Indian Lentil Risotto with Quinoa

We went outside the box for this recipe. We took elements from cuisines we didn't think could go together and the result was amazing! You are going to love this Indian Lentil Risotto with Quinoa. It's comforting, it's delicious and it's so easy to make. 

I like to mix things up a little bit and create recipes that will make you love this vegan journey we are on. We can get really creative with food and use ingredients in so many different ways. This is why I like fusion cuisine so much, you mix and match all of your favourites to create delicious food you love. 

At home, we love Indian and Italian food. Both cuisines are full of flavour, beautiful ingredients, and incredibly heartwarming dishes. With this in mind, I decided to take a few elements from each and make an Indian risotto recipe that would suit our needs. 

We have a few different risotto dishes here at vegan.io, I love its consistency so much. This dish is made with rice simmered in broth until it becomes creamy. I took these process and instead of using rice, I used lentils and quinoa.

I wanted a high protein vegan meal so the combination of lentils and quinoa comes in handy. You will also find complex carb, iron, magnesium, fiber, and a bunch of other essential nutrients to keep you fuelled and full for a good while. With all this in it, this could be a perfect addition to your vegan gym diet too! 

Here is where the Indian accents start to show up! I thought of making a Dahl with the lentils but I really wanted the creamy consistency so, I went back to the risotto. And, I used a lot of the spices and ingredients I would normally use in a dahl to season the risotto. 

We don't need anything too complicated, and you probably already have these ingredients in your pantry. I used garlic, fresh ginger, sliced shallots, turmeric powder, and garam masala. You can sauté the garlic, ginger, and shallots until fragrant and then add the other spices to the pan. This will make all the aromas and taste super potent. It's a subtle little trick that makes magic. 

I like adding veggies to my Indian risotto, or to any risotto for that matter. So, for this recipe, I  chopped some broccoli, tomatoes, potatoes, and threw in a handful of spinach. You get a nice variety of colour, nutrients, flavours, and textures. 

The recipe is very easy to make, the trick to get the most out of it is the simmering process. Make sure you add the ingredients in the right order and allow enough simmering time for each step. This will assure your veggies are cooked to perfection and everything gets infused with the delicious aromatic spices you added at the beginning. 

Who would've thought that an Indian risotto could be such an amazing hight protein vegan meal! You and your family are in for a heartwarming delicious treat tonight!