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Quinoa Upma (Healthy Quinoa Recipe)
5 from 62 votes

Quinoa Upma (Healthy Quinoa Recipe)

Quinoa Upma is a savory dish that combines rinsed quinoa with sautéed mustard seeds, dals, curry leaves, onions, green chilies, and a mix of finely chopped vegetables including carrots, french beans, and green peas. The quinoa cooks in water infused with these aromatic spices and veggies, yielding a fluffy and mildly spiced savory porridge. It offers a wholesome alternative to traditional Upma by using quinoa and can be adapted readily with other fresh vegetables as desired.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
30 mins
Servings: 2
Calories: 327 kcal
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • ½ cup quinoa
  • 1.5 tablespoon neutral cooking oil any neutral tasting oil, generic cooking oil
  • ⅓ cup onion or 1 small to medium-sized, finely chopped
  • ½ teaspoon ginger or ½ inch ginger, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon green chili or 1 to 2 green chilies - chopped, chopped
  • 1 dry red chili - stem and seeds removed, optional
  • 1 pinch asafoetida (hing) - optional
  • 7 to 8 curry leaves
  • ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • ½ teaspoon urad dal (husked and split black gram)
  • ½ teaspoon moong dal (yellow mung lentils)
  • ⅓ cup carrot or 1 small carrot, finely chopped
  • ¼ cup french beans 5 to 6 french beans, finely chopped
  • ⅓ cup green peas - frozen
  • 1 cup water
  • salt as required
  • 2 tablespoons Coriander leaves cilantro, chopped

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Take the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and rinse well in running water. Drain the water and set aside.
  2. Heat the oil in a pan. Keep the heat to a low. Add mustard seeds.
  3. Once the mustard seeds begin crackling, then add cumin seeds, urad dal and moong dal or chana dal.
  4. Stir often and fry on a low heat until the urad dal and moong dal turn golden.
  5. Then add finely chopped ginger, chopped green chilies, dry red chili and a pinch of asafoetida (optional). Fry on low heat for about half a minute.
  6. Next add finely chopped onions and curry leaves.
  7. Stir and sauté on a low to medium heat till the onions become translucent and soften.
  8. Then add finely chopped carrots, finely chopped french beans and frozen green peas. Mix well.
  9. Sauté on a low heat for two minutes.
  10. Then add the quinoa and mix very well again.
  11. Sauté for a minute or two on low heat.
  12. Add water and mix again.
  13. Add salt as per taste. Check the taste of the water and add more salt if needed.
  14. Cover the pan with its lid and simmer on a low heat till the quinoa seeds are cooked, softened, look translucent and fluffy.
  15. Once or twice you can stir the quinoa while the seeds are being cooked.
  16. When all the water has been absorbed and the grains appear translucent and cooked well, remove the lid and switch off the heat.
  17. Add the chopped coriander leaves.
  18. Give a quick stir and serve vegetable quinoa upma hot or warm with a few lemon wedges or coconut chutney or lime pickle.

Notes

  • Always rinse quinoa seeds well to remove bitterness from saponin coating.
  • Use double the amount of water to quinoa for proper cooking consistency.
  • Add other favorite vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, bell peppers, or corn for variation.
  • Skip or use gluten-free asafoetida to keep the recipe gluten-free.
  • This recipe scales easily to serve more people by multiplying ingredients proportionally.

Nutrition Information

Calories 327kcal (16%) Carbohydrates 43g (14%) Protein 9g (18%) Fat 14g (22%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Sodium 633mg (26%) Potassium 505mg (11%) Fiber 7g (28%) Sugar 6g (12%) Vitamin A 5563IU (111%) Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 30mg Vitamin B6 1mg Vitamin C 68mg (76%) Vitamin E 6mg Vitamin K 14µg Calcium 64mg (6%) Vitamin B9 (Folate) 408µg Iron 3mg (17%) Magnesium 107mg (27%) Phosphorus 258mg Zinc 2mg

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 2 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 327

% Daily Value*

Calories 327kcal 16%
Carbohydrates 43g 14%
Protein 9g 18%
Fat 14g 22%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Sodium 633mg 26%
Potassium 505mg 11%
Fiber 7g 28%
Sugar 6g 12%
Vitamin A 5563IU 111%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 30mg
Vitamin B6 1mg
Vitamin C 68mg 76%
Vitamin E 6mg
Vitamin K 14µg
Calcium 64mg 6%
Vitamin B9 (Folate) 408µg
Iron 3mg 17%
Magnesium 107mg 27%
Phosphorus 258mg
Zinc 2mg

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.