Why Didn't my Quinoa Bloom?

Cafe Society
1

First let me say

  1. I’m not sure whether to put this in IMHO but it’s about food so I’ll start here.

  2. Yes, I’m aware that query sounds like it came from the mouth of Miles on an old episode of Frasier.

OK, now to the New Business.

I made food for a large group brunch today, and they tend to count on me for a Vegan entree. So I made a yummy casserole with quinoa and veggies. I put the quinoa on the bottom, with about 3/4 of the needed liquid, then layered the veg on top.

Also in the mix were some roasted turmeric, coriander, galangal, black pepper, nutmeg, allspice, celery salt, and a whisper of cardamom.

For the veg: onion, green pepper, butternut squash, shredded baby kale, red bell pepper, and garbazos (oiled and layered on top so they would roast up and brown.

The plan was to bake it layered until the quinoa was done and then stir it up and add green peas to the mix. I figured that would take about 45 minutes on 420.

The liquid boiled about 15 minutes in, but after two HOURS :smack: none of the liquid had absorbed into the quinoa. It was soft and rubbery, but still small and round.

So, what kept my quinoa from blooming?

2

Any chance your quinoa was very old? I know old beans/legumes take longer to cook than a fresher supply. Perhaps it was too well-insulated, from being buried under all that other food,from the oven’s heat, to cook in the usual amount of time? Lastly, a possibility the quinoa was mislabeled, and was actually another foodstuff altogether? Unhulled barley comes to mind, which would require a very long and moist cooking environment.

3

Definitely quinoa. I bought the same day, but didn’t read the expiry date. Reputable grocer though.

The liquid in the dish was definitely boiling well, so I don’t think it could be insulation.

It was just weird!