Recipes
The Secret Method to Cook the Perfect Nutty Quinoa in 7 Steps
My first time eating Quinoa was when I had bought a ready made quinoa salad for a quick lunch. To be frank, I absolutely hated it. Infact, I tried to digest it and like it but the more I ate, the more I felt put off by the bitterness of the quinoa. It felt like I was eating raw chickpeas! Since then, I had been put off for life.
However, Just recently I decided to give Quinoa a second chance and decided to cook it myself. I can reassure you that there was no bitter or chickpea after taste but rather a nutty flavour. This was due to the Secret method I used to prepare it before cooking which I will share with you in this article.
This recipe is super simple and really hands off. The instructions look long, but I swear it is super simple. Scroll down for the full recipe plus a short video showing my technique on how to cook perfect quinoa; every time. I’ve tried this a few times and this method works perfect in getting fluffy flavoursome quinoa every time.
Step 1
Rinse 1 cup and half of quinoa under running cold water for about 2 minutes rubbing the quinoa together. (This will stop it from sticking together). Drain well using a fine mesh colander. This step removes any bitterness on the outside of the quinoa (caused by naturally occurring saponins).
The secret
Step 2
Once rinsed and drained well, pour the quinoa in a large non-stick frying pan on medium high heat. Cook the quinoa until it has turned nutty brown and starts to ‘pop’ – this will take 10-15 mins. Stir every so often to avoid the quinoa from burning.
Step3
Meanwhile, bring a large pan on high heat and add 2 tbsp of oil. Add in the cooked and roasted Quinoa and Mix well with the oil.
Step 4
Add in 2 cups of boiling kettle water. The ratio for cooking Quinoa is similar to cooking rice:
1 cup quinoa = 2 cups water
To make your quinoa flavoursome why not try to add chicken/meat broth or vegetable stock to give a burst of flavour. I chose to not add stock, spices and salt as I am looking to use the leftover quinoa to make a fruity porridge.
Step 5
Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then decrease the heat to the lowest heat setting once the quinoa has absorbed most of the water. (about 10 miniutes in)
Step 6
Cover the pot and leave on the lowest heat to gently simmer for a further 10 minutes just as you would cook rice.
Step7
Remove the lid and fluff the quinoa with a fork. Season with salt or drizzle olive oil and a clove of garlic whilst the quinoa is still warm for extra flavour. You can add it into salads or make porridge’s as the list is endless.
The Result…
Why dont you give it a go and let me know in the comments below how you got on. I always love and welcome engaging with my followers. Also, if you dont already, follow me on Instragram and tag @hooyoshouse in your pics, or share using the hashtag #hooyos_house.