Great Plains Quinoa with Calcutta Curry
| Serves | 10 |
|---|---|
| Menu Part | Entree |
Chef-owner Justin O’Reilly
Nosh Eatery & Tap
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
At Nosh Eatery & Tap in Saskatoon, chef-owner O’Reilly features grain bowls for every daypart and changes ingredients and inspiration depending on local, seasonal sources. On the dinner menu, he features locally grown quinoa in a dish of roasted eggplant, slow-cooked in a Calcutta-inspired curry sauce with chickpeas, greens and edible flower petals to infuse the recipe with aromatics.
Ingredients
6 qt. peeled, cubed eggplant (cut in 1-in. cubes)
6 tbsp. kosher salt
½ cup ghee
2 cups grapeseed oil
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. mustard seed
1 tbsp. cumin seed
2 tsp. coriander seed
½ cup diced onion
½ cup diced red bell pepper
½ cup diced green bell pepper
½ cup diced yellow bell pepper
¼ cup minced fresh garlic
¼ cup minced, peeled fresh ginger
1 tbsp. minced lemongrass
1 tbsp. turmeric powder
2 tsp. curry powder
2 tsp. ground black pepper
2 tsp. salt
2 qt. coconut milk
1 cup Greek yogurt
60 oz. cooked golden quinoa
Edible flowers, microgreens, pea tendrils and lime zest, optional
Steps
1. Place eggplant cubes in colander; sprinkle with kosher salt. Cover with a damp paper towel or clean cloth. Let stand 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 425 F. In small saucepan over medium heat, melt ghee. Into large saucepan, measure grapeseed oil. When ghee has melted, stir in flour until smooth. Cook mixture 6 to 8 minutes to make a light roux; set aside.
3. Rinse salt off eggplant; pat dry with towels. Toss eggplant cubes with a little oil to coat well. Line two sheet pans with foil. Spread eggplant cubes on sheets and roast in preheated oven until golden brown, 40 to 60 minutes. Let cool.
4. In small saute pan, toast cumin, coriander and mustard over low heat until seeds have a light nutty aroma and darken slightly. Place in mortar and pestle or spice grinder and grind until fine; hold for later use.
5. Heat large saucepan with grapeseed oil over medium heat until hot. Add diced onions, peppers and garlic; saute until onions are lightly caramelized. Add minced ginger and lemongrass; blend well. Saute mixture for 5 minutes until tender.
6. Stir in coconut milk, toasted ground seeds, turmeric, curry powder, pepper and salt. Reduce heat to low; cook, stirring with wire whisk, until reduced by one-quarter.
7. Stir in yogurt and enough of reserved roux to thicken mixture.
8. Per serving, spoon 6 ounces cooked quinoa into shallow bowl or plate. Spoon hot curry sauce on top. Garnish as desired.
Photo courtesy of Ardent Mills