Quinoa is a beautiful food because it contains all nine essential amino acids, making it a complete protein. It has a light and fluffy texture but also fills like a whole grain. Plus, this recipe can easily be doubled if you need to serve more people or want leftovers. Enjoy!
I consider myself a quinoa expert from all my cooking for my cookbook. I’ve experimented with small and large amounts, with and without spices and greens. However, the standard quinoa cooking method kept failing me. My quinoa was always mushy and overdone, which drove me crazy. I tried the recommended way of using less water, but it only sometimes worked. Adding more water made the quinoa too wet and soaked up too much dressing. I wondered why all the recipes suggest covering the quinoa while cooking since it always turned out mushy.
Want to make perfectly fluffy quinoa?
Use twice as much water as quinoa, cook uncovered until the water is absorbed, then let it steam for 5 minutes. This will give you fluffy quinoa perfection.
If you’ve struggled with mushy quinoa, don’t worry. I’ve got you covered. Check out my recipe and instructions below.
I used to try using less water, but it didn’t always work. Sometimes, I had to keep adding water while the quinoa was cooking, and it would soak up too much dressing later. I needed clarification on why all the recipes suggested covering the quinoa while cooking since it made mine mushy. But with my technique, you’ll have perfect quinoa every time.
For this recipe, you will need
uncooked quinoa. Any color quinoa, including black quinoa, will work, and you will end up with three times as much cooked quinoa
water, with a ratio of two parts water to one part quinoa
Don’t forget to add some kosher salt, around 1/2 teaspoon per cup of dry quinoa, to taste. Enjoy!
Instructions
To prepare quinoa, rinse it under running water for at least 30 seconds using a fine mesh colander. Drain it well. This will remove any bitterness caused by naturally occurring saponins on the outside of the quinoa.
Let’s start by combining the quinoa and water in a saucepan. We’ll bring it to a boil over medium-high heat and then lower the heat to keep a gentle simmer. It’ll take about 10 to 20 minutes for the quinoa to absorb all of the water. If you’re cooking a small amount, it’ll be ready closer to 10 minutes. For larger amounts, it may take between 15 to 20 minutes. Remember to reduce the heat as time goes on to maintain a gentle simmer.
To make fluffy quinoa, remove the pot from heat and cover it
Let the quinoa steam for five minutes, allowing it to open into little curlicues. After that, remove the lid and fluff the quinoa with a fork. Finally, season it with a bit of salt. Enjoy!
| Cooking Time: 15 Minutes | Preparation Time: 2 Minutes | Serves: 8 People | Calories: 222 Per Cup |
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