Fermented Quinoa
This fermented quinoa recipe transforms the humble quinoa into a probiotic-rich, tangy addition to your meals. Fermenting not only enhances its nutritional profile but also adds a delightful depth of flavor. Perfect for bowls, salads, or as a unique side dish.
Equipment
- 1 Medium-sized cooking pot
- 1 Wooden spoon
- 1 Glass jar with lid quart-size works well
- 1 Cheesecloth or clean kitchen towel
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cups water for cooking.
- 1 cup Kombucha
Instructions
- Rinse your quinoa thoroughly under cold water to remove any saponins that can give it a bitter taste.
- Combine the rinsed quinoa with two cups of water in your medium-sized cooking pot and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot with a lid slightly askew allowing some steam to escape and simmer until all water is absorbed — about 10 - 15 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let cool down completely at room temperature
- Once cooled, stir in salt evenly through the cooked quinoa
- Transfer your seasoned quinoa into your glass jar leaving at least one inch of space from the top.
- Pour over the Kombucha.
- Stir the mix together
- Cover loosely with cheesecloth or kitchen towel secured with a rubber band around the rim of the jar – this allows air exchange necessary for fermentation while keeping out contaminants.
- Let sit at room temperature away from direct sunlight in a relatively warm spot for one day up till two days depending on how tangy you prefer it—taste test after day one.
- After reaching desired sourness level replace cheesecloth/kitchen towel with jar's lid and store fermented quinoa in refrigerator where it will keep well up till five days enhancing flavors each day.
Video
Notes
- Experiment by adding herbs like cilantro or parsley post fermentation before refrigerating which can enhance flavor profiles beautifully.
- Remember that exact ferment times may vary due to factors like ambient temperature.
- You can buy ready-made Kombucha on Amazon. Health-Ade's Ginger Lovers Kombucha Tea is one of the best options.
- Instead of Kombucha tea, you can also use a culture starter. For example, this one by Body Ecology. Use 1 tablespoon.