What is the best way to cook quinoa - some of my friends suggested pressure cooking it and some said boil it. Latter takes a lot of time and not sure if the former retains the nutritional value.
Like rice. 1 measure of quinoa to 2 of water, a bit of salt and let it boil. Close the pot after turning the heat off so the grains can open.
Add lemon juice, garlic, or any spices you like afterwards for a good taste :)
I use the Instant Pot to cook Quinoa. Rinse the Quinoa first to remove the saponin. 1 cup quinoa to 1.25 water. Let cook at high pressure for 2-3 minutes. Release the pressure and done. Cooking in a Instant Pot retains all the nutrients and it’s super easy. Quinoa is a seed and a complete protein. It’s one of the superfoods.
I usually boil quinoa - I just follow the instructions on the packaging, usually 2:1 ratio of water to quinoa, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the water is absorbed. Pretty fast!
I came across instructions, where you roast it first, until a nutty aroma arises, then add a drop of oil, mix and add boiling water, cook for 10 min or so. This method doesn’t really care about volume ratio of quinoa vs water. Just need enough water to cover.
Many people don’t know this, but you can cook quinoa with a bunch of extra water so it doesn’t undercook. Just add your rinsed quinoa to a pot, toast slightly (maybe a minute or two on medium heat) to give a great flavor, add an abundance of water, let boil, taste every so often to check for tenderness, and strain once done. I let mine sit for a bit to get rid of the excess water. I’ve also thrown in back into the warm pot after straining to help get rid of any extra water.
It works great and you don’t ever undercook the quinoa. This method works well for jasmine and basmati rice as well.
Use a little bit less water than package suggests. When done cooking, using fork pour it into a sheet pan to help it cool down, separate and let it dry a few minutes. Took some testing to get best result.
Quinoa to liquid ratio is 1:2
Combine 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups water in a medium pot. Bring to boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it sit for 10 more minutes covered. Fluff with a fork.
I have found the easiest way is to just boil it in a big pot of water and then drain the water once it has opened up. I stick the quinoa back in the pot, fluff it and let it cool for 5 minutes to get rid of the extra moisture.
Look up a recipe for potato-quinoa soup. We ate so much of this in South America, and it is such a comfort food.
Also, quinoa chaufa is a Peruvian-Chinese version of fried rice and it is really good.
I use a microwave rice cooker. I also combine my quinoa with white rice at a 1:1 ratio. 1 cup quinoa, 1 cup white rice, 4 cups of water, and then I add salt, some coconut oil, and cumin seeds and let it all sit over night. Then just microwave for 15 minutes the next day and I got enough quinoa and rice to last me 5 meals!
1 cup quinoa, 1.5 cups water. Bring to boil. Turn burner as low as it will go. Keep lid on, cook for 15 minutes. Turn off burner and let stand, covered for 10 minutes. Perfect every time.
Edit- this is on. Gas stove with a flame burner. Also, using chicken broth instead of water is very good too add spices as wanted.
Do you have a rice cooker? I do a 1:2 ratio of quinoa to water with the measuring cup that came with it, add some stock powder and press the button. Add a bit of butter (nuttilex) when I fluff it at the end. Yum
Curious how instructions vary. Most say 2:1 ratio of water to quinoa. My package of golden quinoa says 6:1 and then “reduce for 14 minutes”. Missing the nuance, I haven’t actually tried cooking with the lid off.
In practice, I’ve been hard-boiling with the lid on for about 15 minutes and then letting it sit for another five.
Cooking like rice would result in undercooked quinoa that looks OK but causes stomach upset.