How to Cook Thai Coconut Quinoa
Serves: 4-6
Preparation time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 40 mins
Ingredients needed to make Thai Coconut Quinoa:
For the dressing:
- 2 garlic cloves
- ¾ cup unsalted peanuts, roasted
- 1 2/3 cup fresh cilantro, long and thick stems chopped off
- 2 tbsp lime zest, finely grated
- ¼ cup toasted sesame oil
- 1/3 cup Sriracha hot sauce
- Freshly squeezed juice of 3 medium limes
- 1 tbsp packed dark brown sugar
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
For the quinoa:
- 2 cups quinoa
- 1 package firm tofu, drained and chopped into large chunks
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1 medium head broccoli, stem trimmed and sliced into 1’’ florets
- 2 carrots, trimmed and chopped into 1/8 slices
- 1 1/3 cup vegetable broth
- 1 can unsweetened coconut milk
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
For serving:
- Roasted, unsalted peanuts, coarsely chopped
- Scallions, thinly sliced
- Fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
Cooking instructions for Thai Coconut Quinoa:
- For the dressing, dump all its ingredients into a food processor, attached with a blade and pulse them for a minute into a smooth puree; set aside.
- For the quinoa, wash it under cold water until the starch is completely removed.
- Drain it out into a colander and transfer it to a large skillet.
- Pour in the vegetable broth, coconut milk and season with a dash of salt.
- Stir them all together and heat the mixture over moderately-high heat until it starts boiling; transfer it to a large serving bowl and keep it aside.
- Lower the heat and simmer the mixture over slow heat, for about 20 minutes, stirring often, until their outer white covering cracks open.
- Arrange some paper towels across a large plate and place the tofu chunks on it in a single layer.
- Wipe the saucepan clean and pour water into it.
- Stir in salt and place a lid on top before bringing it to a boil over high flame.
- Drizzle oil in a separate skillet and heat it over moderately-high flame until it sizzles.
- Throw in the tofu and stir fry for about 8 minutes or until it turns golden.
- Drain them out onto the same plate, in which it was kept before and toss well to season.
- Drop the sliced carrots and broccoli florets into the boiling salted water and cook them for a couple of minutes or until they are just cooked but retain their crunchiness.
- Drain them out with the help of slotted spoon, into the serving bowl.
- Throw in the stir fried tofu as well as the scallions and drizzle the dressing on top.
- Toss them all together until well coated and top it up with peanuts and cilantro.
- Serve right away.
Image credit: Wikimedia Commons
