How to Cook Quinoa

Quinoa is versatile and can be served alongside anything, including stews and curries, and can be combined into salads and roasted vegetables. Cook it for lunch or dinner or simply make a big batch as part of your meal prep.

What is Quinoa

Pronounced "keen-wah", Quinoa is a nutritious seed (not a grain) with a light nutty flavour that comes in a variety of colours and types. It is very nutritious and high in protein and as it is naturally gluten-free, it is often used in gluten-free dishes. Quinoa is also made into Quinoa Flour and Quinoa Flakes.

Below shows white quinoa and tri-coloured quinoa, however, it also comes in red and black.

Preparing Quinoa

It is best to prepare quinoa before cooking by first rinsing or placing it into a bowl of water, stirring it a few times and then draining it. Rinsing well reduces the saponin and gives it a loevly nutty flavour.

Perfectly Cooked Quinoa

Firstly, rinse the quinoa well.
Secondly, use exactly twice as much water as quinoa. So, 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups water OR 2 cups quinoa to 4 cups water and so on. The cooking time will vary depending on the quantity.
Thirdly, it is important not to add any oil as this will make the quinoa gluggy.
Fourthly, turn off the heat, cover and allow the quinoa to steam. This allows the quinoa seeds to pop open and become fluffy.