Even as carbs such as rice and wheat are quickly falling out of favour, quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is becoming all the rage, with celebrities ranging from Gwyneth Paltrow to Deepika Padukone tucking into it. While many varieties grow in the Andes, the commonly available ones are white, black and red quinoa. Quinoa is slowly making a space for itself in Indian supermarkets too and while it's not cheap, it does deliver bang for your buck. Here are eight reasons why.
1. It's gluten-free
Quinoa is a seed that belongs to the spinach/chard family, which is why it is called a pseudo-cereal or pseudograin. The plant Chenopodium quinoa is closely related to bathua which is Chenopodium album (goosefoot). Quinoa is naturally gluten free and therefore a go-to staple for people allergic to wheat gluten.
2. It's packed with protein
Quinoa is one of the few vegetarian food options that is a complete protein, i.e. containing all nine essential amino acids, which are usually present only in animal foods. Vegetarians usually need to combine various food groups to get complete protein, such as rice and dal. Incidentally, quinoa has 50% the protein content of brown rice, with one cup of cooked quinoa yielding about 8 grams protein.
3. It's rich in nutrients
Quinoa is rich in protein, magnesium, dietary fibre and B vitamins. It is also a good source of antioxidants called flavonoids.
4. It has a low GI
Quinoa has a Glycemic Index of around 55, which ensures a slow and gradual rise of blood sugar. That combined with the high fibre and protein content makes it a good food choice for diabetics.
5. It's easy to prepare
Rinsing and soaking quinoa helps wash of the saponins that coat the quinoa, thereby reducing the bitter after taste considerably. Watch this video on how to cook quinoa. Properly cooked quinoa expands up to three times in size, becomes translucent and retains a slight crunch to it, similar to pasta cooked al dente.
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6. It's a delicious salad filler
Quinoa makes a great addition to salads. Toss along with seasonal vegetables, salad greens and a punchy dressing as in this quinoa bowl.
7. It's great with curries
Quinoa can be eaten as a part of curry bowls. Cook up your favourite curry. Keep some toppings handy such as toasted nuts and seeds, sautéed greens, chopped herbs. In a large bowl, add a serving of cooked quinoa, ladle some curry on top so that the quinoa can soak in the flavours of the curry and garnish with toppings of choice.
Watch this video on how to make a quick Thai curry bowl with quinoa.
8. You can add it to burgers, pancakes, breads...
Quinoa is a healthy addition to patties/burgers along with vegetables like beet or zucchini; quinoa flour can be used for gluten-free bakes or even in savoury pancakes. Quinoa tastes delicious in some traditional Indian dishes such as sabudana khichdi as it retains a crunch similar to sago, even after cooking.
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1. It's gluten-free
Quinoa is a seed that belongs to the spinach/chard family, which is why it is called a pseudo-cereal or pseudograin. The plant Chenopodium quinoa is closely related to bathua which is Chenopodium album (goosefoot). Quinoa is naturally gluten free and therefore a go-to staple for people allergic to wheat gluten.
2. It's packed with protein
Quinoa is one of the few vegetarian food options that is a complete protein, i.e. containing all nine essential amino acids, which are usually present only in animal foods. Vegetarians usually need to combine various food groups to get complete protein, such as rice and dal. Incidentally, quinoa has 50% the protein content of brown rice, with one cup of cooked quinoa yielding about 8 grams protein.
3. It's rich in nutrients
Quinoa is rich in protein, magnesium, dietary fibre and B vitamins. It is also a good source of antioxidants called flavonoids.
4. It has a low GI
Quinoa has a Glycemic Index of around 55, which ensures a slow and gradual rise of blood sugar. That combined with the high fibre and protein content makes it a good food choice for diabetics.
5. It's easy to prepare
Rinsing and soaking quinoa helps wash of the saponins that coat the quinoa, thereby reducing the bitter after taste considerably. Watch this video on how to cook quinoa. Properly cooked quinoa expands up to three times in size, becomes translucent and retains a slight crunch to it, similar to pasta cooked al dente.
6. It's a delicious salad filler
Quinoa makes a great addition to salads. Toss along with seasonal vegetables, salad greens and a punchy dressing as in this quinoa bowl.
7. It's great with curries
Quinoa can be eaten as a part of curry bowls. Cook up your favourite curry. Keep some toppings handy such as toasted nuts and seeds, sautéed greens, chopped herbs. In a large bowl, add a serving of cooked quinoa, ladle some curry on top so that the quinoa can soak in the flavours of the curry and garnish with toppings of choice.
Watch this video on how to make a quick Thai curry bowl with quinoa.
8. You can add it to burgers, pancakes, breads...
Quinoa is a healthy addition to patties/burgers along with vegetables like beet or zucchini; quinoa flour can be used for gluten-free bakes or even in savoury pancakes. Quinoa tastes delicious in some traditional Indian dishes such as sabudana khichdi as it retains a crunch similar to sago, even after cooking.
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