Did you know that just like popcorn, quinoa can be popped? Well it can! And here's proof:
Are you surprised by the picture? Did you expect to see crazy curly shapes like popcorn makes when it gets popped? Quinoa is definitely more
You can pop quinoa very easily following these steps:
Popped Quinoa
1. Heat a deep, pan on high until it gets
really hot. You don't need any oil in it or anything. Just a hot pan. Update: Different pans will heat in different ways so you may need to experiment a little with the temperature. I usually use a non-stick, heavy-duty pan. If you use stainless steel pan or a pan that is lighter in weight, you may need to adjust the temperature to medium or even medium low so that the quinoa doesn't burn.
2. To test if ready, drop a pinch of quinoa
in the pan. If it pops within a few seconds the pan is hot enough. Pour out the
test kernels into your bowl and you're ready to begin.
3. Add 1-2 Tbsp. of quinoa to the bottom of
the deep pan on your burner. You'll have to experiment with the amount. You
want about a single layer of quinoa on the bottom of the pan. Because this
grain is so small, it will burn easily so don't add too much at a time.
4. As soon as the kernels begin to pop, lift
the pan off the burner (this should only take a few seconds). Shake and swirl
the pan around off the burner to rotate the grain until the popping
stops. The kernels only pop a few inches so it's not necessary to have a
lid on the pan, as long as your pan is deep enough. If your quinoa
burns, you may need to turn the heat down a little - to medium high or so.
5. Pour the quinoa into your bowl and repeat
steps 1 through 4 until you have the desired amount of popped quinoa.
Don't worry whether every single kernel of quinoa popped or not.
Unlike popcorn, unpopped quinoa will not break your teeth and it is still great
to eat.
Here's some things to do with popped quinoa:
- Popped quinoa makes a great snack all in itself. It is crunchy, toasty flavored, and healthy. The only drawback? It's so small! Unlike popcorn you can't really go putting a handful in your mouth to munch on. Rather you have to lick your finger and stick it in the bowl to get some to stick on there. But kids love to do that anyway, so if you're feeling brave (and ready to clean up a possible mess) go for it - stick a bowl out for their snack and let them go to town!
- Popped quinoa is great to add to granola, granola bars, cookies, rice crispy treats, homemade crackers, and other snacks.
- You can sprinkle popped quinoa over your hot cereal (like oatmeal) to add extra texture and crunch.
- Sprinkle popped quinoa over yogurt for a delicious breakfast.
- Sprinkled popped quinoa over a salad to add yummy flavor and texture.
Be creative. There's lots of possibilities for this wonderful, healthy treat!
Linked to: Real Food Wednesday, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Whole Food Wednesdays, Healthy 2day Wednesdays, Real Food 101, Allergy Free Wednesdays, Hearth and Soul Hop
Linked to: Real Food Wednesday, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Whole Food Wednesdays, Healthy 2day Wednesdays, Real Food 101, Allergy Free Wednesdays, Hearth and Soul Hop
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31 comments:
All these posts are perfect timing! My quinoa just arrived yesterday so I'm getting ready to try it out - and I'm sharing what I'm doing on my blog.
Thanks for sharing!
This is so brilliant! I'm definitely going to be trying this. Thanks for linking up to Healthy 2Day Wednesday and come back next week!
What a neat idea! I'll have to try it. I'm thinking about putting it on top of a salad . . .
How cool!
Thanks for the tips. I had no idea you could do this with quinoa. Do you rinse the quinoa before popping it?
So cool! I can't wait to give this a try!
Visiting by way of the linky at Beyond the Peel.
Jenn/Rook No.17
Wow! I never would have guessed! Thanks for sharing! I know we will be trying this soon.
Cherylyn, I didn't rinse mine, but it's probably pre-rinsed. It doesn't have the bitter flavor when cooked that the kind that's not pre-rinsed does. So I'm not sure what would happen if you rinsed it first. Let me know!
I had no idea you could pop quinoa! What a great healthy snack!
We love quinoa, but I had no idea that you could pop it. I can't wait to give this a try.
I had no idea you could do this! Thanks for sharing on Allergy-Free Wednesday! Hope you'll join us again this week with another great recipe!
Very different.. I'll give it a try..
How cool! Do you rinse the quinoa like you do before you cook it normally? If so, I assume you need to let it dry???
Am I the only goof that tried to pop the Quinoa in an airpop popcorn popper *slaps hand on head*...don't try this at home...or you will have Quinoa all over said home LOL
LOL Mashena! That is hilarious!!I wondered what would happen when you put it in the air popper....i won't try it...
I'm curious how to pop quinoa that has to be rinsed first (we grow our own so it doesn't come pre-rinsed). We soak it and drain it but I don't know how to get it dry enough for recipes that start with dry quinoa (like granola, etc). Any suggestions? Thanks!
Hmm...anyone have any ideas? I don't really know. I wonder if you stuck it in a dehydrator it after you rinsed it, if that would work?
hi I'm not sure what's wrong here. I can't get the quinoa not to burn...it either doesn't pop or burns...I'm using a stainless steal quisinart large stock pot ....any tips?
Angelina,
I just tried mine with a stainless steel pan and the heat has to be significantly lower or else the quinoa will burn. Try turning the heat down to medium or even medium low. Then once the quinoa begins to pop, immediately remove it from the stove and shake it. I didn't even need to put it back on the stove. I just shook it until all the quinoa was popped and it worked just fine. Thanks for pointing this out. I will change the instructions to include this info.
I read on another blog that you should rinse the quinoa and lay it out (single layer) over night to dry, or put it in the oven for an hour on 100F. If the quinoa has any moisture in it, it will cause the oil to spit and you don't get that same "air popped" texture :)
If you rinse quinoa, pop it in the oven for an hour (signle layer baking tray) at 100F OR single layer, leave it out over night!
I found you through Pinterest and I am going to try this for sure! Thanks for sharing!
Sandra
The Adored Home
This is freaking genius!
Thank you!
Although I'm far from "Quiona Culture" but when I noticed it on an Organic Food Shelf.
As I have tried to pop every kind of grains in my life, I did pop quinoa too. :)
Vegetables, grains and fruits are !amazing...
what a great post!
so detailed and inspiring
I'm thinking of using the popped quinoa as cereal, do you think it could be nice or would it get soggy really fast in (almond) milk?
That's a great question. I'd love to hear how the cereal works for you. I think it would be excellent in like a granola cereal, but I'm not sure how it would work out plain.
This sounds awesome and I will definitely try it for homemade granola and healthy snacks/breakfast-to-go! I would just caution against overheating a non-stick pan, especially when it's dry. Thanks for the great idea!
This is a really good article. Finally I can eat healthy and make my taste buds happy at the same time :)
I read recently a recipe for a "rice crispy" treat using buckwheat that had been crisped or "popped" the same way. I'm sure you could also use popped quinoa similarly.
Yes I have made rice crispy treats adding the popped quinoa and they are delicious. Another recipe yet to be posted. Thanks for the idea about the buckwheat. Can't wait to try it.
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