Stovetop Rice-Quinoa Mix

Back to kitchen

I eat white rice very often. I don't mind brown or wild rice in specific dishes, but the blank canvas and absorbency that white rice provides is hard to beat. Quinoa is an easy way to add some fiber and protein to white rice without compromising the taste or texture. I like plain quinoa, but you might not. Either way, it doesn't soak up sauce the same way that rice does. This helps with that!

I don't own a rice cooker. I cook rice in an ancient steel pot that has been passed down for generations and extremely well-seasoned..... but a normal pot will work fine too. Unfortunately that also means this is mostly vibes-based, but I'll do my best to help you!

Ingredients

  • Rice (I use Jasmine)
  • Equal amount of white quinoa
  • Any kind of neutral-ish oil (I use olive oil)
  • Stock of your choice
  • Water

Directions

  1. Measure out equal portions of rice and quinoa. 1 cup of each should make about 4 servings.
  2. Toast the quinoa in a large dry pan on medium heat until it starts to brown. It will make a bit of noise. Stir frequently so it doesn't stick or burn to the pan.
  3. Lightly grease the pot with oil.
  4. Add the rice and quinoa to the pot.
  5. Add the liquids. I do around half water and half stock. You want the grains to be completely submerged with about another inch on top. (More water means less chances of you burning the rice. Which I have done.)
  6. Mix the dry grains together, then put a lid on it and bring to a boil.
  7. Once the liquid is boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer (LOW) and let it sit until liquid is no longer visible from the top.
  8. At this point, you can test a bite from the top layer; it should be almost done. Uncover and let the rice cook on low heat until it dries out completely.

Notes

If you're on the fence about the quinoa, you can increase the rice ratio instead of making it 1:1.

I prefer white quinoa because it blends in with white rice better texture- and taste-wise. I'm pretty sure any other color would work fine being cooked with the rice, but for legal reasons I will not guarantee that.

I got the idea to pre-toast the quinoa from Woks of Life... apparently, it keeps it from tasting too "raw." I'm not sure if it did anything since I'm fine with quinoa, but maybe it's worth a shot if you don't like the taste of it.

The stock is mostly there for flavor so use whatever you want. I use chicken stock because it also adds some protein.

It is imperative that you leave the rice alone until the very end. Disturbing it while it's cooking will probably cause it to get mushy. You also can't be in a rush, or the rice will end up sticking because it didn't dry out enough. It's very hard to overcook rice this way if you uncover it for the last part of cooking, so keep the heat on low and let it sit for a while.