Description
Learn how to make perfectly popped quinoa, a light and crunchy snack with a toasted, nutty flavor. This simple method uses just raw quinoa and water, turning quinoa seeds into a delicious, crispy treat in under a minute.
Ingredients
Scale
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raw quinoa
- 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Moisten quinoa: Start by mixing 1/2 cup of raw quinoa with 2 tablespoons of water, maintaining a 4:1 quinoa to water ratio, or soak the quinoa overnight submerged in water to ensure it’s adequately moistened.
- Preheat the pan: Heat a small pan over medium-high heat and test by sprinkling about 10 quinoa seeds. When they crackle or pop within 15 seconds, the pan is ready.
- Pop the quinoa: Place about 1 tablespoon of the moistened quinoa into the hot pan and spread it out into a thin, single layer to ensure even popping.
- Evaporate moisture: As the water evaporates, use a whisk to break up the quinoa and keep it moving to avoid burning.
- Watch for popping: When you hear a crackling or popping sound and see the quinoa turning a golden brown with a toasted, nutty aroma, shake the pan to finish popping. Remove the quinoa immediately to prevent burning. This process takes only 15-30 seconds per batch.
- Repeat and cool: Repeat the popping process with the remaining quinoa. Allow the popped quinoa to cool for a few minutes before serving as it will be very hot when straight off the pan.
Notes
- Use raw quinoa, not pre-rinsed or cooked quinoa.
- Moistening the quinoa is crucial for the popping process; do not skip this step.
- Be vigilant during popping as quinoa can burn quickly in seconds.
- This popped quinoa can be used as a crunchy topping for salads, yogurt, or enjoyed as a snack on its own.
- Store cooled popped quinoa in an airtight container to maintain crispness.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes (plus optional overnight soaking)
- Cook Time: 5 minutes total (about 15-30 seconds per batch)
- Category: Snack
- Method: Stovetop popping
- Cuisine: Global
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 cup popped quinoa
- Calories: 90
- Sugar: 0.2 g
- Sodium: 1 mg
- Fat: 1.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: popped quinoa, quinoa snack, how to pop quinoa, quinoa recipe, toasted quinoa, crunchy quinoa
