Quinoa Chickpea Biryani with Spinach

Name: Quinoa Chickpea Biryani with Spinach
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 1½ cups (270 g) white quinoa, rinsed under cold water in a fine-mesh sieve for 1 minute and drained well; 1½ cups (one 15-oz can) (240 g) canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed; 2 cups (480 ml) water or low-sodium vegetable broth; 5 oz (140 g) baby spinach, roughly chopped; 2 tbsp (30 ml) ghee or neutral oil; 1 tsp (2 g) cumin seeds; 1 stick (2-inch/5 cm) (3 g) cinnamon stick; 4 pods (1 g) green cardamom pods, lightly crushed; 4 cloves (1 g) whole cloves; 1 leaf (1 g) bay leaf; 1 large (200 g) yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced; 4 cloves (12 g) garlic, finely minced; 1 tbsp (8 g) fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated; 1 chili (10 g) green chili (serrano or Thai), slit lengthwise, seeds left in for more heat (optional); 2 medium (300 g) ripe tomatoes, finely chopped; ½ tsp (1 g) ground turmeric; 1 tsp (2 g) Kashmiri chili powder (or mild paprika); 2 tsp (4 g) garam masala, divided: 1 tsp for the masala, 1 tsp for finishing; 1¼ tsp (7 g) fine sea salt; ½ cup (120 g) plain whole-milk yogurt, at room temperature, whisked smooth; 1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice; ¼ cup (10 g) fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems, chopped; ¼ cup (10 g) fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A fragrant one-pot biryani-style dish where fluffy quinoa and tender chickpeas simmer in a spiced tomato-yogurt masala, then finish with wilted spinach, lemon and fresh herbs. It's high in protein and fiber, and it's on the table in about an hour.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 40 min
Wait: 10 min
Total: 1 hr 10 min
Makes: About 6 cups (4 main-course servings)

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the quinoa and chickpeas
1½ cups (270 g) white quinoa, rinsed under cold water in a fine-mesh sieve for 1 minute and drained well
1½ cups (one 15-oz can) (240 g) canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 cups (480 ml) water or low-sodium vegetable broth
5 oz (140 g) baby spinach, roughly chopped
For the masala
2 tbsp (30 ml) ghee or neutral oil
1 tsp (2 g) cumin seeds
1 stick (2-inch/5 cm) (3 g) cinnamon stick
4 pods (1 g) green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
4 cloves (1 g) whole cloves
1 leaf (1 g) bay leaf
1 large (200 g) yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
4 cloves (12 g) garlic, finely minced
1 tbsp (8 g) fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
1 chili (10 g) green chili (serrano or Thai), slit lengthwise, seeds left in for more heat (optional)
2 medium (300 g) ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
½ tsp (1 g) ground turmeric
1 tsp (2 g) Kashmiri chili powder (or mild paprika)
2 tsp (4 g) garam masala, divided: 1 tsp for the masala, 1 tsp for finishing
1¼ tsp (7 g) fine sea salt
½ cup (120 g) plain whole-milk yogurt, at room temperature, whisked smooth
To finish
1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
¼ cup (10 g) fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems, chopped
¼ cup (10 g) fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped (optional)

Equipment (6)

Heavy-bottomed pot or deep sauté pan with tight lid, 4-quart (3.8 L)
Fine-mesh sieve
Wooden spoon or spatula
Chef's knife and cutting board
Measuring cups and spoons
Fork for fluffing

Steps

Before you start

Rinse the quinoa thoroughly. Unrinsed quinoa has a bitter saponin coating that will spoil the dish.
Chop everything before you turn on the heat. The onion, tomato and spice steps move quickly.
Take the yogurt out of the fridge 20 minutes ahead so it doesn't curdle when it hits the hot pan.
Use a wide, heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid, about 4 quarts (3.8 L). A loose lid lets steam escape and leaves the quinoa undercooked.

1
Rinse the quinoa
- Put the quinoa in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse under cold running water for 1 minute, rubbing the grains with your fingers.
- Shake the sieve well and let the quinoa drain while you prep the other ingredients.
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Ready when: Water runs clear and no longer looks foamy.
Tip: Drain thoroughly. Extra water clinging to the grains will make the finished dish mushy.
2
Toast whole spices
- Heat the ghee in the pot over medium heat for 1 minute.
- Add the cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, cardamom, cloves and bay leaf.
- Stir constantly for 30 to 45 seconds.
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Ready when: The cumin sizzles and darkens slightly and the kitchen smells fragrant.
Tip: Don't walk away. Whole spices burn in seconds and turn bitter.
3
Brown the onions
- Add the sliced onion and ¼ tsp of the salt.
- Cook, stirring every minute or so, for 8 to 10 minutes.
- If the onion starts to stick or scorch, add 1 tbsp water and scrape up the browned bits.
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Ready when: Onions are soft and deep golden brown at the edges.
Tip: Well-browned onions give the biryani its sweet, savory depth. Don't rush this step.
4
Add garlic and ginger
- Stir in the garlic, ginger and green chili, if using.
- Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
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Ready when: The raw garlic smell is gone and the mixture smells sweet and pungent.
5
Cook the tomato masala
- Add the chopped tomatoes, turmeric, chili powder, 1 tsp of the garam masala and the remaining 1 tsp salt.
- Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, mashing the tomatoes with the back of the spoon.
- Reduce the heat to low, then stir in the whisked yogurt a spoonful at a time.
- Cook for 1 more minute.
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Ready when: The tomatoes have broken down into a thick, jammy paste and a little oil shimmers at the edges.
Tip: Lower the heat before adding the yogurt and stir steadily, or it can split.
6
Toast quinoa, add water
- Stir in the drained quinoa and chickpeas and cook for 1 minute so the grains are coated in masala.
- Pour in the water, scrape up anything stuck to the bottom of the pot, and taste the liquid.
- It should taste lightly salty.
- Raise the heat to high and bring to a full boil.
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Ready when: The liquid is bubbling vigorously across the whole surface.
Tip: Adjust salt now. It's hard to season quinoa evenly once it has cooked.
7
Simmer covered
- Reduce the heat to low, cover with the tight lid and simmer for 15 minutes without lifting the lid.
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Ready when: Most of the liquid is absorbed, and small white spiral tails are visible on the grains.
Tip: Lifting the lid lets steam escape and can leave the quinoa crunchy in the center.
8
Steam with spinach
- Remove the pot from the heat.
- Scatter the chopped spinach over the surface without stirring, cover again and let it stand for 10 minutes.
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Ready when: The spinach is fully wilted and the grains are tender with no hard center.
9
Fold and finish
- Remove the cinnamon stick, bay leaf and, if you can find them, the cardamom pods and cloves.
- Add the remaining 1 tsp garam masala, the lemon juice, cilantro and mint, if using.
- Gently fold with a fork to fluff the quinoa and combine the spinach.
- Taste and add a pinch of salt or squeeze more lemon if needed.
- Serve hot.
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Ready when: The quinoa looks fluffy and separate, evenly colored with masala, and the herbs are bright green.
Tip: Fold with a fork rather than stirring with a spoon, which can crush the grains.

Good to know

Tips

Keep the quinoa-to-liquid ratio. The tomatoes and yogurt add moisture, so this recipe uses less water than package directions.
For more biryani-style layers, top the finished dish with crispy store-bought fried onions and a pinch of saffron soaked in 1 tbsp warm water.
Serve with cucumber raita or a simple salad of sliced red onion, lemon and salt.
If the quinoa is still crunchy after resting, add 2 tbsp water, cover and steam over low heat for 3 to 5 more minutes.

Make ahead

You can chop all the vegetables and rinse the quinoa up to 1 day ahead, storing each in a covered container in the fridge. The masala base (through step 5) can be made 2 days ahead and reheated before adding the quinoa.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Fridge: airtight container for up to 4 days. Freezer: up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container. Reheat in a covered skillet or microwave with 1 to 2 tbsp water per serving until steaming hot, then fluff with a fork.

Substitutions

plain whole-milk yogurt → unsweetened coconut or soy yogurt. Makes the dish vegan. The flavor will be slightly less tangy, so add an extra squeeze of lemon at the end.
ghee or neutral oil → avocado oil or vegetable oil. Vegan option. You'll lose some of the nutty richness.
baby spinach → chopped kale (stems removed). Add the kale with the water in step 6, as it needs longer to soften.
Kashmiri chili powder (or mild paprika) → sweet paprika plus a pinch of cayenne. Gives similar color with a little more heat.