Quinoa with Basil and Pepper

Quinoa is a seed, which looks like a grain. Its a good susbsitute for rice. My husband doesn't like rice dishes, but he loves Quinoa, so many times I make Quinoa Pulav, or Quinoa khichdi. Cooking with Quinoa is very easy. You treat it just like rice.
This time I made Quinoa with Red and Orange Peppers, and Thai basil. I had bought thai basil and colored peppers to make summer rolls, but because of the E-coli outbreak in sprouts, I had to ditch the plan of making summer rolls. So I had a few colored peppers, and about half a cup of thai basil at my home, which I needed to use up quickly, so I decided to experiment by adding them in Quinoa.It turned out pretty good.
Here is how my made Quinoa with peppers and basil
Ingredients:
1-1/4 Cup Uncooked Quinoa
Salt to taste
2 Tablespoon Oil
1/8th Teaspoon Asafoetida
2 Bell Peppers, Cut into 1 inch Pieces (I used 1 Red and 1 Orange pepper. You can use any colored pper)
1/4 Cup Frozen Green Peas
1-1/2 Serrano Peppers, Deseeded, and Sliced into two Lengthwise,
1/4 Cup Carrots, Sliced 1/2 Inch Thick,
1/2 Teaspoon Garam Masala
1/4 Teaspoon Turmeric
1/4 Cup Basil leaves Roughly Chopped (You can add whole Basil leaves too)

Method:
Take out Quinoa in a strainer and place it under cold runnig water for about 30 seconds. Take it out in a sauce pan. Add 2-1/4 cups of water and salt to taste. Let the water come to a boil, then simmer covered for 15-20 minutes, or until the water evaporates. Keep in mind to not stir it while simmering. Once all the water has evaporated, fluff it up with the help of a fork.

Heat oil in another sauce pan. When its bubbly, add the asafoetida and Serrano pepper. Stir continuously for about 30-40 seconds. Then add the peppers, carrots, and peas. Add turmeric and garam masala, and stir to coat the veggies. Add salt to taste. Turn the flame to medium-low and cook covered until the peppers just start to soften up. You don't want to cook the veggies until they are soft and mushy. and cook for another minute or so. Take off the heat. Now add the basil leaves and cook for another minute or so. Turn off the heat. Now mix the cooked Quinoa to the veggies a little at a time, to make sure that everything combines uniformly. Serve with cold yogurt on side, or eat as is.
 
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