On every package of quinoa there is a note that the small grains of the pseudo-cereal should be washed before consumption. Cleaning is not intended to remove soil or pesticides, but rather to remove bitter-tasting saponins.
How do you wash quinoa properly?
To wash quinoa, place the grains in a fine-mesh sieve and hold it under running water until the liquid drains clear. Washing removes bitter-tasting saponins and prevents the finished dish from tasting unpleasant.
Wash quinoa
Washing is easy if you use a very fine-mesh kitchen sieve.
- Fill the sieve about halfway with the quinoa seeds.
- Rinse under running water until the draining liquid remains clear.
- Drain the water and put the quinoa in a pot.
Always wash the quinoa thoroughly, otherwise the dish you prepare will taste unpleasantly bitter.
No sieve at hand? This is how the quinoa still gets clean:
If you don't have a sieve with fine enough mesh, a laundry net, a thin cotton cloth or a muslin diaper will help:
- Put the grains on the fabric.
- Twist the cloth tightly at the top.
- Rinse the pseudocereal well under running water.
- Wring out and add to the pot.
- Adhering grains can be removed with a tablespoon.
An old coffee pot with a press stamp also serves well.
- Put some quinoa in the pot.
- Put water on it and press the stamp down.
- Drain and fill with water again.
- Repeat until the liquid remains clear.
- Put the quinoa in the cooking pot and process further.
How to cook quinoa?
The preparation of the pseudo-cereal is very easy:
- For every 100 g of quinoa, add 200 ml of s alt water or vegetable stock to a pot.
- Bring everything to the boil over high heat.
- Turn the stove down to medium, the water should simmer gently.
- Simmer for 15 minutes until the grains appear translucent.
- If you prefer very soft cooked quinoa, you can extend the cooking time by five minutes.
- Drain, let rest briefly and serve.
Tricks on how to prepare quinoa
- You can roast the grains in oil before cooking. This gives the small seeds a pleasant nutty aroma.
- Quinoa can be prepared well in a rice cooker or a food processor with a cooking function.
- Put the washed quinoa on a baking tray and put it in the oven at 170 degrees for 30 minutes, popping the grains. The crunchy quinoa gives the muesli the right crunch.
Tip
In your own garden, you can grow quinoa in almost any location, provided it has full sun. Harvesting the pseudo-cereal is quite straightforward: pick the plants with the ripe seeds and hang them upside down in a dry place. After a few days you can simply shake off the seeds into a large bucket.
