Cooking Grains

Name: Cooking Grains
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 250 g (about 1¼ cups) whole grain of choice, see chart in steps; 2 l (8½ cups) water; 15 g (2½ tsp) fine sea salt; 1 tbsp olive oil, optional, to dress

One method and a chart for quinoa, farro, barley, bulgur and more

Makes: about 600–700 g cooked grain
Hands-on: 5 min
Total: 40 min
Level: Easy

Most whole grains can be cooked two ways: by absorption, with measured water, or like pasta, in plenty of salted water and then drained. The pasta method is the most forgiving, so it's the default here, with a chart for exact times.

Ingredients

250 gwhole grain of choice (about 1¼ cups)see chart in steps
2 lwater (8½ cups)
15 gfine sea salt (2½ tsp)
1 tbspolive oiloptional, to dress

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian, Dairy-free
Allergens: gluten

Method

Rinse the grains in a sieve under cold water. Quinoa in particular must be rinsed to remove its bitter saponin coating.
For extra flavor, toast the drained grains in a dry pot over medium heat, stirring, until they smell nutty and the water has evaporated, 3–4 minutes.
Add the water and salt and bring to a boil.
Simmer uncovered until the grains are tender but still have a slight chew. Approximate times: quinoa 12–14 minutes; bulgur (coarse) 10–12 minutes; pearl barley 25–30 minutes; pearled farro 20–25 minutes; whole farro or spelt 40–50 minutes; wheat berries 50–60 minutes; freekeh (cracked) 15–20 minutes; millet 15–18 minutes; buckwheat groats 10–12 minutes. 25 min
Taste a few grains a few minutes before the end. They should be soft through with no hard white core.
Drain in a sieve, shake well, and spread out on a tray to steam dry for 5 minutes. Toss with the olive oil if using. 5 min

Why it works

Cooking grains in a large amount of salted water seasons them evenly and lets you stop at exactly the texture you want, without guessing absorption ratios that change with each grain's age and type. Toasting first adds Maillard flavor to the bran. Spreading the drained grains out lets surface water evaporate so they don't turn mushy or clump.

Common mistakes

Not rinsing quinoa: it tastes soapy and bitter.
Overcooking: grains burst and turn mushy. Start tasting early.
Under-salting: grains need seasoning in the water; salt it well, as you would for pasta.

Variations

Absorption method for quinoa: Use 250 g quinoa to 500 ml water, simmer covered 12 minutes, rest 10 minutes covered.
Fine bulgur and couscous: These don't need cooking: pour over 1.25 times their volume of boiling salted water, cover for 10 minutes, then fluff.

Make ahead and storage

Cooked grains keep 4 days in the fridge and freeze for 3 months in flat bags. They are ideal for packed lunches and grain bowls.

Notes

Quinoa, millet and buckwheat are naturally gluten-free; barley, farro, spelt, bulgur, freekeh and wheat berries contain gluten.