Flavorful and refreshing, this spicy Indian red quinoa salad is paired with crispy tofu and a delicious zesty curry dressing! Both instructions for cooking quinoa in Instant pot and on stovetop included. Ready in 30 minutes and only simple wholesome ingredients needed.
Unlike many other salads out there, this Indian red quinoa salad is actually super satisfying and will keep you full for quite a while! Featuring colorful veggies, fluffy quinoa and crispy tofu, this recipe makes a great healthy light lunch or side dish.
This is one of my favorite salad to make along with my brown rice salad and creamy protein pasta salad!
💚Why you will love this recipe
- Healthy and high protein - Both tofu and quinoa provides a substantial amount of protein. This salad is also packed full of colorful and nutritious veggies!
- Simple and easy to make - All you need is simple everyday ingredients and 30 minutes to make this spicy Indian quinoa salad.
- Great for meal prep - Can be store in the fridge for 3-4 days if dressing and salad are stored separately.
- Perfect for picnics or BBQ - This red quinoa salad makes a great healthy side dish to feed a crowd! Allergen friendly and is free from dairy, gluten, wheat and nut.
🥒What you will need
For salad
For tofu
For curry dressing
📓Notes / Substitutions
- Red quinoa - Feel free to use quinoa of any color in place, be it white, black or tri-colored.
- Tofu - For pan-frying, use extra firm tofu that have been pressed and drained prior.
- White wine vinegar - Can be substituted with lemon juice.
🍳Cooking quinoa
Instructions are provided for cooking quinoa in 2 ways - either in an Instant pot or on stove.
Regardless of which method you are choosing, first rinse your quinoa in a fine mesh colander for 30-60 seconds.
In Instant pot
If cooking in instant pot, place quinoa in along with 1 ¼ cups of water or broth. Lock the lid and seal the steam valve. Set mode to manual and cook on HIGH pressure for 1 minute.
Allow pressure to release naturally for around 10 minutes before manually releasing the remaining pressure. Fluff it up using a fork.
On stove
In a non-stick saucepan or pot, add in quinoa with 2 cups of water or broth. Bring mixture to a boil, then lower heat to a gentle simmer.
Place the lid on and let it cook for 10-15 minutes, or until most water has been absorbed by quinoa. Remove from heat and set aside for 5-10 minutes, before fluffing them up with a fork.
🔪How to make
Combine cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and mix well. Place tofu cubes into a zip-top bag, then add in cornstarch mixture. Give bag a shake until tofu are well coated.
Heat up a non-stick or cast-iron pan on medium high heat. Place tofu in a layer and cook for 3-4 minutes on each sides, or until almost all sides are nicely browned. Set aside.
Make dressing by combining everything needed into a blender and blend until smooth. Taste and add more seasonings, if need.
Gather all chopped vegetables, quinoa and tofu into a large salad bowl. Pour in dressing and toss until dressing is evenly incorporated.
Serve immediately, or let it chill in the fridge for a few hours if you like cold salads!
🥜Optional add-ins
- Chop up some roasted nuts like almonds, cashews or peanuts and add them in before serving.
- Top red quinoa salad with some crunchy roasted lentils to add more texture and flavors.
- To further bump up the protein content of this salad, add in some shelled edamame or sliced seitan chicken.
- If you love that sweet and savory combo, feel free to throw in some raisins, dried cranberries or other dried fruits of choice!
✨Variation
As this spicy Indian quinoa salad is extremely versatile, most components in this dish can be easily swapped or substituted.
- Dressing - Not a fan of curry? Simply swap it with other dressings like this creamy vegan Italian dressing.
- Quinoa - Can be substituted with other grain of choice, be it rice, buckwheat, farro or risotto. Cook it according to package instructions before adding into salad.
- Tofu - You can swap it with other plant based protein like tempeh, seitan or even chickpeas.
- Vegetables - Feel free to use whatever veggies you have on hand. Bell peppers of any color, tomatoes, cabbage, carrot, peas and corn kernels are some that works well in this recipe.
✔Helpful tips
- Rinse quinoa thoroughly. Please do not skip this step! Rinsing removes the bitter outer layer of quinoa, saponin.
- Do not uncover quinoa while cooking, especially if cooking on stove. The escape of steam will affect the cooking time and overall texture of quinoa. Use a transparent lid so you can check for doneness without removing the lid.
- For a more flavorful quinoa, do use vegetable broth instead of water to cook it. Or, you can add in a pinch of salt to slightly season it.
- Adjust seasonings of dressing according to your personal preference. You can even add in other spices like cumin, chili powder or ground turmeric.
- It is best to let red quinoa salad sit in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving. This allow time for it to chill and for ingredients to soak up the delicious marinade.
- This Indian quinoa salad can be eaten both warm or cold! You can heat it in the microwave at 30 seconds interval until it is warmed thoroughly.
❔Commonly asked questions
This red quinoa salad will last for 1-2 days in the fridge with the dressing mixed in, and up to 4 days when dressing and salad are kept separately.
This salad does not freeze well as it will turn soggy upon freezing. Hence, it is recommended to have them fresh.
Yes, you can definitely cook quinoa using the rice cooker! Start by rinsing your quinoa, before adding it to the inner pot along with 2 cups of water or broth. Cook it on the 'white rice' function if yours have one, otherwise just turn it on and press cook.
After cooking, fluff it up using a fork before using!
You will want to use extra firm tofu in this Indian quinoa salad. This is because it holds its shape really well, and will yield the crispiest tofu. Firm tofu is the second best if you can't find the extra firm ones.
But if you are making Japanese tofu salad or other salads that do not involve marinating or cooking tofu, you can slice up some silken or soft tofu instead. They have a mild flavor and are suitable eaten raw.
🍽More healthy vegan side dishes
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📖 Recipe
Spicy Indian Tofu Red Quinoa Salad (Instant pot and Stovetop)
Ingredients
For quinoa
- 1 ¼ cup water or vegetable broth
- 1 cup uncooked red quinoa (or other types of quinoa)
- ¼ teaspoon salt (add if using water)
For pan-fried tofu
- 1 block extra firm tofu pressed, drained and cubed (around 14 oz / 400g)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
For curry dressing
- ½ block silken tofu drained (about 7oz / 200g)
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar or lemon juice
- 1 ½ teaspoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup (or other sweetener of choice)
- ½ teaspoon chili powder (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste
For salad
- 1 medium yellow bell pepper diced
- ½ medium red onion diced
- 10-12 cherry or grape tomatoes quartered
- 2 cups shredded red cabbage
- 1 small cucumber diced
Instructions
- Regardless of cooking method, rinse quinoa in a fine mesh colander for 30-60 seconds under running water.
Cooking quinoa in Instant Pot
- If cooking in instant pot, place quinoa in along with 1 ¼ cups of water or broth. Lock the lid and seal the steam valve. Set mode to manual and cook on HIGH pressure for 1 minute.
- Allow pressure to release naturally for around 10 minutes before manually releasing the remaining pressure. Fluff it up using a fork.
Cooking quinoa on stove
- In a non-stick saucepan or pot, add in quinoa with 2 cups of water or broth. Bring mixture to a boil, then lower heat to a gentle simmer.
- Place the lid on and let it cook for 10-15 minutes, or until most water has been absorbed by quinoa. Remove from heat and set aside for 5-10 minutes, before fluffing them up with a fork.
Cooking tofu
- While quinoa is cooking, start cooking your tofu.
- Combine cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and mix well. Place tofu cubes into a zip-top bag, then add in cornstarch mixture. Give bag a shake until tofu are well coated.
- Heat up a non-stick or cast-iron pan on medium high heat. Place tofu in a layer and cook for 3-4 minutes on each sides, or until almost all sides are nicely browned. Set aside.
Assembling salad
- Make dressing by combining everything needed into a blender and blend until smooth. Taste and add more seasonings, if need.
- Gather all chopped vegetables, quinoa and tofu into a large salad bowl. Pour in dressing and toss until dressing is evenly incorporated.
- Serve immediately, or let it chill in the fridge for a few hours if you like cold salads!
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