How do you cook quinoa?
How do you cook quinoa? I mean what equipment do you use (electric cooker, pressure cooker, stove top)? Do you add spices or vegetables to it while cooking it?
Best Answer
Quinoa naturally contains a bitter compound on the outside of the seed. Usually you have to rinse the quinoa to remove the bitterness but most commercial quinoa seems to have already been rinsed. So, I no longer rinse my quinoa. If you have time, it's nice to heat a pan and add the quinoa and toast it a little (for a nutty flavor and fluffier texture), then add water and salt. I typically bring the water to a boil (2 cups water to 1 cup quinoa plus 1/4 tsp salt), cover and reduce the heat to a simmer for 10-20 minutes (or until the little tails release). Lately I've found that using a rice cooker is a no-fuss way to prepare quinoa. I usually just do quinoa, water and sea salt but you can add spices while cooking it if you want to enhance the flavor. I would add vegetables afterwards. Quinoa is so quick-cooking I wouldn't see the need for a pressure cooker.
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What is the trick to cooking quinoa?
Bingo! Here's the trick for perfectly fluffy quinoa: Use twice as much water as quinoa, as usual, then cook uncovered until the quinoa has absorbed all the water. The cooking time will vary based on quantity. Once the water is all absorbed, remove the pot from heat, cover it and let the quinoa steam for 5 minutes.What is the ratio of water to quinoa?
Some recipes call for as high as a 2:1 water to grain ratio, while others go as low as 1 1/2:1. In my experience, the sweet spot for light, fluffy quinoa is right in the middle. I use 1 3/4 cups water for every cup of quinoa. Any more water, and the quinoa gets mushy.Do you need to soak quinoa before cooking?
Soaking the quinoa is unnecessary and can 'sog down' your end product. Rinsing quinoa before cooking removes the bitterness but does not affect the quinoa's consistency and ability to hold its fluffy texture."How long should you boil quinoa for?
Transfer quinoa to a medium pot with water (or broth) and salt. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer, uncovered, until quinoa is tender and a white "tail" appears around each grain, about 15 minutes. Cover and set aside off the heat for 5 minutes; uncover and fluff with a fork.More answers regarding how do you cook quinoa?
Answer 2
I use it in 3 different ways:
- "Raw": I put it as a crust for many of my breads, or deep fry coatings.
- Boiled: I boil it like couscous and enjoy it that way as a rice substitute.
- Flour substitute: I usually substitute it for flour (max of a 1/2 cup).
Answer 3
I generally
- cover it with water in a saucepan,
- boil it for around 10 minutes,
- drain it
and then use it in the same way I'd serve rice. I find it tastier than rice and like the texture. I don't usually add anything, but I'm sure you could.
Answer 4
Good question, Surya. It's interesting to know what kinds of questions others have about quinoa.
Our family cooks quinoa in a plain stainless steel pot. No fancy equipment needed.
We usually throw in some spices while it's cooking. The best for us are garlic, onion, basil, and oregano.
Then when it's done cooking we'll usually sprinkle some olive oil (extra-virgin, cold-pressed) and salt on it.
Finally we serve it with broccoli and peas and sometimes lentil beans.
We give some more details about cooking quinoa on our page if you're interested -- How to Cook Quinoa.
Hope this helps.
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