Ingredients:
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup chickpeas
- 3 tbsp coconut or any cooking oil
- 6 oz paneer, cubed
- 1 medium red onion, sliced
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 cup haricot verts or french beans, chopped
- 1/2 tsp ginger paste
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp cinammon powder
- 1/2 tsp red chili powder (skip this if you want to avoid spiciness)
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg powder
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 2 mint sprigs (reserve a few leaves for garnish)
- salt & pepper to taste
- a nice handful of sliced toasted almonds for crunch
Directions:
- Pressure cook dried chickpeas until tender. If you are using canned, I won’t judge 😉
- Bring a pot of water to boil. Water should be enough to cover quinoa. Throw in quinoa and cook on medium heat between 7-8 minutes. Remove access water (if any), fluff quinoa with a fork, put on a lid and turn off heat to cook off remaining moisture.
- Heat a non-stick skillet on medium, add cooking oil and lightly brown paneer cubes on each side. Drained on a paper towel.
- Using the same skillet, add red onions and fry till translucent.
- Throw in chopped carrots, green beans and stir fry till tender.
- Once the vegetables are tender, add ginger paste, turmeric, cinnamon, red chili and nutmeg powder.
- Stir to combine. Cook for a few more minutes before adding cooked quinoa, chickpeas & paneer.
- Sprinkle in some garam masala, lemon juice, salt & pepper. Stir to combine.
- Remove from heat. Sprinkle in some chopped fresh mint.
- Serve warm, garnished with sliced toasted almonds and a few mint leaves.
I bet this salad would be a great Thanksgiving side – switching up from the traditional green bean casserole 😉
Are you a money-saver while road-tripping? What is your favorite to-go meal?