We’ve been trying some new kinds of food at home. When I say “we,” I mean mainly myself and my eldest daughter. She’s going for Japanese foods, and I’ve been investigating grains and some legumes. (Sprouting is fun!) Today I picked up some amaranth seed/grain, and tried popping it. Apparently, it’s used as a gluten-free grain substitute, and also has the advantage of being high in iron. As you can see from the bag photo, it’s a small seed. But with a little experimentation, I was able to pop a few tablespoons of it in a pot on the stove. You can cook with the seed itself, for which most recipes I’ve seen so far you must grind it into flour. But you can also cook with the popped seed, or use it as a cereal. I think it’s pretty neat, kind of like digital watches. It takes a pretty hot pot, and once it’s hot enough, you need to throw the cover on it to keep the popping seeds from flying all over the stove. A “6” on our electric stove seemed about right. I didn’t use any oil or anything in the pot, but I did pick it up occasionally while the spoonfuls of seeds were popping, just to keep them moving around in there.
Up next: chia seeds!