Quinoa is not hard to cook as long as you know what it needs to be fluffy, not soggy. There are two ways to cook perfect quinoa. The packet will almost always say one cup of quinoa to two cups of water, which is the usual ratio for grains. Except, quinoa isn’t a grain; it’s a seed. It seems mostly the same, but it’s not.
Method 1 – the usual recipe.
- 1 cup of quinoa
- 2 cups of water
- Rinse the quinoa in water until the water runs clear – this avoids the bitter taste the outside dust contains.
- Put the quinoa and water into a pot that has a lid.
- Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes, when all or most of the water has gone. You will know when the quinoa is cooked, because the little kernels pop open.
- Put the quinoa in a sieve to drain off excess water, allowing the quinoa to steam. Fluff with a fork.
Method 2 – less water and no draining.
- Rinse the quinoa in water until the water runs clear – this avoids the bitter taste the outside dust contains.
- 1 cup of quinoa
- 1.25 cups of water
- Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes when the water has absorbed completely.
- Fluff the quinoa with a fork and leave to steam.
