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Got a minute? If so then you have perfectly fluffy, ridiculously easy, and absolutely delicious quinoa thanks to the pressure cooker!
Oh people I so love my pressure cooker! So okay making quinoa isn’t hard as I showed you in my conventional stove top method. But where the difference lies is I truly believe you get a better consistency in the pressure cooker plus it’s more condensed with flavor. Like any quinoa you need to rinse it due to the naturally produced chemical saponin. Look for an upcoming post on the specifics of why you need to rinse it but trust me, you really should. And with me, when I make mine I never use water. That’s just nasty. I’m sorry but the flavor comes from the stock that you use. I adapt my stock based off of what I’m pairing it with. Any stock really works.
Just 3 simple ingredients – quinoa, stock and a pinch of salt is all you need to make the best quinoa.
In creating this recipe I actually tested it on 2 different pressure cookers – the ever popular Instant Pot and my stove-top one. They both came out with the same results so if you don’t have the electric instant pot, don’t worry. Next you’ll notice on the recipe I do NOT use the ‘Rice’ function. I found that hitting the “Pressure Cook” or ‘Manual” button and setting the pressure/time was easier.
Now the whole “You said it takes just one minute but then it takes 15 minutes of natural release plus you don’t count in build up time.”
Yeah, I know. So let me explain how it works when people post “takes X minutes to make”. As a chef/blogger I can’t assume that you’re working with the exact temp liquid/product as I am. Secondly I can’t account for your machine. So when I write “1 Minute Pressure Cooker” it means it only takes 1 minute UNDER PRESSURE in the pressure cooker. Kapeesh? So if I calculated my time from turning it on to taking the lid off, I’m guessing maybe 26 minutes if that. ~8-10 minutes to build pressure, 1 minute to actually cook then 15 minutes to release pressure naturally. But what I will say is that it’s still faster than stove top method. And the taste is way better as the flavor is infused into the grain and more concentrated.
Now when I make quinoa in the pressure cooker I typically do a double batch as I incorporate it not only into my side dishes but also as part of my weekly meal preps for lunch AND into my dinners. Cooked quinoa is awesome when used in stuffing meats or even in making mock sushi. See I really can’t eat rice as it often makes me sick. I love the stuff but it hates me. Quinoa I have a better tolerance for.
Next – the 15 minute natural release. Yes, you MUST LET IT be 15 minutes, no less. What this does is the steam and liquid is being sucked into the grain, allowing it to bloat and become consumed with flavor. At 15 minutes all of the liquid has been absorbed and what you’re left with is the most delicate, fluffiest quinoa ever! In my pictures I went with both red and white quinoa as they rock though truth be told, I really don’t think there is a difference in flavor. Do you think there is?
So if you’ve been following me on Instagram and Facebook these past few days you’ve caught a glimpse of how I incorporate this into my weekly meal prep lunches. This Salad is AMAZING! Super healthy and SUPER delicious! Quinoa can be used in more recipes where rice is used (hello Stuffed Peppers or arancini) as well as used in stuffings or fillings (like stuffed chicken).
This weekend, grab some quinoa from the store, some homemade stock (or store-bought) and your pressure cooker. Start whipping up a batch and show me how you incorporate this into your recipes. I’d love to hear how you used it!
Equipment Used
Instant Pot – 8 quart
Large Fine Mesh Strainer – This set is AWESOME!
One Minute Pressure Cooker Quinoa – Perfect Every Single Time!
- Yield: 3-4
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Ingredients
- 1 cup, rinsed quinoa
- 1 1/4 cups stock
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Rinse the quinoa with water really well in a fine, mesh sieve to remove the natural coating. ~2 minutes.
- Add the quinoa, the stock and salt to the Instant Pot/Pressure cooker. Close/lock the lid and select the Pressure button (or Manual on your PC), HIGH pressure and time for 1 minute. *on the Instant Pot make sure that the “Keep Warm” button is turned off
- When the time is up allow for a NPR (natural pressure release) for 15 minutes. Once done, remove any last bit of pressure (if any), remove the lid and fluff with a fork.
This is the 1st thing I made in my new Instant Pot. (To be honest, that thing scares the bejeezus outta me!) It turned out perfectly! I can see myself making it at least once a week. If you double it, does it take any longer?
★★★★★
I know it’s silly to get excited about this, but it turned out PERFECTLY!
I mean, it’s just a stupid grain, right?
It was made in one of the old Presto wooden pressure cookers. Well, OK, maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but it really is ancient. No electricity involved. Rocking thingy on top.
I was a little concerned that I wouldn’t be able to tell when to start the 1 minute timer, but I waited the rocking was steady.
Great method, and I’ll be using it from now on.
The quinoa was the basis for that shrimp, quinoa, asparagus, et al picture that you posted a while back.
Thanks again.
Joe
★★★★
Thanks for the recipe. I just made a pot and it was great!
Aclarification might help some people. Your instructions say “select the
Pressure button (or Manual on your PC), HIGH pressure and time for 1 minute. *on the Instant Pot make
sure that the “Keep Warm” button is turned off”
I think PC should be IP, and I don’t believe you can turn off the keep warm function until the cook is done.
Hi James!
Thanks! I wrote this as not everyone has an Instant Pot (thus the mention of either the Manual or Pressure button) as I have 3 pressure cookers and their buttons are all different. PC is pressure cooker. And you can shut off the ‘Keep Warm’ button but you must do this BEFORE your pressure cooker starts heating up or cooking. While it’s cooking it can’t. At least you can on my Instant Pot 8 quart.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Silly me on the PC,LOL. On my 6Qt. IP, you can’t turn off the keep warm function until after the cook. But your friend at Dad Cooks Dinner says it doesn’t matter:
” Q: What about natural pressure release? When the Instant Pot finishes cooking, it switches to Keep Warm mode – is that OK with a natural pressure release? Or should I cancel it?
A: Keep Warm mode does not affect Natural Pressure Release [Updated 2016-01-18] I used to tell everyone to turn off warming mode to speed up natural pressure release, but…I was wrong. (See here for details of my testing.) Keep Warm mode does not slow down natural pressure release. It does not turn the heat back on until it reaches the warming range of 145°F to 172°F, which is well below the temperature where the pressure will release.”