Done in 60 Seconds – Amaranth “Popcorn”

Air popped popcorn, from non-GMO corn, is one of my favorite snacks. Perfect for movies with a little vegan butter, garlic powder, and course salt. Great for the holidays when coated in caramel and mixed with nuts for popcorn balls. A low cal snack that’s great source of fiber.

So when I stumbled upon an article that mentioned popped amaranth, I was intrigued, and after making it, I was addicted! It quickly became a favorite of both my husband and especially my two year old!

   

If you’ve never heard of amaranth, it is one of the ancient or Biblical grains. Used largely in Mexico, especially as a coating for candy to give a textural crunch. It’s packed with protein, fiber, calcium, and tons of other essential nutrients, and cheap to buy, especially from a bulk source like Whole Foods or your local farmers market or health food store. What you are buying and cooking is actually the seed of the grain, and the seeds are tiny.  When raw, it looks like this:

It can be cooked like rice, 2 to 1 ratio, boil then simmer 15 – 20 minutes, and prepared this way has a texture similar to cream of wheat with a bit of a sweet, nutty flavor. Popped, the taste and flavor are completely different. Somewhere between popcorn and puffed oats, it’s a fast, filling snack with tons of possibilities.

This recipe uses garlic and hemp oil, giving it a rustic Italian flavor, while added healthy Omega 3 and 6. Alternatively, you could coat in melted vegan butter and cinnamon sugar for a sweet snack or dessert. Or, replace the hemp oil with olive oil for a more traditional, less nutty flavor while adding a squeeze of lime juice and some cayenne for a little heat. Plain amaranth can be added to salads for texture and added protein, or try rolling a banana in it for a quick breakfast on the go!

This is such an easy, wholesome, crowd pleasing snack that you will want to make a lot!  Luckily, if you run out, it only takes a second to whip up a new batch!

Garlic Hemp Oil tossed Popped Amaranth

1 cup amaranth

2 tbsp hemp oil (you can substitute olive oil if you don’t have hemp oil on hand)

1 tsp garlic powder (or more to taste)

Pink Himalayan salt to taste

Heat a large skillet or frying pan with lid (you will need a non-stick pan with a clear lid) on over medium to medium-high heat for about 3 minutes. Once the pan is hot (you can test by sprinkling a little water on the pan, if it jumps and sizzles, the pan is ready), pinch a handful of amaranth between your fingers and drop them on to the pan in a circular motion so that they are evenly distributed throughout the pan. Cover the pan immediately. Amaranth will begin to pop within 10 to 15 seconds, if they do not, the pan is not hot enough. Allow amaranth to pop for 30 seconds or so.

You will see the seeds turn white as they pop:

You will be able to see when most kernels are popped and popping slows. Do not overcook! They will quickly go from done to burned, so err on the side of undercooking rather than overcooking. Not all kernels will pop, this is OK. They have still been toasted and are edible and should be left mixed in with the popped kernels. You are just looking for most of the kernels to pop. When about 70 – 80% have popped, the batch is done and must be removed from the hot pan immediately. You must transfer the popped amaranth to a bowl, removing it completely from the hot pan. Even if the pan is removed from the burner, it will still be hot enough to continue cooking, and potentially burn, the amaranth.

Set aside bowl with popped amaranth, and continue popped the remaining amaranth in batches. Batches of small handfuls work best. You do not want to pour the whole ½ in at once because it will over crowd the pan and more amaranth will burn before most can pop. Small pinches with your fingers work best, each batch should average around a ¼ or less. If you do decide to pour the amaranth in the pan with a measuring cup, you will need to give the pan a little shake to disperse the grains evenly in the pan. If they are piled up in the pan, they will not begin popping right away, which will lead to burned amaranth.  

Once all batches are complete and transferred to bowl, drizzle oil over amaranth and sprinkle with garlic powder and salt. Use a spoon to toss the amaranth so that it is evenly coated.

Serve immediately or store in bags for later. It can be eating with your hands but can get messy, more apt for eating off a spoon.









The kernels are small, but very filling!