One Part Quinoa to Two Parts Water It all comes down to texture. Add too little water and your grains may burn on the bottom of the pot before they cook through. Add too much water and you'll end up with soggy, overcooked, and mushy grains.
Add The Correct Amount of Water. Here's the trick to cooking your quinoa to turn out fluffy and not soggy: The water to quinoa ratio is 2:1, so you'll need 2 cups of liquid (water or stock) for 1 cup dried quinoa.
Once the water is all absorbed, remove the pot from heat, cover it and let the quinoa steam for 5 minutes. That's when the quinoa pops open into fluffy quinoa perfection, and that is how to cook quinoa properly.
Quinoa is easy to prepare and its fluffy texture and slightly nutty flavour make it an excellent alternative to white rice or couscous. When cooked, its grains quadruple in size and become almost translucent. Quinoa can be prepared much like rice.
I have cooked quinoa more frequently in the past year or so but often have been disappointed with the texture. I had been using almost a 2:1 ratio of water or broth to quinoa and the results were sometimes gummy. As I didn't really like gummy quinoa, I reduced the liquid to 1 1/4 cup broth per cup of quinoa. Voila.
Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes. Quinoa holds lots of water, so you have to make sure you drain it thoroughly after it's cooked. Otherwise, it will make your whole dish watery.
2) Drain: Quinoa holds lots of water so you must, must, must strain it (use a fine mesh strainer) after it's cooked. 3) Let it Stand: Once you strain it, return the quinoa to the pot you cooked it in and let it sit, off the heat, for 15 minutes before serving.
Cover the container with a tea towel and leave it out on the counter to soak for at least 8 hours or up to 2 days. Longer is better if your quinoa is very bitter. When you are ready to cook, pour the quinoa into a fine-mesh sieve. Pour away the soaking liquid and rinse the quinoa until the water runs clear.
Not only will you end up with an unpleasant texture, but when you overcook your food you are losing nutrients. Quinoa should be light and fluffy when you serve it. The easiest way to achieve this is by combining 1 cup of quinoa with 2 cups of water in a medium saucepan.
Quinoa is a great quick cooking side, but the tiny seeds can easily become waterlogged and mushy if it's left to simmer too long. The fix: Spread the soggy grains out in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake at 300°F for 10 minutes. This helps dry out excess moisture to ensure perfectly fluffy results.
Rinsing removes quinoa's natural coating, called saponin, which can make it taste bitter or soapy. Although boxed quinoa is often pre-rinsed, it doesn't hurt to give the seeds an additional rinse at home.
To soak: Rinse quinoa thoroughly then add to a large mixing bowl or pot and cover with twice the amount of lukewarm water (2 cups water, 1 cup quinoa). Soak uncovered at room temperature for at least 2 hours, or overnight. Then drain and rinse once more.
The basic ratio is 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups liquid. You can use water (season it with a bit of kosher salt), or you can use any kind of broth (we like to use low-sodium broths and add any extra salt to the finished dish as needed). You can also add a bit of dry white wine to the liquid for another layer of flavor.
(Avoid soaking quinoa, however, as saponins can leach into the seeds.) After rinsing, place quinoa and water in a covered pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the grains become translucent and the germ appears as a thin white ring around each grain. Fluff with a fork.
Some recipes call for as high as a 2:1 water to grain ratio, while others go as low as 1 1/2:1. In my experience, the sweet spot for light, fluffy quinoa is right in the middle. I use 1 3/4 cups water for every cup of quinoa. Any more water, and the quinoa gets mushy.
Soaking quinoa in water may help to lower its phytic acid content, and at the same time, it may also help to remove the saponin found in its natural coating. (This can give quinoa a bitter taste.) Quinoa can be soaked in fresh water for as little as 2 hours, or you can leave it soaking in water in the fridge overnight.
Some people are particularly sensitive to saponins, which is why unrinsed cooked quinoa has a reputation for tasting bitter. However, most quinoa that is sold in packages has been "pre-rinsed," which means the saponins have been removed and rinsing isn't necessary.
All you need is a few minutes (3-4) to saute the seeds in a pan over medium heat. Soaking The Seeds: Rinsing and pre-soaking the seeds overnight not only reduces the phytic acid content but also reduces the cooking time too. Sprouting The Seeds: Taking it one step further than soaking is to sprout the seeds.
This easy method recipe yields grains that are fully cooked yet retain a hint of firmness. See recipe notes for adjustments if you prefer a softer end result. Measure 1 cup of quinoa, and place it in a fine-mesh strainer. Rinse thoroughly with cold water.
Tip #1 Allow cooked quinoa to cool for 10-20 minutes before transferring leftovers to the fridge. Tip #2 Transfer to an airtight container to keep it from becoming contaminated. Tip #3 Do not leave cooked quinoa out for more than 2 hours! This can cause bacteria to form.
Mistake 3: You overcook it.
You want to remove the lid from your pan and let the quinoa continue to cook in the residual heat so that it can absorb the liquid, rather than overcooking and sacrificing the quinoa's texture, rendering it mushy and flavorless.
Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer, uncovered, until quinoa is tender and a white "tail" appears around each grain, about 15 minutes. Cover and set aside off the heat for 5 minutes; uncover and fluff with a fork.
Step 2: Soak: When possible soak quinoa overnight to improve digestion and increase the absorption of nutrients. For every 1 cup grain add 1 Tbsp. of apple cider vinegar (ACV) or lemon juice, cover and soak in filtered water overnight at room temperature.
Cook until the quinoa has absorbed all of the water
A sign that it's almost ready: The quinoa should get fluffy, and the little tail-like bits (they're endosperms, by the way) will start to pull away from the seed.