This recipe is Madhur Jaffrey’s tribute to native American ingredients. She suggests serving it with greens and beans. Quinoa (pronounced “keen wa”) is a South American grain that was widely grown in the Andes mountains before the arrival of the Spanish. The Incas called it the “mother seed” before the new Spanish rulers outlawed its cultivation and destroyed all the fields of quinoa. As a result, it virtually disappeared for centuries. Today, it is increasingly well-known, and for good reason. It has sweet, nutty taste and light, crunchy texture, and has more protein with more well-balanced amino acids than most other grains.
Quinoa seeds are coated with saponin, a slightly bitter and soapy substance, and must be soaked before using. Most commercially sold quinoa in this country has already been pre-soaked, but if yours is not, follow these simply directions:
Put the quinoa in a bowl and cover with water. Toss the grains in the water, rubbing them against each other, and then pour most of the water out. Do this several times until the water runs clear. Drain thoroughly in a fine sieve.
3 Tbs. peanut or canola oil 1 smallish potato, peeled and cut into ½ inch dice 2 medium tomatillos (or red or green tomatoes), finely chopped 1 cup corn kernels ½ - 1 tsp. finely chopped fresh green or red chile (optional) 2 Tbs. finely chopped cilantro or fresh cilantro 1 cup (6 oz) quinoa, washed and drained 1 ¼ tsp. salt
Put the oil in a heavy, medium pan and set over medium-high heat. Put in the potato and stir and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the potato pieces have browned lightly on all sides. Add the tomatillos and stir and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until they soften. Add the corn, chile and cilantro or cilantro. Stir for another minute. Add the quinoa and stir for a minute. Now add 2 cups of water and the salt. Stir and bring to a boil. Cover tightly, turn the heat down to very low, and cook gently for 20 minutes. Set the pan aside in a warm place, covered and undisturbed, for another 15 minutes. Fluff the grains and serve.
