I went a bit wild when I met Michael and found out about all these incredible gluten-free ingredients – like amaranth. I bought a big bag of it, and wasn’t a massive fan of it cooked like porridge. When I found out how to make popped amaranth, I was very excited!
If you haven’t already, please look at my other amaranth post to learn a little more about this cute and tiny ingredient!
When placed in a dry, hot pan, the teensy amaranth grains *pop!*, bursting their yellow-y outer shell for a fluffier white exterior, doubling in size. It’s just like popping corn kernels. Popped amaranth can be eaten itself plain or with toppings, and can be incorporated into loads of other foods, like energy balls and granola bars.
I would never have thought to try amaranth had I not been looking for alternatives to quinoa, rice, and potatoes for Michael. Learning to cook fully gluten-free really has opened up a world of new ingredients for me, and I really hope this blog helps open it up for you too.
You can find amaranth in most health food shops, and I recently saw it in Lidl! They also sell bags of pre-popped amaranth too. What a world. After reading how to make popped amaranth, you won’t need to buy the pre-made stuff.
Here I’m going to show you how to make popped amaranth.
- 3 tbsp dry, uncooked amaranth
- Heat a pot/pan (with a tight fitting lid) to a medium-high heat. Test the heat by splashing a drop of water in the pan. If it sizzles and jumps around, your pan is ready.
- Working quickly, one teaspoon at a time, drop in the dry amaranth grains straight into the hot pan. Place the lid on and shake it around so no grains burn on the bottom. The grains should start to pop.*
- After around 30 seconds, once the grains have all turned white, toss the popped grains into a separate bowl. Repeat until all the dry amaranth is used up.
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