What is better than quick and hands-off food? Nothing! Especially if you are a parent juggling many, many things. If you agree, this Instant Pot Quinoa is exactly what you have been looking for 🙂 No need to wait for the water to come to boil over a stovetop, or watching the quinoa, turn off the stove or even burn the quinoa at the bottom of the pan. Just add the quinoa and water and push a button, walk away, and come back to perfectly cooked quinoa. Use this quinoa for salads, as a side with a curry, or add it to a soup. It is perfect for meal prep too. You can also cook quinoa along with vegetables. Check out this delicious Quinoa Chili, Quinoa and Vegetable Pilaf and Quinoa Khichdi recipe.
Why quinoa over rice?
Here are some reasons to choose quinoa over rice:
Quinoa has fewer calories and carbs Quinoa has more protein than all other rice Quinoa keeps you full for longer Quinoa can help with weight loss and improve lipid profile
Another favorite gluten-free alternative is buckwheat. Check out how to cook buckwheat in the instant pot.
How to Make Perfectly Cooked Quinoa in the Pressure Cooker?
Here I am sharing two ways to cook Quinoa. Sometimes when cooking only quinoa or when cooking quinoa in larger quantities, you want to make it in the main pot. However, at other times, you want a cup of quinoa and don’t really want to deal with cleaning the whole large steel pot. At such times, pot-in-pot quinoa comes in handy.
Quinoa Instant Pot Recipe in the Main Pot
It can’t get any easier, just add quinoa and water to the pot. If you like, this is the time to add salt butter, or oil as well. You can also use broth in place of water to make quinoa. I set it for 1 minute at high pressure and let the pressure release naturally. Fluff with a fork and enjoy the perfectly cooked and separate grains of quinoa.
Quinoa Instant Pot Recipe with Pot-in-Pot Method
To cook pot-in-pot quinoa, you need a trivet and a pot you can place on the trivet. Â If I am preparing only quinoa, I use the trivet with the instant pot. Â If you are cooking the main dish along with the quinoa, you will need a long legged trivet. Learn more about the instant pot pot-in-pot method with this comprehensive guide! Add about a cup of water in the main steel pot, place the trivet, and then the bowl of quinoa and water. Just 4 minutes at high pressure and a natural pressure release. Perfect quinoa is ready. Fluff it with a fork and enjoy!
Advantages of the pot-in-pot method to cook quinoaÂ
You can cook less quantity at a time. You don’t need to wash the large instant pot insert if cooking quinoa. You can cook in the serving bowl itself. You can cook a complete meal at once and save precious time. With entree in the main insert and quinoa in a bowl on a trivet. This could work with any main dish that takes about 3-6 mixtures to cook in the main steel insert. Some examples are – Mom’s Chicken Curry, Saag Paneer, Dal Fry, or Panang Curry with Chicken.
Try cooking Quinoa in the Instant Pot, and let me know how you like it.
