The fact that quinoa is a so-called superfood is no coincidence, because the small grains have it all. In addition to many vitamins and important minerals such as magnesium, calcium and iron, they also contain high-quality proteins, unsaturated fatty acids and secondary plant compounds. The ingredients of pseudocereals, also known as mock cereals, are similar to those of real cereals. However, it is gluten-free and therefore a good alternative for people suffering from allergies.
Although it cannot be used to bake bread, it can be used in a variety of ways, ranging from side dishes to desserts. A delicious vegetarian alternative to meatballs, for example, are quinoa patties, which can be served with various dips. They also taste great as a patty substitute in a burger. You should definitely try the following three recipes!
In a nutshell: How to make quinoa patties yourself?
If you want to make quinoa patties yourself, you should first rinse quinoa thoroughly with lukewarm water. Then boil the quinoa in salted water for about 15 minutes before mixing it either solo or together with other vegetables, for example, carrots, onions or spinach. Eggs and breadcrumbs or flour provide the necessary binding. Depending on your taste, you can add fresh herbs in addition to pepper and salt. Fry in vegetable oil until golden brown and serve warm.
Important
Before processing, you should always rinse quinoa thoroughly with lukewarm water, as the seed coat has many bitter substances attached to it.
Recipe 1: Quinoa-carrot patties with mint-yogurt dip
Ingredients (serves 4)
For the patties
- 400 g quinoa
- 2 carrots
- 2 onions
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 bunch of coriander or parsley
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 4 eggs
- 2 tsp ground cumin seeds
- salt
- Pepper
- vegetable oil for frying (e.g. sunflower oil, rapeseed oil or olive oil)
For the mint yogurt dip
- 1 handful of mint
- 250 g yogurt
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 1 squeeze of lemon juice
- 1 pinch of salt
Preparation
Simmer quinoa in a pot with 500 milliliters of water and a pinch of salt over medium heat for about 15 minutes until the liquid is completely absorbed.
Meanwhile, peel the carrots, onions and garlic. Finely grate the carrots, finely dice the onions, press the garlic and chop the herbs. Mix everything together with quinoa, eggs and flour in a bowl, season and form 20 patties.
Put the vegetable oil in a frying pan and fry the quinoa patties for about 10 minutes over medium heat until golden brown on both sides.
For the yogurt dip, first chop the mint, then put all the ingredients in a bowl, stir until smooth and season to taste.
Recipe 2: Quinoa sauerkraut patties with horseradish
Ingredients (for 4 persons)
For the patties
- 300 g quinoa
- 200 g sauerkraut
- 400 ml vegetable broth
- 4 shallots
- ½ teaspoon caraway seeds
- 1 small apple (e.g. magpie or boskop)
- 30 g horseradish
- 30 g chia seeds
- salt
- Pepper
- vegetable oil for frying (e.g. sunflower oil, rapeseed oil or olive oil)
For the horseradish dip
- 250 g yogurt
- 100 g crème fraîche
- 10 g horseradish
- Salt
Preparation
Bring the broth to a boil briefly, add the quinoa and simmer over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes until no liquid remains.
Meanwhile, squeeze or drain the sauerkraut well, chop coarsely and put in a mixing bowl. Finely dice shallots, sauté until translucent and add to sauerkraut. Grind the caraway seeds in a mortar, grate the apple finely and mix together with quinoa and the remaining ingredients in the bowl. Season the mixture with salt and pepper and let it stand for about 10 minutes. Then form patties from it and fry them over medium heat on each side until they turn a nice golden brown color.
For the dip, mix all the ingredients until smooth and season with salt.
Recipe 2: Quinoa cheese patties with creamy center
Ingredients (for 4 people)
- 350 g quinoa
- 2 carrots
- 2 shallots
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 handful of parsley
- 50 g freshly grated cheese (e.g. Gouda, Edam or Parmesan)
- 2 eggs
- 4 tablespoons breadcrumbs
- salt
- pepper
- 1 package of mozzarella
- vegetable oil for frying (e.g. sunflower oil, rapeseed oil or olive oil)
Preparation
For the patties, put quinoa in a pot with 450 milliliters of water, salt lightly and simmer at medium temperature for about 15 minutes. Then let it cool down.
In the meantime, peel and grate the carrots and finely dice the shallots and garlic. Sauté these ingredients briefly in a pan with a little oil and set aside to cool.
Chop the parsley and mix with the remaining ingredients, except the mozzarella. The mixture should be moist, but not too wet. Bind with more breadcrumbs if needed.
Dice the mozzarella. Form small dumplings from the mixture, pressing three to four mozzarella cubes into the center of each. Then flatten the dumplings to make patties, which you fry in oil on both sides until golden brown.
The quinoa-cheese patties with a creamy center go well with salads, but are also a great treat on their own.
Bonus
Use quinoa from your own garden
The plant from South America feels at home in a full-sun location. The ideal location is a deep pre-planting like early potatoes, as quinoa loves loose soil. Alternatively, you can loosen the bed deeply with a cultivator and work in one to two liters of mature compost per square meter on the surface. It is seeded in mid-April to the end of May. Harvesting takes place between the end of August and the end of September; depending on the weather, it can last until mid-October.
The young shoots and leaves of quinoa are also edible and can be prepared like spinach, for example.
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