Cooking 101 Basics: How to cook Quinoa
Hello everyone! So yesterday I posted a written recipe for a quinoa taco like seasoned dish. It was very good and I suggest you all try it, check that out HERE. After I published it, I got some requests for a video on how to cook quinoa. So I decided to drag out the camera and cook some up. I honestly had no need to make quinoa, but since you asked I delivered! I hope this will be very helpful to you guys.
Materials required:
2 cups of uncooked quinoa (any color works)
3 cups of water
fine mesh strainer OR a large bowl
a large pot with a tight fitting lid, I suggest a dutch oven
a spatula or wooden spoon
patience
Directions:
So to start out with measure out your 2 cups of uncooked quinoa. If you’re new to quinoa or you’re serving it to someone who has maybe never had it. I suggest trying white quinoa (as shown in the video). It has a much milder flavor than the red or black varieties you find in the store. Pick out any discolored bits or pieces that don’t look right. Usually you won’t find any, but better safe than sorry. Transfer your quinoa into a strainer and run under warm water until the water runs clear OR as shown in the video, put the quinoa into a larger sized bowl and fill with warm water. Use your hands to massage the quinoa or rub between your hands slightly vigorously. This helps remove dust and dirt as well as the enzyme inhibitors that are in the quinoa. Repeat these steps until the water runs clear. You are now ready to cook.
Get a large sized pan, since 2 cups of dry quinoa turns into 8 cups of cooked quinoa, you want to make sure you use a large pan. Add 3 cups of water and bring to a rolling boil. When the water is fully boiling, add your quinoa. Use a spatula to scrap out the bowl, no need to waste any of the tiny grains! Stir well to coat every piece with water and remove clumps. Put a lid on and reduce the heat to a simmer. On most stoves this is between the number 2 and 3. If your stove runs hot make sure you use 2 and if your stove tends to run colder use 3. Set a timer for 5 minutes and do not open the lid until that timer goes off.
After 5 minutes, remove the lid (be careful of the steam) and stir well. At this point you shouldn’t have any bits sticking to the bottom, but make sure you scrap along the bottom to be on the safe side. Attempt to push as much of the quinoa back into the water as possible and recover. Set the timer for 10 minutes this time, again do not open the lid. I know its tempting, but I promise your patience is rewarded soon!
After your 10 minutes is up, carefully remove the lid and stir again. Make sure you scrap the bottom in-case there is any sticking. Now inspect your quinoa. Is it nice and fluffy? Is there water left on the bottom? If there is water left, put the lid back on and cook for an addition 5 minutes. (If after 5 minutes you still have water, you will need to strain the quinoa. Don’t worry it’s still edible just use less water next time, this can be a problem if you didn’t thoroughly drain the quinoa after rinsing.) If your pan doesn’t have any remaining standing water, I want you to turn the heat off. Stir well and recover it again. This step is important and give you the perfect texture for quinoa. You can skip this step, but I don’t suggest it. Set a timer for at-least 10 minutes, but 15 is better. Again do NOT open the lid.
After your timer goes off this last time, congratulations, your patience is well rewarded at this stage and your quinoa is completed! YAY! What you will now have is a perfectly fluffy, moist, and completely delicious side dish, main dish, starch, etc. What can you do with this you say? Well you can check out my recipe from yesterday: CLICK HERE. Or you can treat it like any other side dish. Serve it topped with stir-fried vegetables like you would rice. Add some ketchup so satisfy most children. You can add some salt free seasoning, I like Mrs. Dash personally. Really sky is the limit. If you want you can cook it with a pinch of salt or use vegetable broth or any kind of stock to cook it with for more flavor. If you have any additional questions or you have requests for future videos/tutorials. Leave me a comment here or on facebook. Thanks guys!
Here is the nutritional information for 1 cup of cooked quinoa:
