Bombay Quinoa with Peas & Kale

My hero! B was in Seattle a couple weekends ago, paid a visit to one of our favorite finds, Market Spice, and brought back a good amount of our favorite Bombay curry powder, along with a few other spicy treats! Curry spices have so much depth and are so versatile, limiting them to curry dishes would be a shame! Try incorporating curry spices in meat marinades, homemade salad dressings, pizza seasoning, the list goes on...!


When dreaming up a quinoa side-dish, I wanted to add a savory dimension and my Bombay curry pow did not disappoint (any of your favorite curry powders should work just as well)! Since quinoa is protein-packed, this dish is filling enough to serve as vegetarian main. 

Yield: 2-4 servings

• 1 1/4 cup quinoa (2 1/2 cups water)
• Quinoa spices: 

• 1 tsp bombay curry powder
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups frozen peas 
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 small onion
• 1 bunch kale
• 1 1/2 tbsp margarine or butter
• 1 tbsp bombay curry powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground pepper
• Sauce: 
• 3/4 cup skim milk
• 1 tbsp bombay curry powder
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper

Measure quinoa out in a pot, along with all quinoa spices, then add water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low-med, cover, and set timer for 15min. After 15min, remove from heat and let stand for 5min. 

Meanwhile, measure out 2 cups of frozen peas to set aside and let thaw slightly. 


Mince garlic. Thinly slice and dice onion. 


Wash kale, remove leaves from stems, and rip leaves into bite-size pieces. 

Heat margarine in a frying pan with a lid over med-high heat. Add garlic and onion, stirring for 3min. Add kale, curry powder, salt and pepper and stir for another minute. Reduce to medium heat, add peas, cover and let cook for 4min. 


Meanwhile, stir all sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. 


Fluff cooked quinoa, and add to kale mix in frying pan. Reduce to low-med, add sauce, stir to combine everything, cover and let simmer for 5-10min. 


Can be served immediately or cooled to warm. Salt and pep to taste.

Gajar Matar: Indian Curried Peas & Carrots

Gajar Matar. One of my favorite Indian dishes and otherwise known as Shin's Peas & Carrots! My Indian bestie brought a sample of this spicy delight to me at work one day and I just had to get the recipe from her mom! 


The sweetness of the peas and carrots stand up well to the heat of the spices and jalapeno, blending perfectly into this delicious symbiosis. The veggies, of course, are full of vitamins A & C, iron, potassium, antioxidants, among other nutrients. And the spices have great benefits too, as this recent article on turmeric goes to show. This healthy dish can be served with naan, quinoa, or in a wrap, but I prefer to have it over coriander rice. 

Serves 4

• 6-8 cloves garlic
• 1-2 inch section fresh ginger
• 1 jalapeno
• 1 yellow onion
• 4 carrots
• 1 medium potato
• 1 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• dash of cayenne

• 1 cup basmati rice (2 cups water)
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro

Mince garlic, ginger and jalapeno together. 

Dice onion.

Peel carrots and dice into small cubes (I dice them quite small, slicing the carrot lengthwise into four before dicing).

Peel potato and dice into small cubes, roughly the same size as the carrots.

Cook rice per package instructions, adding 1 tsp of ground coriander to water. 

In a large frying pan with a lid, heat olive oil over med-high. Add minced garlic, ginger and jalapeno. Stir for a 3min. Add onion and stir for 5min. 

Add cumin, turmeric, salt, pepper and cayenne and stir for another minute til spices are fragrant. 

Add carrots, potato and frozen peas, mixing well to combine. Add a splash of water (about 1/8 cup), cover, and let simmer for 20min over low-med heat. Be sure to stir every 5min or so to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pan. 

Once the rice is ready and removed from heat, add fresh chopped cilantro and fluff to mix. 

Serve curried vegetables over coriander rice. Garnish with some fresh chopped cilantro.