Ingredients
- 2/3 cup Quinoa
- 1 1/3 cups water
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup grated cheese
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
- 4 spring onions, white and light green parts, finely chopped
- 1/2 bunch Italian parsley leaves, chopped
- 1 egg, 1 egg yolk
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- lemon wedges for garnish
- Red Salsa for serving
Preparation
Wash the quinoa and drain well. Place a small dry saucepan over high heat. Add the quinoa and toast, shaking and stirring constantly with a wooden spoon to prevent scorching, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large saucepan and add the water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, until the water is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool. In a large bowl, combine the quinoa, flour, cheese, salt and pepper. Add the scallions, parsley, egg and egg yolk. Blend thoroughly with a mixing spoon until the mixture has the consistency of a soft dough. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Using two soup spoons, press the batter into egg-shaped ovals and gently slide into the hot oil. Fry until the bottoms are golden and brown, less than a minute. Turn and fry the second side until golden, less than 1 minute. Drain on paper towels and serve warm with lemon wedges and red salsa.
Nutritional Information
The quinoa seed is high in protein, calcium and iron, a relatively good source of vitamin E and several of the B vitamins. It contains an almost perfect balance of all eight essential amino acids needed for tissue development in humans. It is exceptionally high in lysine, cystine and methionine-amino acids typically low in other grains.
Notes/Tips/References
Quinoa (pronounced Keen-wah) is an ancient food that is only now becoming known in modern cuisine. It has been cultivated in South American Andes since at least 3,000 BC and has been a staple food of millions of native inhabitants. The ancient Incas called quinoa the 'mother grain' and revered it as sacred.