Has anyone cooked with quinoa?

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JSings1
JSings1 Posts: 6 Member
in Recipes
I made some quinoa for dinner tonight and it ended up being kind of crunchy even though I followed the recipe.. is this normal? Or are my *stellar* cooking skills to blame?

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  • catwrangler
    catwrangler Posts: 918 Member
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    I haven't had it in awhile but I think it was kind of crunchy, like bird seed. Did you cook it long enough for it to pop open and the sprout to come out?
  • heathergettingfit
    heathergettingfit Posts: 56
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    Hmmm....mine has never been crunchy. It has a chewy texture because it is actually a seed. Did you make a large or small quantity.

    I usually make a moderate size batch and then use it in different things (salad, breakfast casserole, stuffed peppers). I reheats fairly well. I use the black (reddish) quinoa.
  • jeepgirl001
    jeepgirl001 Posts: 54
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    I usually soak the quinoa in water for about 10 minutes and then I cook it on medium until the quinoa soaks up all the water. It is a little like cooking rice. I like it cold with chickpeas, beans, mandarine oranges, nuts, cheese and a raspberry vinegarette dressing. I haven't had it for awhile and now I have a craving for it....lol. I think I will have it for lunch tomorrow. Hope this helps.
  • originalchickenchicken
    originalchickenchicken Posts: 2 Member
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    You definitely need to rinse off the quinoa first. Then cook it just like white rice. It does great in a rice cooker. Look online for for recipes on how to spice it up.
  • JSings1
    JSings1 Posts: 6 Member
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    I cooked it for longer than the box said, but nothing like that happened. It did have a kind of bird seed-esque texture though.
  • sabrinafaith
    sabrinafaith Posts: 607 Member
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    you might've needed to rinse it first. did it say pre-washed? Also, did you saute it before boiling it?
  • Channing
    Channing Posts: 617 Member
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    If you boil it with 2 parts water one part quinoa and let all the water boil out just like rice it should be nice and chewy!
  • skywalker
    skywalker Posts: 1,533
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    I cook it like rice as well and it has never been crunchy. I do a 1 to 2 ratio. For example 1/2 cup quinoa to 1 cup water (I rinse the quinoa first in a fine strainer). I bring it to a boil, then as soon as it boils, turn down to simmer and cover for about 15 minutes, or longer if you make more. Basically, once the water is soaked up it's ready. I like to put in a little peanut butter, Thai peanut sauce, and some ground ginger. YUM. There are all kind of ways to flavor it. Experiment and have fun! :happy:
  • jaidynsmama
    jaidynsmama Posts: 1
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    Soak for 5 min. before cooking! 1 cup quineo 1 cup water 1 cup no salt chicken stock bring to a boil, put a lid on and let simmer till liquid is gone, then fluff it dont stir:) should work well
  • aqua_zumba_fan
    aqua_zumba_fan Posts: 418
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    I just cooked quinoa for the second time (first time was years ago!) and the water was going so the quinoa was sticking to the saucepan. I added more water to stop it but of course it ended up all mushy. What do you do if it starts sticking to the pan? (I did 200g quinoa, 400ml water)
  • angiolm
    angiolm Posts: 52
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    I just cooked quinoa for the second time (first time was years ago!) and the water was going so the quinoa was sticking to the saucepan. I added more water to stop it but of course it ended up all mushy. What do you do if it starts sticking to the pan? (I did 200g quinoa, 400ml water)

    1. Lower your cooking temperature. The water is evaporating before it gets sponged into the grain leaving you with uncooked and burnt grain.
    2. If you do need to add more water - make it hot boiling water and add a tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached.

    Best investment ever: Rice Cooker - this will steam cook rice and grains to perfection with no burning or water monitoring required.

    Hope this helps.
  • Racerdan77
    Racerdan77 Posts: 6
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    Watch for the germ to come out of the seed. Looks like a little white worm. I've never had it crunchy. We like it in place of steamed rice. Touch of soy sauce and yummy
  • sneezles
    sneezles Posts: 165 Member
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    The brand I use doesn't require rinsing and that is a taste issue not cooking. You cook it the same as rice though I toast mine first to bring out the nutty taste. Great stuff!
  • 8rules
    8rules Posts: 169
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    I add one heaping spoonful of nice indian madras paste to my qinoa cooking water.

    MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

    And yes, use more water, cook it slower, you almost cannot over cook these things.
  • rrrbecca11
    rrrbecca11 Posts: 477
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    I always soak it first then cook it like rice. Delicious!

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