Illustration:Simon LetchEasy fix:put the quinoa in a bowl,cover with cold water and rub it in your hands,then drain and rinse well under cold running water.
The secret to cooking quinoa is to use less water than you might expect:one part quinoa to 1.75 (or 1¾) parts water or stock. It doesn’t sound like much,but cooked by the absorption method,it will produce the tender,swollen,translucent grains you want.
Here’s how
For four people,rinse 200 grams of quinoa thoroughly in cold water,and drain. Place in a heavy-based pan with 350 millilitres cold water and a hefty pinch of sea salt and bring to the boil. Reduce heat,cover and gently simmer for 15 minutes until the tiny white tails (the germ of the seed) have popped out. Turn off the heat and leave for 10 minutes to steam,then fluff up the grains with a fork.
Tip:If serving as a salad,spread out the cooked quinoa on a tray and leave to cool.
Do this with it
Use as a substitute for rice,couscous or freekeh. Throw a handful of uncooked quinoa into your porridge oats,and simmer for 15 minutes. Add cooked quinoa to cakes,seed breads,green bowls,and ancient grain salads (especially paired with avocado in a lemony dressing).
And this: Bake it. Toss a handful of cooked quinoa in a little olive oil and sea salt,spread on a tray lined with baking paper,and bake for 15 minutes at 180C for a crunchy,seedy garnish.
Don’t do this with it:Toast raw quinoa in a hot,dry pan before adding the water. It then takes forever to cook and all the cute little tails fall off – boo.
Need to know
Quinoa is completely gluten-free. White quinoa is the creamiest and fluffiest,while black and red quinoa take a little longer to cook and remain firmer,but all are generally interchangeable. And yes,you can freeze leftover cooked quinoa.
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