Mango Quinoa Smoothie
Smoothies are a great way to start any busy day! Minimal effort, a filling and nutritious breakfast option. With the exotic taste of mango and the goodness of quinoa, milk and chia seeds, this recipe has all you can ask for on the breakfast table. I’ve shared the recipe for a Mango Quinoa Smoothie here, but the same can be done with any choice of pulpy sweet fruit, like bananas, strawberry, blueberry, avocado etc.
Ingredients
Full cream milk – 750 ml + 100 ml (to cook the quinoa) (see note 2 for alternative)
Ripe mango – 1
Quinoa – 2 tablespoons
Honey – 2 tablespoons
Chia seeds – 2 tablespoons
Slivered pistachios – 1 tablespoon (optional)
Saffron – a few strands (optional)
Water – 100 ml
Yield
1.2 liters
Serving size – 300 ml
Prep time
20 minutes
Cook time
10 minutes
Method
1) Soak the chia seeds in 100 ml water for at least 4 to 6 hours or overnight.
2) Peel the skin of the mango and cut it into pieces.
3) Wash the quinoa once and cook until mashable in an open pan. Use the 100 ml water and 100 ml milk to cook this, so that the cooked quinoa is soft and creamy. Let it cool completely.
4) In a blender, take the mango pieces (reserve a few pieces for garnish), honey, cooked quinoa and milk. Blend until smooth and creamy.
5) Add the soaked chia seeds and mix well. Chill in refrigerator for an hour at least.
6) Pour your cold mango quinoa smoothie into glasses, add a few strands of saffron, mango pieces and slivered pistachios. Serve immediately.
Notes
- The mango should be perfectly ripe (slightly overripe one is also fine!). Semi ripe or sour mango does not suit this recipe at all. In case fresh mango is not available, then tinned mango pulp is also ok. In that case, around 200 to 250 ml of mango pulp should be enough for this.
- I’ve used fresh full cream cow’s milk. I usually use full cream milk for smoothies, instead of low fat or skimmed milk, for a creamier texture. But feel free to use almond milk, coconut milk or soy milk as alternatives if you want a vegan friendly version!
- Quinoa generally takes 10 to 12 minutes to cook perfectly on an open pan with medium heat. Using a mix of water and milk is totally optional. If you want to avoid milk, then quinoa can be cooked in water alone also. But adding some milk while cooking gives a creamy texture and fragrance to the cooked quinoa, which ideally suits this recipe.
- Adding a dash of honey is totally optional. If the mango is sweet enough, you don’t need honey.
- While blending everything, a handful of almonds can be added to make it richer.
- You can adjust the proportion of milk to mango pulp according to your taste. Here I’ve just given an indicative proportion.
One Comment
MotherOfNOMS
Thanks Pushkala! More summer recipes are on the way.