What To Do With Amaranth (2024)

FAQs

What do you do with amaranth? ›

Cooked amaranth can be used in soups, stews, chili or in place of rice in most recipes. Amaranth seeds can be stored in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to 6 months. Amaranth flour can be used to make muffins, breads, and pancakes.

"Soaking the grains makes their nutrients easier to digest and shortens the cooking time," says Ziata. Simply combine amaranth and water in a large bowl, completely submerging the grains. When you're ready to cook, drain and rinse the grains with a fine mesh strainer.

Can amaranth be eaten raw? Well, it “can”, but there is no point. We can't digest raw amaranth. It's like eating raw rice or raw beans.

Avoid eating too much amaranth from agricultural fields. The leaves (like those of spinach, sorrel and many other greens) also contain oxalic acid, which can be poisonous to livestock or to humans with kidney issues of eaten in large amounts.

A ban on the plant was made on religious grounds. The Catholic Church found the use of small cakes made of amaranth seed and honey (sometimes allegedly mixed with human blood) in pagan rituals, to be eerily similar to using the host during Mass, and declared it blasphemy.

Storing Amaranth

Whole grains contain oils that are susceptible to oxidation, especially when cracked, rolled or ground into flour. Store Amaranth seeds in a food grade container in a cool dry place for up to a year. rancid. Cooked amaranth can be kept in the refrigerator for five days.

Amaranth leaves are usually picked fresh for use as greens in salads or blanched, steamed, boiled, fried in oil, and mixed with meat, fish, cucurbit seeds, groundnut or palm oil. Cooked greens can be used as a side dish, in soups or as an ingredient in sauce and baby food formulations.

Amaranth contains slightly more protein than quinoa, but they both provide double the amount you'll get from brown rice, oats and whole wheat. Amaranth has 9 grams of protein in a 1-cup serving, while quinoa has 8 grams, according to the USDA.

Amaranth is an ancient grain with a slightly sweet, nutty taste that works well in place of oatmeal. In addition to being gluten-free, amaranth is a good source of several key nutrients, including protein, fiber, iron, and manganese ( 1 ).

Saponins. Saponins are extremely bitter in taste. Similarly to phytic acid, they can form complexes with proteins or minerals, such as zinc and iron, to inhibit absorption into the body. Since they are only present in small quantities in amaranth, they are characterised as low toxicity and don't pose any danger.

Can amaranth be eaten like rice? ›

If you're looking for a super-healthy alternative to rice, pasta, couscous, or even oatmeal, you might try mild, nutty-flavored amaranth. You'd be doing your body a favor and supporting sustainable agriculture. These tiny pale-golden seeds are packed with a variety of nutrients, many of which we could all use more of.

After posting this video on instagram, I heard from a few of my followers that they tried amaranth before, and it was bitter or off tasting. If that's the case, rinse before cooking to remove ​​saponin, a naturally occurring phytochemical that gives unwashed grain a bitter taste.

The nutrients in amaranth can offer significant health benefits as a part of a healthy diet. It's a source of vitamin C, which is vital to the body's healing process because it helps process iron, form blood vessels, repair muscle tissue, and maintain collagen.

Nearly all amaranths are edible, including 'love-lies-bleeding' and even the common roadside weedy forms (avoid any that may have been treated with pesticides). But those sold as edible varieties are selected for their good seed production and especially tasty leaves.

Appearance and Taste

Cooked amaranth seeds have a deliciously earthy, nutty, and toasty flavor, almost like peanut butter. Texturally, amaranth seeds give you a little pop as you bite down.

Amaranth is highly adaptable and disease-resistant, and it's a multi-use plant: In addition to its seeds, its sprouts, microgreens, and leaves are edible. Some varieties are grown just for their seeds, which are similar to whole grains culinarily and nutritionally, and can be used in place of them.

Amaranth provides gluten-free protein, which can be consumed even by people with health conditions such as gluten allergy or celiac disease. Good for gut health: Both the seeds and leaves are rich in fiber. Fiber aids in the digestion system, prevents constipation, and maintains gut health.