Seafood quinoa or quinoa paella {Quinua marinera}
User Reviews
4.9
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Prep Time
15 mins
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Cook Time
45 mins
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Total Time
1 hr
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Servings
8
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
South American, American, Ecuadorian
Seafood quinoa or quinoa paella {Quinua marinera}
Description
This recipe starts by cooking quinoa in seafood broth along with sautéed onion and garlic until the grain absorbs the flavors and becomes tender. Separately, a sauté pan is used to cook a mixture of aromatics—onions, garlic, diced bell pepper—seasoned with cumin and annatto powder for mild earthiness and color. Half of the chopped cilantro is added to brighten the flavor.
The raw seafood—shrimp, clams, calamari, and bay scallops—is incorporated into the sauté pan and cooked briefly until done, typically within 5 minutes. The cooked quinoa and peas are then stirred in, allowing the flavors to combine just before serving. The dish offers varied texture contrasts between fluffy quinoa, tender seafood, and crisp vegetables.
Traditional accompaniments include fried ripe plantains, curtido (a type of pickled cabbage), tomato, avocado slices, lime wedges, and aji criollo hot sauce. These side items add freshness, acidity, and heat that complement the savory seafood quinoa.
Ingredients
- 2 cups quinoa pre-washed, uncooked
- 2 tablespoons neutral cooking oil generic cooking oil
- 2 tablespoons onion finely chopped; white onion
- 1 garlic minced, clove
- 4 cups seafood broth
For the seafood quinoa:
- 3 tablespoons neutral cooking oil generic cooking oil
- 2 garlic peeled and crushed, heads
- 1 cup onion finely chopped; white onion
- 1 bell pepper diced
- ½ tablespoon cumin ground
- 1 teaspoon annatto use paprika as a replacement if needed, ground; or achiote
- 1 cup peas cooked
- 1 cilantro finely chopped, bunch
- 1 lb Shrimp deveined and with shells on, raw
- 1 lb clam well cleaned, small
- 1 lb calamari both tubes and tentacles, cut in small pieces, or squid
- ½ lb bay scallops
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
To serve:
- plantains fried, ripe
- tomato
- onion
- curtido
- avocado slices
- lime slices
- aji criollo hot sauce
Instructions
To cook the quinoa:
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil on medium heat in a saucepan
- Add the 2 tablespoons of chopped onion and the crushed garlic clove, and cook until soft, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add the quinoa and the seafood broth, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and let simmer for about 15 minutes or until the water has evaporated and quinoa is tender, save for later.
For the seafood quinoa or quinoa paella:
- Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil on medium heat in a large sauté pan.
- Add the chopped onions and crushed garlic, stir frequently and cook until the onions are tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add the cumin, achiote or annatto powder, diced bell pepper, and a bit of salt and pepper.
- Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add ½ of the finely chopped cilantro, stir in well.
- Add the raw shrimp and the clams, stir and cook for about 3 minutes.
- Stir in the cooked quinoa, peas, calamari and bay scallops, cook until the seafood is done, no longer than 5 minutes.
- Add the remaining ½ of the chopped cilantro, and additional salt or pepper if needed.
- Serve with fried ripe plantains, tomato and onion curtido or salad, avocado, lime slices, and aji criollo or hot sauce.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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