Nothing is better than a cooling quinoa salad! It makes a delicious side dish and a filling main course and is perfect when you are on the go and need to pack a lunch. Quinoa is very beneficial to your health too, containing all nine essential amino acids, magnesium, iron, and copper, plus it’s a pretty substantial source of protein as well. This particular Ayurvedic quinoa recipe is known for it’s cooling effects on the Pitta Dosha. For those of you who may not be familiar with Ayurveda, the Pitta Dosha, according to tradition, controls your metabolism, your digestion, and even your energy levels. Since the Pitta is naturally hot, sharp, and acidic, the cooling effect of this Pitta-Balancing Cranberry Quinoa Recipe makes it perfect for balancing your body out!
What You’ll Need:
- 2 cups of water
- 2 tablespoons of high quality sunflower or olive oil
- 1 whole, juiced lemon
- 1 cup of white or red quinoa
- 1 tablespoon of ghee
- 1/2 bunch of roughly chopped, fresh mint
- salt to taste
Plus, Just A Handful Of:
- dried cranberries
How To Make It:
Start by rinsing your quinoa thoroughly, until the water runs clear. This is to keep the quinoa flavor from being too nutty and overpowering the dish.
Put your ghee in a smaller-sized saucepan and turn on the heat to melt it down.
Once melted, throw your quinoa into the saucepan and mix it with the ghee until it has been fully absorbed.
Now add the two cups of water into the saucepan and cover it to bring to a boil. Keep the quinoa cooking until the water is gone. The timing is similar to when you cook rice, so aim for about 8-10 minutes.
While you are waiting for your quinoa to cook, you can prepare your fresh mint by rinsing and chopping it.
Once your quinoa no longer has any water, put it into a bowl. Now is the time to add your olive or sunflower oil, mint, dried cranberries, lemon juice and salt to taste. Mix all of these ingredients in thoroughly and it’s ready to serve!
Feel free to enjoy this dish warm or cold. Leftovers keep very well in the refrigerator too!
