As the name suggests, it's a lemon-flavored quinoa dish with spices that add taste to the nutty flavors of Quinoa.

With simple ingredients, Lemon Quinoa would be one of the easiest quinoa recipes you'll ever try.

A plate of food sitting on top of a wooden table, with Quinoa and Lemon

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About this recipe
Reasons you should try this
Serving ideas
Instant Pot method
Stovetop method
Related recipes
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This is not the first (or last time) that you will hear me rave about the benefits of Quinoa, and I have just the perfect and simple recipe for Quinoa that you can try today….Lemon Quinoa!

Recently I have started replacing rice in my diet with better options such as millets and quinoa, and this recipe is one example of a rice substitute recipe.

About this recipe

If you are familiar with Lemon rice in Indian cuisine, this recipe for Lemon Quinoa would be similar, except that this is a lot more nutritious than the rice dish.

I have always been a fan of lemon rice, and this recipe offers the same taste with a lighter, nutritious option.

Quinoa has fewer carbs, fewer calories, and more protein than rice. So it's a win in every count.

The only question is how to cook these grains perfectly to bring out complementing flavors from the spices. This lemon quinoa is bursting with ginger, turmeric, and peanuts flavors.

If you like quinoa, you’ve got to try this quinoa recipe.

Just like the Indian version comes in several variations, lemon quinoa can have similar variations you can try once you get an idea of the recipe the first time. I used peanuts along with other spices to add flavor.

To make it super easy for you to follow, I have included step-by-step photos and videos for this recipe.

Now you will notice how easy it is. I have shared several quinoa recipes in the past, such as chana quinoa, Vegetable quinoa, and Quinoa Upama.

But this recipe for lemon quinoa would top them all in terms of easiness. I am sharing the procedure to prepare this dish over the stovetop and my favorite cooking gadget, Instant Pot.

Reasons you should try this

Not just because of how easy or nutritious it is, but other reasons are just too appealing to overlook in this recipe…

Vegan and gluten-free
It can be prepared over the stovetop or the Instant Pot
Easy to clean after cooking (One pot recipe)
Open for variations with curry leaves and cashews for garnishing.

Serving ideas

You can serve Lemon Quinoa with a side of soup, raita, or even Indian pickles. Your choice of side dish depends on how spicy or mild your dish turns out. Spicy lemon quinoa would pair with raita or yogurt and vice versa for pickle.

Instant Pot method

Add a few teaspoons of oil to the inner pot in the' saute' setting.

As the oil heats up, add peanuts and saute until they start to turn crispy.

Add cumin seeds and sauté them until they start to sizzle.

Add grated ginger, and chopped green chilies, and cook for about 30 seconds.

Now, add the rinsed quinoa, salt to taste, and turmeric powder.

Add water in the right proportion as noted in the ingredients list. Stir well.

Close the lid of the instant pot and turn the steam release handle to the “sealing” position. Press the manual/pressure cooking setting and set the time for 2 minutes.