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If you breakdown the procedure to the simple, the steps to cook quinoa are roasting, boiling, absorption, and steaming. They are anyways the most popular methods for cooking whole grains and quinoa is no different. Actually, many of the instances I find no difference in technique in cooking quinoa or brown rice. The distinction is in quinoa's nutrition which is much greater than any cereal. For a more in-depth look at quinoa, visit my site at MYQUINOANUTRITION.COM What you need 1 cup pre rinsed quinoa (Any variety white, red or black) Pre-rinsed quinoa is immediately you can buy. Most brands offer that. However, fret not in the event the quinoa inside your pantry is not pre-rinsed. Rinsing is quite easy. 2 cups water- I normally switch the water with chicken stock or vegetable stock dependent on what I am finally gonna do with the quinoa. The stock imparts its own flavour to the quinoa. 1/2 teaspoon salt (more to taste). This is just what I put in when I use plain water. The quantity can make a bit when you switch the water with stock. Medium sized heavy bottomed saucepan Spatula Soaking Some grains benefit from soaking before they are cooked. Often soaking for half an hour reduces the actual cooking time for grains not to mention improves their taste and texture. However, in my experience, Quinoa does not benefit much from soaking. I still do it though it's more of a habit than requirement. Feel free to skip this step whenever you feel lazy or are running late. Roasting I have now actually started replacing the Soaking with Roasting. Take the medium-sized heavy bottomed pan along with in the quinoa. No grease is needed. Just toss the grains around and lightly toast the over low to medium heat. This provides quinoa a nutty and deeper flavour. Be careful while toasting - a high heat or longer timeframe can burn the grain and spoil the flavour. Boiling After the grains are already toasted, I add some water (or stock) to the saucepan. Now the heat can be moderately increased. Bring the thing to a boil. Stir occasionally so the fact that the grains don't stick to the hot bottom of the pan. Simmering Once the mixture has boiled once, reduce the heat to low. Cover the pan with a plate and let it simmer for about 15 minutes. Check a couple of times to see if the entire liquid has been reduced. Variations in the quantity of water and the intensity of heat may alter the time required to do so but 15 minutes is a good estimate. Once the entire liquid has been reduced or absorbed by the quinoa, the grain would now be tender and translucent. Steaming Even though quinoa is now technically cooked, it still is not sufficiently good for our requirement. At this stage, I cover the pan with a clean dish towel and replace the lid. Now we allow the quinoa to sit undisturbed for ten minutes. Once the steaming is done, you can fluff the quinoa with a fork. If your quinoa has been correctly cooked, it then needs to be dry and fluffy with the grains now mostly starting to separate from one another. Excess water (stock) may cause the grains to keep together while less water could potentially cause a few of the grains to burn. Storing I normally do the basic quinoa cooking twice a week and store the grain in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The exact same can be removed, warmed in a microwave and served with your range of dish or toss up a fresh salad. One really likeable information regarding Quinoa is its high protein content and delicate texture. It is this texture that makes it a well-known alternative to pasta and rice. I typically store a big pot of quinoa on the weekends and eat it during the entire week with curry, grilled vegetables, or braised meat. It's one of the very healthy, fast-cooking staples we know of.
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