About Cooking Quinoa
Quinoa (pronounced like “kinwa”) is a small seed that is a chenopod rather than the grain most assume it is. A chenopod is closely related to Swiss chard, spinach, or beets. Quinoa is native to South America. Quinoa is high in “complete protein.” A complete protein is a protein that has all nine essential amino acids.
In terms of taste and consistency, quinoa has a mildly nutty flavor and is fluffy in texture. Think rice or couscous for a comparison.
Many people ask me, “Why does quinoa have to be soaked prior to cooking?” The answer is Saponins. Saponins are glycosides which are found on various plant species. Unprocessed quinoa has a coating of Saponins, which makes it naturally bitter-tasting and soapy. In addition, the Saponin can act as a natural laxative, so it’s best to remove it (I feel like Alton Brown from “Good Eats” with this response)! In general, the quinoa we find in the grocery store has already been processed to remove the majority of the Saponin-coating. Most boxed quinoa comes pre-rinsed and requires minimal soaking. However, to be on the safe side, I recommend a full soak before cooking.
Start off by putting the quinoa into a container and filling the container with water. In my experience, the quinoa can be tricky and likes to float, so I put as much water in as I can, then stir the quinoa to get the water to the bottom of the bowl and break up the floaters, then fill with water again. Make sure the water is all the way through the quinoa and comes up over the top of it. Soak the quinoa for 15 minutes to several hours (it won’t hurt it). Then change the water and resoak for another 15 minutes. After soaking the second time, rinse the quinoa for about 3 minutes in a very fine colander (or regular colander with a cheesecloth).
When cooking, you will want to use the 1:2 ratio between quinoa and liquid. Some people use just slightly less liquid, but that’s a personal preference. Start off with the 1:2, see how you like it and go from there. Once you have your washed quinoa and liquid in the pot, you can cook it one of three ways. The first is to bring the quinoa to a boil, reduce the heat, cover the pot and simmer for about 15 minutes. The second way is to bring the quinoa to a simmer, reduce the heat, cover the pot and cook on low for about 30 minutes. Remove the pot from the stove and let it sit covered for another 5 minutes. Finally, the third way is to use a rice cooker! Just add the pre-washed quinoa and liquid to the rice cooker and cook according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Enjoy!
