Read on to learn all about this ancient grain, including how to cook amaranth grain, along with amaranth grain recipes for inspiration.
What is Amaranth Grain?
Considered an ancient grain, amaranth was a staple ingredient within the Mayan, Incan, and Aztec civilizations. It’s a group of grains that’s been cultivated for thousands of years and is incredibly nutrient-dense. Rich in fiber, protein, and a whole host of micronutrients, it’s a nutritious addition to your best recipes. It’s also naturally gluten-free, making it a tasty alternative to the likes of wheat, barley, spelt, and rye-based products, for those who have dietary needs or restrictions.
It’s very similar to quinoa in its form, history, and use. And, like quinoa, it’s actually considered a pseudocereal, as it’s technically a seed and not a grain. Outside of quinoa and amaranth there’s plenty to explore in the world of ancient grains. From spelt to barley to buckwheat, take a look at our helpful guide and introduction to some of the most popular ancient grains around to gain further inspiration for your recipes.
How to Cook Amaranth Grain
Amaranth grain is cooked in a similar way to rice and oats, and so, you’ll find it often used in dishes like porridge. When cooking amaranth as a grain, approach it in a similar way to rice. Add it to boiling water and wait until it’s fully absorbed the liquid. You can add an additional step of soaking the amaranth before cooking, which will make the grains easier to digest. It’ll usually take around 20 minutes for the amaranth grain to absorb all of the water, so if you’re replacing rice in your recipe with amaranth grain, make sure you allow for the additional cooking time.
You can also pop amaranth grains like popcorn in a frying pan and add it to dishes like warm salads for a crunchy topping. You can also add cooked amaranth to breakfast dishes like smoothies, granola, and muesli. It’s an easy trick to inject added nutritional benefits into your breakfast and start the day in the best way.
Amaranth Grain Recipes for Gourmet Dishes
There’s no end to the number of amaranth recipes that you can experiment with. It’s such a versatile ingredient that can be substituted for all sorts of pasta and rice-based dishes. Cheesy quinoa porridge is a fairly well-known breakfast dish, but if you want to elevate the first meal of the day even further, then try making amaranth porridge with a dollop of gourmet raspberry chia jam on top.
And if you’re hosting guests and want to create a few dishes using amaranth grain for a unique twist on the evening, a spicy lobster soup with amaranth will certainly keep their attention to start, whilst salt fish amaranth fritters are a delicious main course. For a dessert with a difference, dark chocolate amaranth pudding is an elegant and unusual alternative to the crowd-pleasing brownies, that’s gluten-free and suitable for vegans. If all this amaranth cooking gets the conversation flowing, brush up on the top 26 facts to know about ancient grains to share with your friends and family around the dinner table.
Amaranth Flour: A Baker’s Delight
Amaranth can be ground into flour, as an alternative to cooking with the whole seed. It’s a naturally gluten-free alternative to all-purpose flour, but tends to be much denser than the flour you may be used to cooking with. You’ll need to make adjustments to your usual recipe to accommodate for the change in density and it’s best to use around a quarter of the recommended weight in the original recipe, to prevent your baked dishes becoming too thick.
Along with being denser in texture, it’s actually higher in protein and fiber than all-purpose wheat flour too. It also has a slightly earthy taste, so it’s considered to be better as a replacement for breads and savory baked goods than to sweet desserts.
Given it’s gluten-free, it adds less structure to baked goods than with all-purpose flour, and won’t rise as well. You’ll therefore need to consider using a binding agent like an egg to hold your baked goods together. However, this does mean it’s naturally well-suited for recipes like pizza dough, flatbreads, or tortillas. Though you can add baking powder or mix amaranth flour with a touch of almond flour if you do want to try making sweeter treats like muffins with this grain.
