Quinoa - Safe 'Grain' For Gluten Intolerance - Cooking Methods

You have seen how we described in a previous post, Quinoa - A Safe 'Grain' For Gluten Intolerance, that quinoa is not actually a grain. You'll discover soon enough though, that it does behave like a grain. We'll go over a few methods of cooking quinoa, which are very similar to the methods you're used to using with regular grains. There are three main methods to cooking quinoa: Boiling, Absorption and Steaming.

Before you cook your quinoa, it is recommended that you rinse it with warm water. This is essential to remove the saponin which is a coating the quinoa produces to deter birds and insects. I don't want to add to your gluten intolerance worries by forgetting this one little step. If you do, you'll soon discover that the saponin coating on quinoa will leave it with a bitter taste ruining any hope for enjoying your meal. Use a strainer with really small holes or even a screen to rinse it or you'll lose half your quinoa in the sink.

Here's the type of strainer you'll find most useful for rinsing your quinoa of its bitter saponin coating.

The Boiling Method is probably the method you're most used to. I most commonly use it for cooking pasta, but it is just as useful with quinoa so long as your colander has small enough holes the quinoa seeds can't fall through. Don't forget that quinoa is safe if you have gluten intolerance, so simply boil the quinoa in a large amount of water compared to the quinoa. You'll know it's fully cooked when it swells to probably 3 or 4 times its original size and the little white 'tails' open up.

This favoured food for those who suffer from gluten intolerance symptoms behaves very much like rice, so you can use the Absorption Method quite effectively. Quinoa will take only about half the time to cook though, so keep an eye on it. Most packages recommend 2 cups water to 1 cup of quinoa, however I've read that 1 2/3 cups of water will make for a more fluffy preparation.

You can also steam your quinoa in the same way you would if you've ever steamed rice. This is by far the most time consuming method, so to speed things up, some people pre-soak their quinoa or partially boil it. Steaming will produce a nicely cooked pot of quinoa because it absorbs the moisture very evenly.

If you're preparing the quinoa to be the main 'grain' in a salad, using water to prepare it will work just fine. But if it's going to accompany your main entre as a side dish just like you would normally use rice, we've got a great suggestion for you. Try cooking your quinoa in a gluten free broth, our favourite being chicken.

I know you're mouth is watering just thinking of all the meal possibilities with quinoa that you can come up with. Make sure to stay tuned by rss for more tips on cooking with quinoa, quinoa recipes and other notable mentions regarding this non-grain 'grain.' I hope it helps you better cope with gluten intolerance and adds an interesting and nutritious twist to your diet.