When I think of Peruvian food, a few things that come to mind are ceviche, corn, guinea pigs and quinoa. When I travelled to Peru, I often had side dishes with quinoa. Quinoa has gained popularity in recent years as a healthy food, because it is rich in protein, vitamins and minerals. Luckily it also tastes really good! This recipe for quinoa avocado salad is adapted from Peruvian Chef Martin Morales. The taste is fresh with a mix of sweet, sour and salty.
For the adaptations, I used more quinoa and increased the amounts of various ingredients. For example, I wanted to use the whole tin of butter beans that I had opened. For the avocado, it is fine to mash it in the serving bowl as it stays on the bottom, rather than using a separate bowl. I prefer less washing up! The physalis coulis is optional since it takes some extra time and a saucepan to make it. I think it gives a nice sweetness, but could be replaced by adding a little bit of sugar to the dressing.
Ingredients
250 g quinoa
15-20 physalis (goldenberries)
1 tsp sugar
225 g tinned butter beans, drained weight (lima beans)
Handful of coriander leaves
1-2 red chilies
2-3 ripe avocados
1 medium red onion
2 large tomatoes
4 limes
4 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
First, boil the quinoa according to the package until light and fluffy, drain it and let it cool.
Next, make a coulis using physalis (goldenberry or lantern fruit). In a small saucepan, boil the physalis fruits with sugar. Use a handblender or small food processor, then set aside to cool.
Make the dressing by juicing the limes and mixing with olive oil, salt & pepper.
Peel and mash the avocado in the serving bowl. Next mix the quinoa and butter beans with the dressing and add this on top. Then finely chop the tomato, red onion, red chili and coriander leaves and sprinkle these on top.
Finally, drizzle with the physalis coulis and serve.
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