Mexican Quinoa Burrito Bowl

kondaji 2 Comments

There is something very appealing about a Mexican burrito bowl – there are so many different flavors and colors that come together. For someone new to Mexican cuisine, a burrito bowl is a simple combination of rice, black/pinto beans, veggies and guacamole! All I did here was swap the cilantro lime rice out for quinoa and I had this amazingly healthy, protein rich, super filling brunch/lunch/dinner recipe!  Sometimes, trying out a different cuisine is an amazing way to make a home-cooked meal really interesting! Different spices and cooking styles add in different flavors.

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Beans, such as black, pinto, kidney (rajma), garbanzo (chana) white,  or navy are very high in protein. In fact, they are just next to animal-based protein foods! So for someone on a vegetarian diet, including beans in the diet is a great way to boost up the protein intake. Apart from protein, beans are also high in fiber. This accounts for a lot of health benefits associated with beans such as helping control blood sugar and cholesterol. Including different kind of vegetables is also a really important of a well-balanced meal plan. And this burrito bowl has beans, veggies and let us not forget quinoa! So this is a winner recipe!  We don’t need to let the rest of the family in on this ‘nutrition’ aspect while they enjoy a flavorful burrito bowl, right? 🙂

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I have used quinoa because it is easily available where I stay, but feel free to substitute with other whole grains like brown rice or cracked wheat! And if you don’t like or find black beans, use other types of beans! Ya, it won’t have the same taste – but it will still be an amazing dish that you put together at home! Cheers to home cooking 😀

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Mexican Quinoa Burrito Bowl

  • Servings: 2-3
  • Difficulty: medium
  • Print

Ingredients
 For the lime-cilantro quinoa
  1. 2/3 cup uncooked quinoa
  2. Juice from 1/2 lemon
  3. handful of chopped cilantro
  4. 1 tsp oil
  5. salt to taste

For the black beans

  1. 1 can (15 ounces) black beans (If you are using dry beans, please refer to notes)
  2. 1/4 tsp garlic powder (or 2 cloves fresh garlic minced)
  3. 1/2 tsp cumin powder
  4. 1/4 tsp oregano
  5. 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
  6. salt to taste

For the veggies

  1. 1 small green pepper
  2. 1 small red pepper
  3. 1 small onion
  4. 1/4 tsp cumin powder
  5. pinch of red chilli powder
  6. pinch of oregano
  7. 1/2 tsp oil
  8. salt to taste

For the guacamole

  1. 1 avocado
  2. juice from 1/2 lemon
  3. 1/2 jalapeno chopped finely
  4. salt to taste
  5. handful of chopped cilantro

 

Method

For the lime-cilantro quinoa

  1. To prepare the lime-cilantro quinoa, wash the quinoa really well with cold water 2-3 times.
  2. Take a large saucepan. Add the washed quinoa, 1 and 1/3 cups water to the pan. Add 1 tsp oil and sprinkle some salt. (You will add salt to the other ingredients as well – so adjust accordingly). Cook on medium heat till the water comes to a boil. Then lower the heat, cover the pan with a lid and let the quinoa cook.
  3. Quinoa takes about 20 minutes to cook. Stir occasionally in between.
  4. Once the quinoa is done, switch off the heat. Fluff the quinoa grains with a fork. Add in the lime juice and chopped cilantro. Mix well! Lime-Cilantro quinoa is ready!

For preparing the black beans

  1. Rinse the can of black beans in cold water. Add them to a saucepan. Add about 1/4 cup of water and adjust the heat to medium.
  2. Add in all the spices listed under ‘For the black beans’ section. Mix well and cook for just a few minutes till the mixture thickens! And the black beans are ready!

For preparing the veggies

  1. Chop the peppers and onion into long wedges.
  2. Heat 1/2 tsp oil in a pan. Add in the chopped veggies. Saute on medium heat. Add in the spice powders listed. Saute for 5-6 minutes till the onions brown a little and the peppers are slightly soft. Take the veggies out onto a plate.

For the guacamole

  1. Chop the avocado in half. Scoop the pulp into a mixing bowl. Mash the avocado with the back of a spoon
  2. Add the chopped cilantro, jalapeno, salt and lime juice to the mashed avocado and mix! Guac is ready!For assembling the bowl
  1. Take individual large serving bowls. In each bowl, add some lime-cilantro quinoa. Top with some black beans and veggies. And add the guac on top or serve as a side!

Notes

  1. If you are starting with dried beans, soak 1/2 cup of dried beans in water overnight. Drain the excess water and pressure cook with a pinch of salt and as much water as required to cook the beans. Don’t overcook the beans as they will become mushy.
  2. You can prepare the quinoa, black beans and veggies in parallel or you can even prep them one day before. Prepare the guacamole just before serving!

 

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