Since I discovered a bag of quinoa quickly approaching its expiry date in my pantry, I have been using it as frequently as possible.
I had an assortment of vegetables, some cooked and some not, some cooked quinoa leftover from lunch and a little idli batter. Mixed everything together, added some spices and salt to season, lots of fresh coriander leaves and fried these in my trusted paniyaram pan to make for a quick, easy and guilt free snack. Served this with coconut chutney.
Crispy Quinoa and Vegetable Balls (Makes 14)
1 cup cooked quinoa
1/2 cup idli batter
2 cups assorted vegetables (I used grated carrot, grated bottle gourd, finely chopped onion, a little cooked cabbage and some boiled potato)
2 tablespoons fresh coriander leaves, chopped
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
Salt to taste
1 green chilli finely sliced or red chilli powder to taste
Add all of the above ingredients to a large bowl and mix till you have a thick pancake like batter. Heat the paniyaram pan, add a few drops of cooking oil to each of the cavities. Drop a spoonful of the batter into each cavity, cover and cook on medium heat till golden brown. Use a small wooden spatula or a skewer to flip over and cook the other side till golden too. Repeat till all the batter has been used up.
Serve hot with a chutney or sauce of choice.
