If you live at high altitude, you probably already know the problems getting rice and quinoa right. I had the same issue with the new Huel. Following the instructions exactly left me with some nice and crunchy curry-flavored rice and quinoa.
I tried letting it sit for an additional 5 minutes, but it cooled off too quickly for it to cook through. What ended up working was following the boiling water recipe, then after 5 minutes, throwing it in the microwave for another 2 minutes. It was at least softer, but I’m not sure the flavor was the same.
Realistically, cooking it on the stove would be best, but that defeats the purpose of the quick meal. If I don’t get it tweaked by the end of this bag, I’ll probably just stick with the original.
I came here to see if anyone else has had the same experience as me with the Hot & Savory, and saw your post. It hadn’t occurred to me that altitude could be the problem, but I think you’re on to something here!
I’m at 7000 feet, and the Thai Green Curry came out nearly inedible. The flavor was good, but the consistency was that of a very watery soup, with the rice and quinoa still crunchy. I tried letting it sit a little longer, but by then it was cold. Argh!
Like you said, the only way to solve this problem might be to actually cook it on the stove in the boiling water so it has enough time to cook thoroughly. I will experiment and report back. Obviously I would much rather it be possible to prepare with just boiling water poured over, but I don’t think that’s going to be possible at high altitude. Sigh.
If anyone has any tips, I’d love to hear!
Also, I was under the impression that a free pot was to be included with my first order of Hot & Savory, and I’ve seen several mentions of it by others. There was no pot included with mine. Did I misunderstand, or was it left out of my order?
I tried a different method, and had MUCH better results this time:
• Bring 8oz water to boil in small (1qt) pot with lid
• Stir in 2 level scoops Hot & Savory (I used Thai Green Curry)
• Replace cover, reduce heat to lowest setting
• Let simmer for 5 minutes, covered
• Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes, covered
• Stir well!
The result was a thick, creamy consistency with no crunchy bits! It looks nothing like the marketing photos, but that’s to be expected. I consider this route a success for those who want to be able to enjoy Hot & Savory at high altitudes, though it does double the prep time and does require the use of a pot and a stove. (I may try experimenting with doing something similar in the microwave at some point, and will post the results.)
Not 100% sure if this would help but it may be worth giving it a try too!:
Something else you may want to try, if you have not already tried this, is to add in half of the boiling water to your Hot and Savory and stir, then let it sit for 3-5 minutes covered, then add the rest of the boiling water until it gets to the consistency you prefer, then stir some more, and cover for another 3-5 minutes. This may prevent it from getting cold and may also help in continuing heating it up and softening it so that it does not have to go into the microwave!
Also a very interesting report regarding stove-top preparation of Huel Hot and Savory! Sounds very delicious and happy to hear it turned out better, though I know it is not ideal to have the extra steps/time involved in preparing it. I would love to hear if you have tried adding the boiling water half at a time and if your results were any better than adding all of the boiling water at the start!
Lastly, @somesquirrels I am going to message you about the Huel Pot!
Thanks for that suggestion, @Charlotte_Huel! I’ll try this method next time and report back. I’d love to be able to do the prep in the same vessel I eat out of. (Also, I suspect that some stoves may not be produce a flame/heat low enough that some scorching might occur using my method…)
My girlfriend prefers this method and I was just poking fun at her over dinner for how long it actually takes. Now that you’re the second person to suggest it, I think I might actually try it out!
So happy to hear this! I know there is more involved with preparing it that way, but glad to hear it was worth it! Which flavor did you try it out with first?
At high altitudes pressure is youre friend at least for me :p. adding in the food while its at boiling then presuring the lid for a min then turning off the heat might do the trick If youre looking to cook it rapidly at least.
I think I may have figured out a solution for people between 5,000-8,000 ft: like @Umichi said, pressure is very important so you’ll probably be better off using the Huel-provided pot and screwing it on right after you pour in the boiling water. In the microwave, the water is just going to dissipate too quickly, and it’s also harder to tell when it gets to boiling. I also only used about 130 grams of water for 95 grams of Huel, so just enough to saturate and let it expand but not enough to make it soupy (really make sure you stir well and get rid of the powder pockets). You’ll probably need to let the sealed pot sit for about ten minutes as well. It won’t be steaming hot but it’ll be palatable and thick, and even lightly seasoned flavors like the Yellow Coconut Curry should taste just fine using this method. @Charlotte_Huel It would be swell if the team could figure out a quality-controlled method for altitude cooking too so it could be put on the bags as well. Many places in the US that fit Huel’s target demographics live at at least 3,000 ft, with frequent excursions to up to around 14,000. Huel Hot and Savory could really be marketed well to the hiking crowd as a more cost-effective and versatile dried food for hikers.
I often make mine on a plane and have had no trouble in getting it cooked right. 5 mins with the plane’s hot water, screw the lid on tightly, and boom.
