Amaranth, advice needed
Posted by Rainbowbird on Sep 08, 2008 · Member since Sep 2008 · 34 posts
I bought amaranth for the first time and am not sure I'm preparing it right. i cook it with quite a lot of water, and it ends up like a lump of goo. it is difficult to strain, because the seeds are so small they go through the holes in the strainer. I also think it has a slightly moldy taste - is it supposed to be so? the product is not out of date.
i don't think I'll want to eat amaranth as I would eat rice, so how could it be incorporated into other cooking? baking? pancakes?
I make amaranth like I make quinoa. Two parts liquid to one part grain. Bring the liquid to a boil add the rinsed grain (use a fine mesh sieve), stir, put a tight fitting lid on, reduce heat to low and simmer 20 minutes.
Since I have an electric oven I use the two burner method. I turn both on at once, one to high to boil the water and one to low to move the pan to. Once the lid is on I simply move the pan to the low burner and use the high one for whatever else I am making to go with the grain.
Do not try to strain after its cooked. If you want to rinse it, do so before its cooked in a fine metal mesh strainer. You can pick up a small one with a 4" diameter at almost any superstore like Target.
Personally, I like to mix my grains and have been enjoying a lovely blend of 10 minute brown rice, quinoa and amaranth and I follow the above directions. I use a seasoning blend or bullion cube to give it a lovely hearty flavor.
If you are going to bake with it like pancakes you can simply toss in a handful into the batter. It gives a lovely crunch. Otherwise baking I would assume you need to grind it up or sprout and grind it before using it.
thanks. sounds like I cooked it pretty much right. I just have to get used to the slimy consistency, or do as you adviced, and mix it with other grains. Did I get you right that amaranth can be eaten uncooked? If I put some of uncooked amaranth to pankace batter I won't get a bellyache or something?
I prepare amaranth as I would oatmeal. I think I do a little more water than Cali recommends and I put the grain in it BEFORE it comes to a boil. I bring it to a rolling boil and then turn down the heat so it doesn't spatter everywhere and let it continue to simmer (uncovered) for maybe 10 minuets. It comes out more to the consistency of "moon sand" if you have ever seen that play-dogh like stuff and if you want it more watery you can add more water after. Not slimy at all. I usually make one part amaranth and one part oatmeal for a breakfast cereal. Its relatively easy to prepare and if you are already used to oatmeal, theres nothing odd about it at all. throw in some fruit and maybe some nuts or nutbutter or maple syrup....yummy!
My first instructions were if you wanted to eat it like rice or other dryish side starch. If yours is coming out slimy, that concerns me. It should mostly steam away all the liquid and leave behind fluffy tiny grains.
If you toss it into pancake batter and make pancakes it wont be raw. It wont be fully hydrated but it will have toasted a tiny bit in the skillet. You can definitely eat it like that in pancakes. I have even put millet in the mix as well but its a bit too big for my taste.
mine came out definitely slimy. I'll try a small batch again. I could also try the oatmeal-amaranth mix, since pure oatmeal gives me heartburn.
You could also pop the amaranth on the stove in a frying pan. First have the pan preheated on medium to high and put some raw amaranth in (just enough to cover the bottom of the pan in a single layer) then put a lid over the pan and it should pop but make sure you have the lid otherwise the amaranth is gonna pop all over the place. This method should be right but I haven't done it in so long so it may be a little off...
You could mix the popped amaranth with some agave nectar and you have a little treat! I think some ancient peoples did this with their amaranth and mixed it with honey to make a treat. It might have been sent up to the gods? Not too sure...
I guess I'm not sure about much... :D
I think there is a sweet grain bar made with amaranth, that is called Alegria.
You could mix the popped amaranth with some agave nectar and you have a little treat! I think some ancient peoples did this with their amaranth and mixed it with honey to make a treat. It might have been sent up to the gods? Not too sure...
Mmmmm, that sounds soooo tasty!
whenever I see the word amaranth I think I'm seeing my name and then I realize it's longer than my name. I've never used it before though.
I just discovered popping amaranth tonight and I mixed it with agave and almond milk it was such a nice treat....as I was starting to feel really snackey this evening and I didn't want to eat something less than nutritious. This totally helped me and I am so going to do this in the future. I have a hard time buying breakfast cereals because I can't have wheat, gluten, or corn. So, this is going to make a fabulous breakfast cereal for those times I'm really craving a cold crunchy cereal! I love discovering new things to do with whole foods!
brendan brazier recommends popper amaranth a ton in "thrive" and dustin just popped some today. it tastes like popcorn.
Cooked amaranth is a curious sort of gruel that has a very gooey, oatmeal-like texture. Personally, I cook it one cup of the seeds with near 2 cups and a half of water (or, for something more special, soy milk). The cooking process has always been a little tricky for me as well as the amaranth so easily sticks to the bottom, like short-grain white rice (a grain I rarely use for this reason). Try using a small, stainless steel pot and cooking at first not on high, but the second-highest stovetop setting, then simmering ast the second-lowest until tender. It's not uncommon for a little water to remain sitting at the top once it's ready to eat.
Amaranth is very closely related to beets (if you've seen pigweed in the wild, notice the red streaks in the stem and root when yanked up!). This is why, like beets, amaranth can seem to be of an acquired taste. In fact, at first I couldn't stand to eat the stuff. In "Viva La Vegan!" (a delightful cookbook), there's a recipe for combining amaranth with millet grain, cooked with soymilk and cardamon, and it's divine- can't even tell the amaranth's there.
Another close relative to amaranth is quinoa (neither are actual grains, BTW, but "pseudocereals"), whose flavor is less strong than amaranth's and is also good to eat in the morning with a little sucanat, apple, walnuts and coconut oil. It's texture is more like that of cooked barley than of oatmeal, but is satisfying and high in protein.
Check my recipes- I have a morning amaranth recipe that I eat every day. Add a banana to your bowl and you can call it "Banamaranth".
I'm sorry it this has already been answered - I don't have time to look at all the replies.
BUT...the trick w/ amaranth is to treat it like pasta, not grains. In other words, boil it in too much water and drain. That will make it the perfect texture (not gooey & stuck together).
Amaranth is the BOMB!!!
Pop it but be careful not to burn it. Pop in a pan like.... 1TBS at a time. serve with your favorite milk/sub and agave nectar