Quinoa and Milk

Amateur1

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When boiling quinoa with water, the instructions say to cover it.
I was following a recipe which involved using milk instead of water.
The quinoa didn't seem to absorb into the milk, so I was wondering if it's best to leave the milk and quinoa uncovered and stir regularly.
Any thoughts?
 
When boiling quinoa with water, the instructions say to cover it.
I was following a recipe which involved using milk instead of water.
The quinoa didn't seem to absorb into the milk, so I was wondering if it's best to leave the milk and quinoa uncovered and stir regularly.
Any thoughts?

I'd be more worried about covered milk boiling over! In fact I don't think I ever have covered the pan when cooking quinoa in water. Covering a pan whilst simmering it traps in more moisture because the steam doesn't evaporate so much so it may well be best to cook uncovered as you suggest.
 
I made some quinoa on Sunday. Cooked it using the same method as rice ( 1 cup rice, 2 cups water) and just let it absorb everything until it was light and fluffy. I added a knob of butter when it was done; that is when I covered it, just to keep it warm until it was served.
I don´t stir the quinoa either. Maybe using milk instead of water creates some chemical reaction which prevents the liquid from being absorbed, or maybe the temperature was too low?
 
I made some quinoa on Sunday. Cooked it using the same method as rice ( 1 cup rice, 2 cups water) and just let it absorb everything until it was light and fluffy. I added a knob of butter when it was done; that is when I covered it, just to keep it warm until it was served.
I don´t stir the quinoa either. Maybe using milk instead of water creates some chemical reaction which prevents the liquid from being absorbed, or maybe the temperature was too low?

Milk has fat in it. Water doesn't. That is probably the difference.

I cook quinoa just as I do rice, with a lid on the pan. Two parts water to one part quinoa. When it has absorbed the water, I stir it with a fork to fluff it up.

I've also done it with chicken stock, which has some fat, and it worked fine. But I've never tired milk.

CD
 
It should have absorbed the milk. What exactly do you mean by, it didn't absorb the milk. Do you mean that the quinoa was still sitting submerged in milk without any absorption or evaporation? Cooking quinoa covered also means turning down the flame to a minimum. It's the steam generated that allows for even cooking from top to bottom, just like rice. Did you bring the milk to a boil and then reduce heat and cover?
 
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I brought the milk to a boil and then reduced heat and covered.
The milk seemed to have become denser and formed a region in the pan.
I was able to combine them with some vigorous stirring.
Perhaps the ratio was wrong. I used 80g of quinoa and 240ml of milk.
I had it 48 hours ago and am OK to tell the tale.
 
I brought the milk to a boil and then reduced heat and covered.
The milk seemed to have become denser and formed a region in the pan.
I was able to combine them with some vigorous stirring.
Perhaps the ratio was wrong. I used 80g of quinoa and 240ml of milk.
I had it 48 hours ago and am OK to tell the tale.
Ok. You used a 3:1 ratio of milk to quinoa. A 2:1 ratio is generally proposed. I suspect you followed the directions for time and found that there was still milk not absorbed and that would have happened because of the ratio. Basically the time didn't allow for the extra 80ml of milk to be absorbed. No biggy, you just ate a milky quinoa. Use a 2:1 ratio next time.
 
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