I made an absolutely delicious batch of Quinoa w/ Sweet Potato, Turmeric, & Rice Vinegar last month. With the sweet potatoes and turmeric, everything was tinted a deliciously warm orange hue. I can't get the craving out of my mind. So, I decided to make a similar quinoa dish today. This is part of the reason that I have a food blog. Because, when I'm absolutely obsessed with something I made weeks ago? I know exactly what ingredients I used and can absolutely replicate it again! Only, this time I tossed in a couple of serranos and a bit more turmeric. I was also out of red onions and did the debate over yellow onions or shallots. Although type of onion is all a matter of personal preference and you can mix and match what you have on hand or to fit your own taste.
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Variations of Turmeric Quinoa
I'm obsessed with quinoa. I make it absolutely all of the time. I almost always have a batch in my refrigerator to toss into burritos, omelettes, nachos, you name it. I've tossed quinoa into it. Lately I've been enjoying turmeric-orange tinted quinoa with sweet potatoes and tofu. Although I'm no stranger to adding tamari and rice vinegar to quinoa. It plays up the slight bitterness to quinoa, which is mellowed out by the sweet potatoes. Lately I've been thinking that this form of quinoa is really just my own version of barbecue sauce. It's slightly sweet. Slightly bitter. And absolutely goes with anything and everything! It's one of my favorite foods of all times and there are a plethora of ways to add in tahini, freshly ground nuts, and other ingredients to mix and match flavor profiles.
This Turmeric Quinoa consists of sweet potatoes, carrots, yellow onions, serranos, fresh turmeric, garlic, tofu, tamari, and rice vinegar. The sweetness of the potatoes and carrots, mixed with the warm hue of the turmeric makes it almost reminiscent of barbecue sauce. Although feel free to mix and match in other produce to make it your own!
Add sweet potato, carrots, onion, serranos, turmeric, garlic, quinoa, and water to a rice cooker.
Press the cook button on the rice cooker. While quinoa is not rice, it does cook the same and oftentimes better than rice in a rice cooker. It typically takes 30-45 minutes. Alternatively you can simmer on the stove. Add all of the ingredients to a pot, bring uncovered to a boil, lower heat to a simmer, and cook for about 15 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes and quinoa are tender. Stir occasionally and test often. Turn off heat, add lid, and let sit another 5-10 minutes.
Fry Tofu
While the quinoa is cooking, drain the water out of the tofu.
Wrap in paper towels to absorb the moisture.It's important to absorb as much water out of the tofu as you can. Oil is less dense than water, so the molecules repel one another. With cold ingredients, this causes separation. When you're frying at high temperatures, though, this can cause boiling hot oil to spray back at you.
Meanwhile, preheat oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
When the skillet has preheated and the majority of the water has absorbed into the paper towels, carefully add the tofu to the skillet. Move them around gently with a spatula, making sure that they cook evenly. The tofu will break apart and cook just like how you would scrambled eggs. Continue to gently move the eggs around until golden brown. This should take about 4-6 minutes.
Remove from heat and wrap again in paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
Finish Quinoa
When the quinoa is fully cooked, add tofu, rice vinegar, tamari, salt, and pepper to taste. Fluff with a wooden spoon and serve immediately or chill. Do not use a fork or other metal utensil to fluff! It will scratch off the nonstick surface on the rice cooker. This will leach teflon into your food and cause future dishes to stick to the bottom.
Tips, Tricks, & Notes
I used Fresh Turmeric in Olive Oil. You can easily substitute dried turmeric. But there is something particularly refreshing about fresh turmeric! And, if you can find it, mincing it and preserving in olive oil is the key to longevity.
While quinoa is not rice, it does cook the same and oftentimes better than rice in a rice cooker. For more tips and tricks to rice cooker quinoa, check out my article on The Fundamentals of Making Quinoa, including a stovetop version if you don't have or don't want to use a rice cooker.
I also tend to prefer tamari over soy sauce. They're both made from fermented soy and a lot of recipes use them interchangeably. Tamari tends to have a richer flavor and less salt content. It also tends to be gluten free.
For a more in-depth article on preparing tofu, check out my article on The Fundamentals of Fried Tofu. High heat oil and a precise cooking temperature are important to keep the tofu from drying out or burning.
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