Nourishing Quinoa Delight

Quinoa is considered as superfood which popularity is growing now a days. It is a seed originating in South America.Quinoa is very nutritious, with a high protein content .It is naturally gluten-free, and is a good replacement for people who are avoiding wheat in their diets.
Quinoa can be cooked like grains; the taste is mild and slightly nutty. I like to use cooked quinoa in my salad to make a complete meal for my family. Today I am sharing a quinoa salad recipe that is very healthy, filling and to make it exiting I prepared in a little different way which I am sure you will love to make.

Recipe: Nourishing Quinoa Delight

Ingredients

1/2 cup Quinoa

1 cup Water

1 medium sized Tomato

1 medium sized Onion

1/2 Yellow Capsicum

1 Cucumber

1/2 ripe Mango

1 bunch Coriander and Mint leaves

1 tbsp crumbled Feta cheese

For the dressing

1 small Lemon

1 tsp crushed Black pepper

1 tsp crushed Cumin seeds

1/2 tsp Chat masala

3 tbsp Olive oil

1/2 tsp Sugar

Salt to taste

For the second layer

1 small Avocado

1/2 of a Beetroot

1 Peach

For garnishing

1/2 of a Avocado

1/2 of a Peach

Coriander leaves without stem as needed

Water Spinach or Spinach leaves as needed

1 tsp roasted Flax seeds

1/2 tsp Chilli flakes

Steps

Take 1/2 cup quinoa, rinse and wash properly.

Cook quinoa with 1 cup of water till done.

When quinoa cooks completely, remove from heat and fluff with a fork.

Keep aside to cool down to room temperature.

Now clean all the vegetables, fruits and herbs.

Chop cucumber(deseeded), yellow capsicum, tomato(deseeded),onion and coriander-mint leaves.Also chop 1/2 of a ripe mango.

For the dressing take juice of a lemon, 3 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of crushed black pepper, 1 teaspoon of crushed cumin seeds, 1/2 teaspoon of chat masala, sugar and salt to a mixing bowl.

Mix everything well with a fork and keep aside.

Take another mixing bowl and add all the chopped vegetables, chopped mango and chopped herbs.

Also add cooked quinoa and crumbled feta cheese.

Add 2/3rd of the prepared dressing to the salad and mix well.

Now for the second layer cut 1/2 of an avocado, 1/2 of a beetroot and 1/2 of a peach in small pieces.

Add the rest of the dressing to the pieces and mix well.

Now for the assembling take one 5-6 inch diameter bowl and line with cling wrap so that it will be easy to invert the bowl to a serving dish.

Make a thick layer of the prepared mango salad by pressing the mixture with a spoon.

Now arrange the beetroot-avocado salad above the mango salad to make a second layer.

Press nicely to make the layer firm.

Take a white serving plate and invert the salad bowl to the plate very carefully.

Discard the cling wrap carefully. Beautiful layered nutritious salad is now ready.

Now for the garnishing cut remaining avocado and peach in long slices and garnish as you like. Also add some spinach leaves and coriander leaves to make the salad beautiful.