Quinoa is a nutritious and versatile alternative to rice and grains. Interestingly enough, the small grain-like seeds are not a cereal, but instead come from a plant related to beets and spinach. Quinoa seeds are gluten-free and contain amino acid-rich proteins and minerals. Additionally, their slightly nutty taste makes them a welcome substitute for rice or pasta. Milling the raw seeds also yields a flavorful flour suitable for use in your favorite gluten-free and traditional baking recipes.
Step 1
Place the raw quinoa seeds into a strainer and wash them under running tap water.
Step 2
Remove the seeds from the strainer and spread them out over paper towels.
Step 3
Allow the seeds to air dry. Wet seeds will make the milling process very messy.
Step 4
Add a few tablespoons of seeds to your spice mill. The amount you mill at one time will vary depending on the capacity of your mill, but smaller amounts will grind faster and more evenly.
Step 5
Grind the seeds until they reach a wheat flour-like consistency. You may choose to grind the flour more coarsely if your recipe calls for it or if you are substituting the quinoa for a coarse flour.
Step 6
Remove the ground flour to a bowl and add more quinoa to the mill. Continue grinding in this manner until you have enough flour for your recipe.
Step 7
Sift the flour a few spoonfuls at a time with a normal flour sifter. It is possible that some quinoa seeds were not milled well; these will be strained out by the sifter.
Step 8
Remove any unground seeds and mill them again. You may want to sift your flour several times to ensure that all of the seeds are ground evenly. Once the flour is completely ground, it's ready to go into your recipe.
Tips and Warnings
- A coffee mill can be used in place of a spice mill. Clean the coffee grinder thoroughly before using it for quinoa. If you do not have a flour sifter, place a strainer over a second large bowl and use a spoon to gently force the flour through the mesh. Quinoa seeds are best stored whole and raw. Only grind as much as you need for your recipe to keep your backup stock fresh.
Things You'll Need
- Strainer
- Paper towels
- Spice mill
- Large bowl
- Flour sifter
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