Curried Quinoa Pilaf

I got this recipe out of Great Vegetarian Cooking Under Pressure by Lorna J. Sass. It was just what I needed since I always get into a rut with only cooking Italian, Mexican and American. This recipe was pretty quick and very tasty. It is meant for a pressure cooker, but can be easily adapted to a regular pot on the stove.

Curried Quinoa Pilaf
2 t canola oil
1 t minced garlic
2 1/4 c boiling water
1 medium carrot, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
2 1/2 t mild curry powder
2 t ground coriander seeds
1 t salt
1 1/2 c quinoa, thoroughly washed*
****
1 c cooked green peas

Pressure cooker directions:
Heat the oil in the cooker. Cook the garlic over medium high heat, stirring constantly, until it begins to turn golden about 1 minute. Add the water (stand back to avoid sputtering oil), carrot, ginger, curry powder, corander, salt, and quinoa.

Over high heat, bring to high pressure. Lower the heat just enough to maintain pressure and cook for 1 minute. Allow the pressure to come down naturally for 10 minutes. Quickly release any remaining pressure. Remove the lid, tilting it away from you to allow any excess steam to escape.

Stir in peas, replace (but do not lock) the lid, and cook over very low heat just until the peas are heathe through, about 1 minute. If there is any unabsorbed liquid, drain off the excess, or lift the pilaf out of the ocoker with a slotted spoon. Fluff up the quinoa before serving.

Pot on stove directions:

Heat the oil in the cooker. Cook the garlic over medium high heat, stirring constantly, until it begins to turn golden about 1 minute. Add the water (stand back to avoid sputtering oil), carrot, ginger, curry powder, coriander, salt, and quinoa.

Over high heat, bring to boil. Lower the heat to simmer, cover and cook until the grains are translucent and the germ has spiraled out from each grain. About 15 minutes.

Stir in peas, and cook over very low heat just until the peas are heated through, about 1 minute. If there is any unabsorbed liquid, drain off the excess, or lift the pilaf out of the cooker with a slotted spoon. Fluff up the quinoa before serving.

Note
*Be sure to wash quinoa thoroughly to remove any residual saponin--the bitter coating that acts as a natural insect repellent. Use a large, very fine meshed strainer. Set the grains in the strainer and, using your hand to stir the grains and prevent them from overflowing, gently submerge the quinoa in a large bowl of water. Continue stirring with our hand until the water becomes quite cloudy. Lift the strainer, empty the bowl, and fill it with clean water. Repeat submerging the quinoa, stirring, and changing the water utnil the water is just about clear. Drain the quinoa thoroughly.
Or, just rinse with a mesh strainer until the water runs clear.

Curried Split Pea Soup with Cauliflower

Curried Split Pea Soup with Cauliflower
By, Heather

1 tablespoon finely minced ginger
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 cup carrots, cut into 1/2-inch slices
6 cups boiling water
1 1/2 - 2 cups dried green or yellow split peas, picked over and rinsed
1-2 tablespoons mild curry powder (to taste)
3/4 - 1 head of fresh cauliflower, chopped (or 1 lb frozen cauliflower)
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Put water on the stove to boil. Add a tiny bit of oil (1 tsp.) in pressure cooker, and saute onions. Remove onions and add trivet to bottom of pressure cooker. Add all ingredients (including boiling water) and stir well to be sure that no bits of onion or spices have gotten stuck to the bottom of the pot.

Lock the lid in place. Over high heat, bring to high pressure. Lower the heat just enough to maintain high pressure (rocking steadily) and cook for 6 minutes. Allow the pressure to come down naturally for about 10 minutes, then quick-release the pressure (place the pot under cold running water.) Remove the lid, tilting it away from you to allow any excess steam to escape. Taste to see if more salt or pepper should be added.

Put cooked food into food processor to puree into a thick soup.

Serve with cheese if desired.