If you love Quinoa, here is how to easily cook quinoa in 15 minutes without prior soaking. Once cooked, it turns light, fluffy and slightly chewy with a mild nutty flavour that pairs beautifully with any curries. In this blog post, I've shown how to cook quinoa perfectly at home.
How to Cook Quinoa
I have started including quinoa on my diet often now. To my surprise it turned out to be delicious, I love it. To my tastebuds it almost tasted like wheat rava. I use cooked quinoa to make fried rice and upma.
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What is Quinoa?
Quinoa is a tiny edible seed that has been popular in South America for many years and is now loved all over the world. It may look like a grain, but it's actually a seed that is naturally gluten free and packed with nutrition.
It is high in protein, fiber, vitamins and antioxidants. Compared to rice, it is low in calories and has a low glycemic index which makes it best for people watching their sugar levels and weight.
About Cooking Quinoa
Quinoa is a versatile grain that can be used in your everyday cooking recipes like biryani, upma, curd rice, sambar rice, fried rice or it can also be added to idli and dosai batter to give a healthy twist. It can even be used to make sweet dishes like kheer, sakkarai pongal and kesari.
You can cook quinoa in a sauce pan, pressure cooker or instant pot. For cooking in a Pressure cooker, Rinse the quinoa well and add 1 : 2 ratio of water. Close the lid and pressure cook on high for 1 whistle. And let the pressure release naturally, fluff it with a fork.
To cook in an Instant pot the ratio of quinoa to water is 1 : 1 ¾ or 2. Close the lid and set to manual high pressure for a minute. Let it rest for 10 minutes and fluff with a fork.
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Varieties of Quinoa
There are different varieties of quinoa available in the market like white quinoa, red quinoa, black quinoa and rainbow quinoa. The good thing is that they all cook the same way without following any specific method.
White quinoa is one of the most common varieties and it has a mild taste, turning soft, fluffy when cooked.
Red and black quinoa have a slightly stronger nutty flavour and are more chewy in texture.
Rainbow quinoa is a mix of all three types, when cooked and added to the dish it makes it more colorful. Whichever variety you pick, it can be cooked just like the same way and can be used in your favorite recipes.
Ingredients
- Quinoa : Quinoa When cooked right, it turns fluffy and slightly chewy in texture. It is a healthier substitute for rice.
- Water : Water used to cook the quinoa and turn them soft and fluffy. Always measure the water to get it done perfectly.
- Salt : Salt enhances the taste and brings out the natural flavour of quinoa.
- Oil : A spoon of oil is added to toast the quinoa before cooking. It helps them to cook non sticky and fluffy.
Step by Step Pictures
Wash Quinoa
1)Measure quinoa. Take them in a fine mesh strainer.
2)Rinse them really well in water and set aside so the excess water can drain off.
Toasting Quinoa
3)I like to toast the quinoa slightly in oil to make it more nutty and aromatic. Heat little oil in a sauce pan.
4)Add in the strained quinoa to the oil and toast them on low heat for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
5)This makes the quinoa nutty and once the quinoa cooks, it gets fluffy.
Cooking Quinoa
6)Pour water and salt to the sauce pan.
7)Bring it to a full boil.
8)Once it starts boiling, reduce the flame to the lowest possible. Cover with a lid and cook on low heat for 12 to 15 minutes until the quinoa has absorbed all the water.
9)As you can see the quinoa has absorbed all the water and cooked. Taste to check whether the quinoa is cooked.
10)gently fluff up the quinoa without breaking it apart.
11)Once the quinoa has fluffed, cover with lid again and let it rest for 5 minutes. This step allows the quinoa to absorb any excess moisture and gets even more fluffy.
12)Serve quinoa with your favorite side dishes.
Expert Tips
- Quinoa naturally has a bitter coating called saponin, so it should be completely rinsed under water to remove the taste and make it more flavourful.
- You can also cook the quinoa using broth for extra flavour.
- If you're planning to make sweet dishes, then cook them using milk to make it rich and flavourful.
- Once the water is absorbed, let it rest covered for a few minutes. When done, fluff it with a fork to separate the grains.
Storage & Serving
Store the cooked quinoa once it is completely cooled. Transfer them to an airtight container and it stays good in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days.
You can use it in recipes like biryani, pongal, upma, curd rice or sambar rice. It also serves great as a base for salads and wrap.
FAQ
Yes, rinsing the quinoa is mandatory. Because quinoa has a natural bitter coating, washing helps to remove the bitter taste. So rinse it under water before you cook.
Well, for everyone one cup of quinoa uses 1 ¾ cup to 2 cups of water to get it perfectly fluffy.
Cooked quinoa can be refrigerated for about a week and it stays good in the freezer for 1 to 3 months.
yes, a cup of quinoa also contains twice as much protein and 5 gram more fibre than the same amount of white rice.
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How to Cook Quinoa in a Sauce Pan (Easy Method)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup Quinoa
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 2 cups Water
- ½ teaspoon Oil
Instructions
- Take quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and wash really well. Set aside so the excess water can drain off from quinoa.
- Heat just ½ teaspoon of oil in a sauce pan, add the quinoa and toast for 30 seconds on very low heat.. This step helps makes the quinoa slightly nutty and the quinoa turns fluffy when cooked.
- Now pour in water and salt. Mix well. Bring it to a boil. Once it starts to boil, reduce the flame to the lowest possible, cover with a tight fitting lid and cook for 12 to 15 mins till quinoa has absorbed all the water.
- Open the lid, fluffy the quinoa gently with a fork. Now cover with lid again and let it rest for 5 minutes. Once 5 minutes is up, you can serve it.
Nutrition
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Mention @yummytummyaarthi or tag #yummytummyaarthi!Delicious recipes that you can make with cooked quinoa
Quinoa curd rice : This is a healthy and delicious variation of classic South Indian curd rice recipe. Instead of rice, it is made with cooked quinoa and mixed with curd, milk and tempered with mustard seeds, curry leaves, ginger and green chilli. Serve it with potato fry, pickle for a comforting meal.
Quinoa sweet pongal : This is a guilt free version of traditional sweet pongal made by cooking quinoa with jaggery syrup and tempered with ghee, nuts and cardamom. It is perfect to make for festivals and special occasions.
Quinoa fried rice : This is a healthy and quick stir fry recipe made with quinoa and a mix of colorful vegetables. Quinoa fried rice is a great alternative to regular fried rice. It is simple to make, tastes light and makes a wholesome meal.
Anonymous
Share more recipes, where do we get
Robart Lnee
Really nice post
Rajan
Good one...what's the Tamil name for this quinao?
Vishaa
Does it helps in weight losss??