior to being sold. It is best practice to wash the seeds prior to cooking to be sure that bitter taste is removed as much as possible. Quinoa is nutritionally renowned for its high protein and fiber content but it also has the perfect balance of all nine amino acids and it doesn’t contain any gluten! How’s that for a superfood?

Even though all the health benefits are there, I do I have to admit that quinoa is pretty boring without any added flavor. I have had 3 packages in my kitchen cupboard for far too long so I made it my goal this week to think of a good way to utilize it. I have wanted to create an Indian curry dish ever since I stepped into the cafeteria for lunch at my new job. My company caters in Indian food daily from a local Indian restaurant and the aroma always tempts me to try it but I refuse to spend $10+ on lunch when I can get another healthy option for half the price. 

After browsing lots of curry dishes online, I felt pretty confident this recipe was going to turn out delicious. The key to this recipe to avoid over cooking the chicken. I cooked my chicken on medium-low for about 15 minutes and it was super tender! I also would highly recommend the coconut coated cashews I found from Trader Joes. They were the perfect addition!

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa

4 cups chicken broth

2 boneless chicken breasts

4 tablespoons olive oil

6 teaspoons curry powder

1 medium yellow onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced 

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup shredded carrots

½ teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon turmeric

½ teaspoon fennel seed

1/3 cup plain yogurt

1/3 cup sour cream

½ cup cashews 

¼ cup fresh cilantro

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Rinse and drain 1 cup of quinoa. Add quinoa to two cups of chicken broth and bring to a boil. When the quinoa and chicken broth come to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes or until almost all the chicken broth has been absorbed.

2. Cut chicken into 1 inch cubes. Mix chicken to a bowl with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 2 teaspoons of curry powder. In a separate sauté pan, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and cook chicken until chicken it is fully cooked. Set aside. 

3. Using the same sauté pan, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and cook yellow onion and garlic for a few minutes. Then add peas, carrots, cumin, turmeric, fennel seed, and remaining 4 teaspoons of curry powder and cook for another few minutes.  

4. Add reminding 2 cups of chicken broth to veggie mix and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in yogurt, sour cream, quinoa, and chicken. 

5. Top with cashews, cilantro, salt and pepper and serve.