How to get the benefit of Quinoa leaves in my family meals

An easy and versatile recipe using Quinoa leaves

An every day Ayurvedic recipe from Indian kitchens :)

An Ayurvedic recipe using Quinoa greens from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India By Anisha Sharma

Bathua as it is known in the Awadhi kitchens of Lucknow in Eastern Uttar Pradesh in India is rarely seen in restaurant menus, but is much valued in an Ayurvedic summer lunch in homes. It grows wild in fields and gardens here. Introducing the humble Quinoa to you.

Now that quinoa is the new super food, India exports quinoa seeds. Its leaves continue their journey from fields to homes, cooked with love for the family. In summer it is used to make raita or a yoghurt dip to go with deep fried poori, roti, a rice staple khichri, or pulao. In winter it is used in sarso ka saag too. A 500 year old story goes that a devotee of Krishna, Narsi Mehta ji of Joonagarh, Gujarat (India) went to pick Bathua leaves to make a meal for his guest who had arrived from his daughter’s home. When he returned with the harvest, he found that his guest had already been fed well with a rich meal served in gold utensils. He thanked Krishna for fulfilling his wish of serving his guest. Today, Quinoa is a world-renowned food item. NASA has been exploring ways to grow Quinoa in outer space, because it is so easy to grow and highly nutritious. The United Nations called the year 2013, ‘The International Year of Quinoa’. Sharing a time-tested Indian Ayurvedic recipe using Quinoa leaves.

Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Cook Time: 15 Minutes

Yield: Serves 4 people as a side dish with rice, roti or combined with pasta.

Nutrition Facts: Benefits of Quinoa leaves are because they are rich in dietary fibre, Iron, Magnesium, Antioxidant ferulic, coumaric, hydroxybenzoic, and vanillic acid, flavonoids quercetin and kaempferol.

Ingredients:

- 1 bunch or 250 gm Quinoa leaves (with or without their soft stems)

- 2 cups plain yoghurt

- Sea salt or Himalayan rock salt to taste

- Black salt (Kala namak can be found easily in a store selling Indian groceries)

-1 pinch of pepper powder

- 1 pinch freshly roasted jeera or cumin

- Half cup water to boil or steam the leaves

Instructions:

Chop and discard the roots and wiry stems from bathua or quinoa plants. In India young quinoa plants are picked whole for using the leaves. Wash the leaves and soft stems in several changes of water to remove mud from the fields. Boil or steam the leaves and allow to cool a bit. Puree the steamed or boiled leaves in a blender till you get a bright green buttery paste.

Whip the yoghurt till it is creamy and smooth. Add the leaves paste and all the other ingredients to it. If you like it a little runny (works with rice), add water. Else, enjoy the creamy Quinoa raita with breads like Poori, Naan, Paratha, Tandoori Paratha, Roti, or rice staple like Khichri or Pulao, as a Pasta sauce, a rich salad dressing, a creamy dip with Nachos, or garlic bread…

Anisha