Quinoa risotto

Lauded as a super food, quinoa can now be found in many supermarkets and health food stores. In this recipe, the quinoa is cooked "risotto-style", which produces a soft and creamy result without the starchiness of rice. Using vegetable stock makes this a great vegetarian option.

• serves

  4

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  40 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 60 ml (¼ cup) olive oil
• 160 g eschallots, finely chopped
• 1 red capsicum, seeds removed and chopped
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 litre hot chicken stock
• 500 g (2 ½ cups) quinoa
• 125 ml (½ cup) white wine
• 60 g unsalted butter
• 300 g mixed mushrooms, sliced
• 25 g (⅓ cup) parmesan, finely  grated, plus extra, shaved, to serve
• salt and black pepper
• parsley leaves, to serve

The following recipe has been tested and edited by SBS Food and may differ slightly from the podcast.

Instructions

Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the olive oil and eschallots and cook for 4–5 minutes until eschallots begin to soften. Add the red capsicum, cumin and salt to taste and cook, stirring regularly, for a further 5–6 minutes until the capsicum begins to soften. Add the quinoa, stir to coat in the onion mixture and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the wine and simmer until almost completely evaporated. Add the hot stock, 1 ladleful at a time, stirring and cooking until the stock is absorbed before adding the next. Cook for 15–20 minutes until the quinoa is tender.

Meanwhile, place another large frying pan over high heat. Add the butter and, once foaming, add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt. Cook for 2–3 minutes until the mushrooms are golden and tender. Add the mushrooms and the butter from the frying pan to the quinoa along with the parmesan. Stir gently to combine and season with black pepper.

Serve immediately with extra parmesan and parsley scattered over the top.

Photography by Alan Benson

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.