This Kashmiri Quinoa Pilaf with fruits and nuts is a perfect main that goes great with the spicy jackfruit tandoori skewers. A chill garlic-herb yogurt sauce ties it all together. As bold in flavor as it is rich with nutrients, this is a fantastic meal for taking a culinary adventure while staying healthy.

Prep Time: 1 hour | Makes 3 to 4 Servings

Kashmiri Quinoa Pilaf Ingredients

  • 2 cup quinoa (cooked)
  • ½ cup paneer (cut to small cubes)
  • 3 Tbsp ghee
  • 10 cashews
  • 10 walnuts
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 cardamom pod
  • 1 inch piece cinnamon stick
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 red onion sliced thinly (I put them in the air fryer with a dash of oil until golden brown)
  • ½ tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 Tbsp mint leaves (chopped finely)
  • 1 Tbsp cilantro (chopped finely)
  • ¾ tsp sea salt
  • 1/8 cup apple (chopped finely)
  • 1/8 cup pineapple (chopped finely)
  • 1/8 pomegranate

Tandoori Jackfruit Ingredients

  • 20 oz raw jackfruit (tinned)
  • ¼ cup plain unsweetened yogurt
  • 1 tsp g inger (paste/minced)
  • 1 tsp garlic (paste/minced)
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • ½ tsp cumin powder
  • 2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder (or use 1 tsp smoked Paprika + 1 tsp Cayenne)
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp lime juice
  • 2 Tbsp oil (any plain flavorless oil)
  • 1 bell pepper (any color or mixed colors chopped to big chunks)
  • 1 red onion (chopped to big chunks)
  • Oil or melted butter for brushing

Garlic Herb Yogurt Ingredients

  • ½ cup plain unsweetened yogurt
  • ¼ tsp minced garlic
  • ½ tsp lemon juice
  • 1 Tbsp mint (chopped)
  • 1 Tbsp cilantro (chopped)
  • Salt as needed

Kashmiri Quinoa Pilaf method

Heat ghee in a pan, add the whole spices followed by nuts. Let it turn to light golden brown. Add paneer, sauté for a couple of minutes. Now add cooked quinoa, the spice powders, salt, herbs. Give it a liberal toss for couple of minutes. Add lemon juice. Taste it and switch off the heat. Transfer to the serving platter, garnish with caramelized onion and chopped fruits.

Tandoori Jackfruit method

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Drain the raw jackfruit from the tin, roughly wash and squeeze slightly to remove extra moisture.

In a bowl, take ginger, garlic, all the spice powders, and 2 Tbsp of warm oil to the bowl and mix. Add yogurt, salt, and lime juice. Whisk and taste for seasoning. Now add the raw jackfruit, bell peppers, onion. Mix well in the marinade. Keep it covered and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Skewer the jackfruit followed by bell pepper and onion alternatively. Roast the skewered veggies for 15–20 minutes while periodically brushing with oil or melted butter, and rotate the skewers for even cooking.

Finally, switch the oven to broil mode for last couple of minutes. This will ensure a smoky charr on all sides. Serve hot with fruity quinoa pilaf and garlic herb yogurt on the side.

Garlic Herb Yogurt method

Whisk the ingredients together and keep it refrigerated until you serve.

Pavithra Elangovan is a recipe developer, food stylist/photographer, and the creator behind the popular Instagram page, @dishesfrommykitchen. With an emphasis on health and wellness, she creates recipes that are flavorful while preserving the natural nutrition of ingredients. She also is the creator/owner of her blog Dishesfrommykitchen.com, a food blog with an immense repository of tried and tested recipes, featuring many cuisines.