Amaranth Grain: 3 Ways to Use Amaranth

Amaranth is the common name for the genus Amaranthus, which contains seventy-five species of plants. Amaranth plants can grow up to nine feet in height and feature broad leaves and flowers of deep purple, red, and gold. Some species of amaranth have edible leaves, such as Amaranthus tricolor. The Amaranthus caudatus, Amaranthus cruentus, and Amaranthus hypochondriacus species are cultivated as grain crops.

Amaranth grain, which was a staple food of the Aztecs, is an ancient grain native to Mexico and Central America. Along with quinoa, amaranth grain is a pseudocereal, a non-grass with similar culinary uses to wheat. You can use pseudocereals in seed form or as ground flour. Amaranth promotes many health benefits, and it is high in antioxidants, calcium, manganese, magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus.

Amaranth and couscous look similar, but there are key differences between them:

• Gluten: Amaranth is gluten-free, whereas couscous is made from durum wheat semolina, so it contains gluten.
• Carbohydrates: Amaranth contains more carbohydrates than couscous—couscous has approximately 23 grams of carbohydrates per 100 grams, while amaranth has 67 grams of carbohydrates per 100 grams.
• Protein: Couscous does contain protein, but it is not a complete protein source, so you cannot use it as a full protein substitute. Amaranth contains complete proteins, with all nine essential amino acids, so it is a suitable plant-based substitute for meat.

You can use amaranth in a variety of ways:

1. 1. Porridge: Cook amaranth seeds in water or milk to make hot breakfast cereal.
2. 2. Soup: Simmer amaranth seeds in broth to add nutrients to a soup base, or use it to make pilaf.
3. 3. Candy: Amaranth seeds pop like popcorn. Aztecs combined popped amaranth with honey, molasses, or chocolate to make a treat called alegría, which means "joy" in Spanish.
4. 4. Baked goods: You can use amaranth flour in baking to make gluten-free muffins or cakes.

Become a better chef with the MasterClass Annual Membership. Gain access to exclusive video lessons taught by the world’s best, including Mashama Bailey, Gabriela Cámara, Niki Nakayama, Chef Thomas Keller, Yotam Ottolenghi, Dominique Ansel, Gordon Ramsay, Alice Waters, and more.