How to Cook Quinoa in a Rice Cooker?

A rice cooker makes quinoa nearly foolproof. The key details are rinsing it first and using the right water ratio.

What you need:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups water or broth
• A fine-mesh strainer
• Optional: a pinch of salt, a little oil or butter

Step-by-step:

1. Rinse the quinoa. Put it in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse under cold water for 30–60 seconds. This removes the natural coating (saponin) that makes quinoa taste bitter or soapy. Skip only if the package says pre-rinsed.
2. Add quinoa and liquid to the cooker. Use a 1:2 ratio — 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups water or broth. Add a pinch of salt (and a little oil for flavor, if you like).
3. Start the cooker. Use the regular "white rice" setting if your cooker has options, then close the lid and let it run.
4. Let it finish and steam. When the cooker switches to "warm," let the quinoa sit, covered, for about 5–10 minutes to steam and absorb the last of the moisture.
5. Fluff and serve. Open the lid and fluff the quinoa with a fork. It's done when the grains are tender and you can see the little white "tails" (the germ) spiraled out.

Tips: 1 cup of dry quinoa makes about 3 cups cooked. Using broth instead of water adds a lot of flavor. If it's still watery, close the lid and let it steam a few more minutes.