Quinoa-Toasted

"This is a must do in order to use this unique grain."
 
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photo by Boomette photo by Boomette
photo by Boomette
photo by Chicagoland Chef du Jour photo by Chicagoland Chef du Jour
photo by gailanng photo by gailanng
photo by gailanng photo by gailanng
photo by Mrs Goodall photo by Mrs Goodall
Ready In:
17mins
Ingredients:
2
Yields:
1 cup
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ingredients

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directions

  • Pour 1 cup quinoa into a fine strainer and rinse thoroughly under cool water-this will get rid of it's natural, bitter coating. I find this method helpful too-pour quinoa into a medium bowl, add cold water and swish around with your hand. Place a unbleached coffee filter into your strainer, then drain off the quinoa. It's a lot less annoying this way as the tiny grain won't get stuck in your strainer.
  • Put rinsed quinoa into a large frying pan over medium heat.
  • Cook, shaking the pan for around 15 minutes or until the quinoa reaches a golden brown.
  • Remove from heat and pan and cool.
  • Store in a clean jar with a tight fitting lid.
  • Keeps for up to 1 month.

Questions & Replies

  1. Have not tried quinoa yet, but I bought some to try. Question, after toasting the quinoa, can you put it on things (like salads) without cooking further, or does it have to be cooked with a liquid? Thanks for the help.
     
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Reviews

  1. I love Quinoa, but never thought to toast it. One suggestion though. When you are rinsing the quinoa, save the rinse water. Pour it into a spray bottle and you have an organic liquid that repells insects. Use it on your vegetable plants. I wouldn't recommend using it on culinary herbs though as it could affect the taste. The coating of the quinoa, saponin, a resin-like substance is extremely bitter and forms a soapy solution in water.
     
  2. I can't give this any stars (as I haven't tried it yet), but I noticed from a lot of the reviews that people were getting a bitter taste by cooking their quinoa without this method...? I wanted to mention that I buy Bob's Red Mill organic whole grain quinoa at Costco, and it says right on the package that it has been "thoroughly rinsed and air dried to remove the bitter saponins, so it can be used without rinsing". I was at Sam's Club the other day too, and I checked a bag of quinoa they sell there (also organic), and it said it had been rinsed as well. I don't rinse before I cook my Bob's RM, and it always tastes great. Maybe it's just the organic ones that rinse it first before selling it in stores. I don't know. Regardless, I do still plan to try your method of toasting, to add another depth of flavor to the quinoa. UPDATE 12/7/10: I was looking for a way to jazz up my quinoa, and I came back across this recipe/method. WOW, does it ever change the texture and flavor for the better! My quinoa started to smell like, hmm... popcorn-y almost, and I was worried I overtoasted it, but it came out really good. I was seriously thinking of finding random recipes to just use up my quinoa and just buy whole grain couscous after that, but this method has pulled me back in! I can definitely say I am a quinoa fan, and I will be using this method again and again. Thank you for posting it!
     
  3. the best! you'll swear you added butter or chicken broth because the flavor is so rich and complex.... it should be noted that to cook the quinoa you should use two cups water to one cup quinoa. add salt to the boiling water. simmer with lid on for twenty minutes. remove lid and remove from heat, let cool for five minutes. could not be more simple or delicious!
     
  4. I used this recipe to make WicklewoodWench's recipe #447113 and it was fantastic. It made the grain nutty and so flavorful. I was amused while I was toasting the grains that they started "popping" like popcorn, although on a much smaller scale. I have cooked with unrinsed/untoasted quinoa, and while it was not bitter it had a sort of "healthy" taste to it. Eating quinoa after it has been toasted does *not* make me think "I'm eating health food", and that, my friends, is a very good thing. Thanks Dib!
     
  5. Really adds to the depth of the flavor of quinoa. From now on I will be making all my recipes with toasted quinoa.
     
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