Quinoa Fried Rice

Quinoa fried rice is a healthy, quick recipe that takes less than 30 minutes to cook. This is loaded with green veggies, vegan, gluten-free, and a healthier alternative to regular fried rice.

If you are on a low-carb diet and craving fried rice, this is surely a lifesaver. You can make this quick and easy recipe in just 30 minutes or even in lesser time. Add whatever veggies you like to your quinoa fried rice. Read my other quinoa recipe here: roasted vegetable quinoa salad

What is quinoa fried rice?

Quinoa fried rice is a variation of traditional fried rice that substitutes quinoa, a nutrient-rich grain, for the more commonly used rice. It offers a healthier alternative for those looking to reduce their carbohydrate intake or incorporate more whole grains into their diet. The dish is prepared by stir-frying cooked quinoa with a variety of vegetables, proteins, and seasonings.

Quinoa Fried Rice - Highlights

I loved this healthy quinoa fried rice made with just quinoa and veggies. Here are a few points which you'll also love about it.

• Quinoa is one of the healthiest foods plus the added benefits of tons of veggies.
• This is a versatile dish suitable for any menu like breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
• Can enjoy something similar to rice while shedding extra pounds
• This is gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free, vegan, or make it vegetarian.
• It takes 30 minutes or less. Hence a quick dinner for busy weeknights.

Quinoa Vs Rice - Which one is healthier?

As we saw quinoa is a nutrient-dense grain (or pseudo-grain) and has numerous health benefits. This is a rich source of plant proteins, fiber. When we are comparing this with rice, no doubt quinoa wins the race for me and for all actually.

One cup of cooked quinoa provides double the amount of protein that we get from similar quantities of rice. Rice is a high-carbohydrate and high-calorie grain. It has more calories (appx 40 cal) and 15x - 20X more carbohydrates than that of quinoa. Because of low carb and low carbohydrate, quinoa is beneficial to shed those extra pounds while still having a similar taste (thou not equal).

How To Make Quinoa Fried Rice?

Ingredients for Quinoa fried rice:

Quinoa, Vegetables, Onion, Garlic, Oil, Spices

You can make your quinoa and store it in a refrigerator or freezer. Remove and add to the sauteed vegetables along with some spices of your choice.

Vegetables- You are free to add as many vegetables as you like. Include a variety of them. You can use freshly chopped seasonal veggies or frozen vegetables (which saves prepping time). Here I have taken broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, green beans, onions, and garlic for flavor.

Spices - Soy sauce, chili pepper flakes, or a little bit of sriracha sauce for a kick of heat, tomato ketchup or maple syrup for balancing the heat. You can substitute all of these mentioned above with this stir-fry sauce too.

Instructions:

Like simple ingredients, the method is also simple. I will say this is a two-step process.

• Make Quinoa
• Saute vegetables
• Add cooked quinoa to veggies
• pour in the sauce and mix everything

A quick-cooking tip:- Cook the quinoa in advance and store it in the refrigerator or freezer. When you are in a hurry and in no mood to cook, just sauté some veggies add your pre-cooked quinoa, and give them a nice and quick stir. Your healthy weeknight dinner will be ready in just 10 minutes. Check out my lazy vegan recipes.

How to Cook Quinoa Fluffy?

One cup of dry quinoa makes three cups of cooked quinoa. Making quinoa is as easy as making rice. Just rinse the quinoa vigorously to get rid of the slight natural bitterness.

For every 1 cup quinoa, you need 1 1/3 cup of water for fluffy quinoa. To make fluffy quinoa heat water in a saucepan and add rinsed quinoa to it. If required add a pinch of salt to this. Bring it to a boil. Once it starts boiling reduce the heat to low. Cover with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and keep the saucepan aside untouched for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, open the lid and fluff it with a fork.

Recipe Card for Quinoa Fried Rice

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