The magical sound of popcorn being toasted is not only achieved with corn, but you can also make it with quinoa. This puffed quinoa recipe it turns out light and crunchy; its texture resembles toasted sesame seeds and its flavor is reminiscent of walnut.
You can taste the quinoa pops at snacks, breakfasts, dinners or as an aperitif. You can enjoy it in a smoothie bowl with yogurt, milk and chopped fruit. You can also use it to make crunchy chocolate, breads, cookies, granola, energy bars, and desserts. Likewise, it goes very well in oatmeal or other breakfast cereals, in fruit or vegetable salads, in vegetable dishes, and many more options.
Interestingly, although quinoa looks like a cereal, it does not belong to the grass family (wheat, rice, corn, oats, and others). However, properties of puffed quinoa compete with any cereal, as it has a large amount of proteins of high biological value, all essential amino acids, vitamins B, E and C, abundant minerals (magnesium, calcium, iron, potassium and silica), fiber, slow absorption carbohydrates, content low and healthy fat and other nutrients. Therefore, quinoa is good for losing weight too.
Although puffed quinoa is available in supermarkets, ready to be used directly, preparing it at home is very easy and fast and, although it requires a little practice, with the steps that we leave you in ONE HOW TO, you will master the recipe in no time. Discover how to make puffed quinoa and it will be as easy as making popcorn.
2 diners
1 hour
Low difficulty
Ingredients:
Steps to follow:
1
Wash the quinoa very well. Put the seeds in a bowl. Pour water to cover them. Dip your hands in the bowl and rub the seeds together. When you notice dirty or foamy water, drain the seeds and discard the water. Repeat this procedure 5-7 times or until no more foam comes out.
It is interesting to mention that people with celiac disease can consume quinoa without any problem. On the other hand, vegetarians find quinoa a valuable source of plant-based protein to complement their diet.
2
Soak the seeds. Soak them in water again, but this time, let them sit for 10 minutes.
3
Drain the seeds. After the resting time, pass them through a fine-mesh metal strainer until all the liquid is released. Washing and drying are essential steps in making puffed quinoa easily.
4
Dry them very well. If you do it the night before, spread the quinoa seeds in a single layer on a tray covered with absorbent paper, and cover them using another piece of the same paper.
On the other hand, if you dry the quinoa the same day (do it at least 1-2 hour before preparing the puffed quinoa), apply the same procedure, but change the paper each time it gets wet. Do this until the seeds are completely dry.
5
Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet or casserole (wide and deep). You can puff the quinoa without oil, preferably using a nonstick skillet, but if you want a crispier consistency, add ½ tsp oil to the skillet or casserole. In both cases, cook over medium heat and wait until the oil or the pan heats up.
6
Check if there is enough heat. Drop a few grains of quinoa on the casserole or pan and, if the temperature is right, the quinoa will puff up in seconds. Although it does not expand as much as corn kernels, it does jump. In addition, it turns brown and releases a smell reminiscent of walnuts.
7
Put the seeds on the pan. Arrange them with a wooden spoon, so that they are not piled up, one on top of the other. It should be a thin and even layer. If you can’t cook all the seeds at once, do it in batches.
8
Cover the pan and stir it all over. Do it from time to time, shaking a little to the sides. The seeds will toast, puff and pop, much like popcorn.
The cooking time of the puffed quinoa is approximately 5 minutes, or until all of them are puffed. From time to time, uncover the casserole to let the steam escape, preventing it from hitting your face.
9
Add sugar and butter or oil as soon as the seeds stop popping, and mix until the sugar is melted. It is interesting to mention that fat helps to mix the ingredients better.. Do this step only if you want sweet puffed quinoaIf not, skip it.
10
If you want to enjoy salted puffed quinoa, add salt, spices, butter or oil. Do it as soon as the seeds stop exploding and stir well so the flavors are integrated.
You can also add other ingredients, see more ideas in our article How to dress the quinoa.
eleven
Remove it and let it cool. Wait a while before enjoying the easy homemade puffed quinoa.
12
Serve the puffed quinoa for snacks and breakfasts. If you prepared it sweet, you can combine it with honey, fruits, breakfast cereals, yogurt, etc. If you preferred it salty, you can add it to a salad, as well as over sautéed or steamed vegetables to give the dish more texture.
Discover here more Easy and delicious recipes with quinoa.
13
Store the puffed quinoa in a glass jar. If you prepare a lot, keep it hermetically closed, in a previously sterilized jar. This way it will last you up to 1 week. For more tips on storage, visit our article How to store quinoa.
If you want to read more articles similar to How to make puffed quinoa, we recommend that you enter our Recipes category.
Advice
- Aside from sunflower oil, you can use coconut, canola, safflower, or any other neutral-flavored oil.
- You can replace the butter with coconut oil or margarine.
- If you don’t wash the quinoa well, you will feel a bit bitter taste, due to substances called saponins.
- You will know that you have removed the saponins from the quinoa, when you do not see any more foam in the cleaning water.