How do you cook the perfect quinoa?

Do you want to cook the perfect quinoa? It is not rocket science. "Frequently asked questions:" in how much water do I have to cook the quinoa? "And" how long does it have to cook? " Time for a comprehensive manual. Continue reading how to cook the perfect quinoa.
And do you want to know how to make the quinoa even better for cooking (without additives)?

 Be the first to choose the amount of quinoa that you want to use for your dish. Keep in mind that when you cook quinoa it increases about 3x in size. So if you want 1.5 cup of cooked quinoa as the end result, measure half a cup of dry quinoa.

Regarding the ratio for cooking; use 1 part quinoa to 2 parts water (ratio 1: 2). So you cook 1 cup of dry quinoa with 2 cups of water.

Rinse quinoa

Most types of quinoa have already been thoroughly cleaned by the manufacturer. If the package does not explicitly state that you should rinse it, you can skip the step below.

Rinse the quinoa under the tap before you start cooking. Quinoa is naturally covered with a natural protective layer (saponin). This substance has a bitter taste. Put the portion of quinoa you want to cook in a colander and rinse well under the cold tap.

 With this simple trick your quinoa gets even more that nutty taste: roasting for cooking! It is very simple. Add a dash of extra virgin olive oil * or coconut oil - depending on the flavors of your dish - in a pan (can be in the same pan in which you cook the quinoa) and stir in the quinoa well.

Then roast the quinoa for 2 to 4 minutes over a medium heat until golden brown. It is important that you continue to stir while roasting. This prevents the quinoa from burning. If you listen carefully, you will hear the quinoa 'dolls'.

* A number of substances in extra virgin olive oil have a health-promoting effect. However, these substances are heat sensitive and their effects are lost on heating. You can heat the oil briefly on a medium heat without any loss of quality. But this oil is therefore not suitable for (long) heating at high temperatures. The use of extra virgin olive oil for frying and roasting is therefore not recommended.

Cooking Quinoa
Put the quinoa and the water in a saucepan. Make sure the pan is large enough for the cooked volume. Put the saucepan over a high heat and stand by it until the water boils. Once the water boils, put the lid on the pan and lower the heat. The water just has to keep boiling. Boil the quinoa for 15 minutes (kitchen timer) or until the quinoa has absorbed all the water. Turn off the heat and let the quinoa stand for another 5 minutes. Ready!



Variation tip: also cook a vegetable or chicken broth cube with the quinoa for a nice spicy taste.
Cooking Quinoa in rice cooker
There is also a lazy way of cooking quinoa; in the rice cooker! This works super easy. Use the same ratio of quinoa and water for this as when you are cooking quinoa in a pan. So 1 part quinoa to 2 parts water (or broth). Put both parts in the kettle. Cover on it, rice cooker on, wait a moment and Kees is ready. Cooked quinoa!

Steaming Quinoa
Do you never get quinoa exactly right with the cooking method? Is it not cooked and does it stay too wet? Or does it burn? Then you can also steam the quinoa. Put the quinoa in a sieve and steam it for 20 minutes over a pan of boiling water with the lid on it and you have just the right quinoa.