If you are like me, food being good just isn’t enough. I put a lot of effort into cooking and I want everything to be perfect! Because cooking quinoa is something I do all the time, I set out to learn how to cook quinoa perfectly.
Most methods of cooking quinoa call for a 1:2 ratio between quinoa and liquid and for a long time, I thought this was the best method to cook quinoa perfectly. What I found is that I like quinoa a lot more when I used less liquid, lower heat and cooked my quinoa for longer. Unlike some methods which yield a softer (and sometimes soggy!) quinoa, this method yields a fluffy quinoa. When I am short on time I will still use the old method, but as long as I have the time I find that the results are well worth the effort.
This method is a bit different than most quinoa recipes that you will come across, so you will have to make adjustments when necessary. The good news is that quinoa is very forgiving, so quinoa cooking experiments are pretty hard to mess up!
How to Cook Quinoa Perfectly
Step One:
If you are working with unrinsed quinoa, you want to start off by soaking your quinoa. You can soak for an hour or more without a negative impact but 15 minutes will do the trick. After soaking, rinse for two or three minutes in a fine mesh colander. If you do not have a colander that is fine enough, you can line your regular colander with cheesecloth to get the job done. If you are using pre-rinsed quinoa you can skip this step.
Step Two:
Add one part quinoa to one and a quarter parts liquid. As always, choose the liquid that best suits the dish you are making. Depending on the ad ins you are using, you may or may not use a bit more liquid. Bring to a simmer and then reduce to low. Cover and cook for between 30 and 35 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit covered for an additional five minutes. Fluff and serve.
Do you have suggestions on how to cook quinoa perfectly? I would love to hear from you!
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I just made some in my rice cooker and it’s wonderfully fluffy, only thing I didn’t know was the soaking.
I knew to rinse it, but it’s still a little bitter.
I’ll try soaking next time.
How do I know if it is pre-rinsed or not? I bought it in bulk from I don’t recall!?!
When in doubt, I would always rinse your quinoa. It is not going to hurt anything if it has been pre-rinsed and you can save yourself from having a bitter tasting dish and possibility making yourself sick. Unless you are cooking quinoa from a package that specifically says that it has been pre-rinsed, I would always rinse it first.