I've been reading about popped amaranth recently - how good it is in cereal and as a basis for treats. I like popcorn well enough - I've never really made it outside my parent's house before - so I thought I'd give it try.
I'm sorry to say that my first attempt failed: I burned the amaranth and set off both of my apartment's smoke alarms. I think I didn't account for the fact that, at high elevations, temperatures around the oven heat up really fast, and I was using the big shallow frying pan I have on hand. It's nice for scrambling an egg quickly, but not so good for popping amaranth. I've not given up, but I need to procure a wok somehow, as is specified in several recipes I read. My dad would be thrilled - he's talked about the wok's virtues since I was a kid.
That said, here's how to pop amaranth, courtesy of Winnie Abramson at the Healthy Green Kitchen.
"Rinse amaranth seeds in a fine mesh strainer and let sit for about 30 minutes so they are dry. Place a wok or cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add the raw amaranth. Stir around with a wooden spoon as the amaranth seeds begin to turn brown and toasty. Then they should start popping. Be aware that if the pan isn’t hot enough or if you add too much amaranth at once, your seeds may not pop, and they might just burn. (For this reason, you may want to add only a tablespoon of amaranth at once, and remove them as soon as they’ve popped).
If the pan is hot enough though, and if you continue to stir the seeds around, most of them should pop and turn white. Watch that they don’t burn. When most of the seeds have popped, remove from the heat and set aside to cool." (1)
No comments:
Post a Comment