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Amaranth: Cooking with this Super Grain

November 12, 2009 By: Anna7 Comments

Growing Grains: Amaranth

This year I decided to plant Amaranth, a highly nutritious grain.  I saw its ornamental cousin last year and flipped at how beautiful this plant was.  My husband tells me that I grow to grow.  It does not matter if I intend to eat it.  I enjoy the pleasures of watching a plant grow into its splendor until he hands me the scissors and tells me to cut it.  This always pains me.  Amaranth is one of those plants that you hate to cut down since its purplish/magenta plumes are just breath-taking.   You don’t have to plant it to enjoy the benefits of Amaranth.

 

What is Amaranth? It  was called the grains of the gods. The Aztecs used Amaranth in their rituals until its use was outlawed by the Spaniards who sought to convert the Aztecs to Christianity.  According to the USDA plant database, Amaranth is related to Pigweed, and is really an herb not a true grain.  But what makes it so special is it is a gluten free product and higher in protein than other grains.

“One cup of raw amaranth contains 28.1 grams of protein. Oats are a close second with 26.3 grams of protein. In comparison, 1 cup of raw white rice contains 13.1 grams of protein,” according to Terri Gruss, author of “10 Reasons to Use Amaranth in your Gluten Free recipes.”

Gruss extols the benefits of Amaranth in her article.  It  is lower in carbohydrates and higher in fiber than other grains;  high in lysine and other essential vitamins, and contains  more digestible proteins than other grains. In addition, it is higher in fiber than other grains.
So, why not substitute Amaranth for all of your other grains in baking?  Gruss explains the end product would become too dense.  Instead, substitute up to  1/3rd of the flour  used. (Want a treat? Check out this recipe:  Amaranth, Quinoa, and Dark Chocolate Cake.)

How Do You Cook with Amaranth?

Amaranth can be popped like popcorn.  Due to the size of the grain, the end product will look more like a puff cereal.  For more information on how to “puff” them, see here.

To simply cook the grain, see here. How about  Amaranth Grits or Amaranth with Spinach, and tomato mushroom sauce? Sounds good.  Note, the Amaranth leaves taste just like an Earthy spinach.  The younger the leaves the better tasting.  I tried both and did not see much difference.

Are you  a gardener and want to grow these beauties..I thought so.  Check out my next post on how to grow these beauties.

 

Similar Posts:

  • How to Grow Grains in a Small Garden
  • Growing Amaranth and Enjoying the Super Grain all Year Long
  • Growing Buckwheat in your Backyard. Part II
  • Egyptian Spinach: Got Spinach Frustration? Grow This Heat Lovin One Instead
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About Anna

Anna Hackman is the editor of Green Talk, and owner of The Naked Botanical and a avid (okay obsessed) gardener. She also loves video and podcasting and hosts Green Talk TV and Green Talk Radio. Her most important role is being a mother of four boys.

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Comments

  1. 2

    Stephanie - Green SAHM says

    November 12, 2009 at 2:02 am

    My husband loves growing amaranth, although we’ve never eaten it. Keeps talking about harvesting it, but it never happens. Maybe next time. The kids do like the leaves as a quick outdoor snack though.
    .-= Stephanie – Green SAHM´s last blog ..Tips for an Eco Friendly Thanksgiving =-.

    Reply
  2. 3

    The Hopkins Company says

    February 17, 2010 at 5:07 pm

    This is the first I have seen or heard of Amaranth, but it looks great and sounds like it is very nutritious. I have been trying to eat healthy and workout consistently. I may incorporate this high fiber/protein source into my diet.
    Thanks,
    George Hopkins

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Tweets that mention Amaranth: Cooking with this Super Grain | Green Talk™ -- Topsy.com says:
    November 12, 2009 at 1:58 am

    […] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Green Moms Carnival and Greentalk, Ecocanteen. Ecocanteen said: Stuff I've found…: Amaranth: Cooking with this Super Grain: A Young Amaranth Plant This year I decided to plant A… http://bit.ly/3KnL3n […]

    Reply
  2. uberVU - social comments says:
    November 12, 2009 at 7:24 am

    Social comments and analytics for this post…

    This post was mentioned on Twitter by ecocanteen: Stuff I’ve found…: Amaranth: Cooking with this Super Grain:
    A Young Amaranth Plant
    This year I decided to plant A… http://bit.ly/3KnL3n…

    Reply
  3. Growing Amaranth and Enjoying the Super Grain all Year Long | Green Talk™ says:
    November 23, 2009 at 10:54 pm

    […] By the time I was done reading about a food, I would be running to my computer to find a source to grow the plant.  However in Amaranth’s case, I saw the plant and it was love at first site.  I jumped in with both feet without any knowledge of how to grow it, harvest it or store it.  Love will do that to you. (For those of you who just want to know how to cook with it, cut to the chase, and read my cooking article here.) […]

    Reply
  4. Invasive Plants. Garden Thugs That Make Tony Soprano Cry. — Green Talk® says:
    July 5, 2011 at 1:44 pm

    […] grain grown by the Incas.  It is high in protein.  It’s young leaves taste like spinach. I have written about growing this beauty and harvesting its grain in the […]

    Reply
  5. Growing Grain in a Small Garden - Attainable Sustainable says:
    October 30, 2016 at 10:27 pm

    […] To learn more about growing, harvesting, and cooking Amaranth, read here and here. […]

    Reply

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