Amaranth Recipes
Amaranth is a broadleaf plant with violet, orange, red and gold flowers. It is a legendary plant, with more than 5000 years of history, formerly used in ritual ceremonies. It was a staple crop of the ancient Aztecs who received as tribute.
Amaranth is closely linked to the history of ancient civilizations that have populated the American continent: Mayas, Aztecs and Incas. You can take the whole plant: the stem is consumed as a vegetable, the leaf used for cooking. But the most used is the seed, which has a high nutritional content.
Amaranth has a high nutritional value which after four centuries has begun to be revalued. Their use was banned by the Spanish upon their arrival in America for use in human sacrifices.
Noodle soup with broth and Amaranth
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of amaranth flour
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 ½ liters of bean broth
- 1 cup of grated white cheese
- 1 package of thin noodles
- 2 serrano chiles
- 1 medium tomato
- salt to taste
- 1 slice of onion
Preparation:
- Spread noodles and fry in oil until evenly browned. Grind in blender tomato, onion and garlic with salt and pour the golden noodles.
- Leave seasoning, add the chiles.
- In the bean broth, dissolve amaranth flour and add to soup. Bring to a boil, add salt and try it when the noodles have softened off the fire.
- Serve the soup with grated cheese.
Amaranth Bars
- Take dried seeds of amaranth. Clean and put to soak for several hours.
- Then drain and roast in hot mud or metal, moving constantly until they burst.
- Then mix with honey and brown sugar, and all were uniformly kneaded and then cut into the bars or figures, dressed with nuts and raisins.
Amaranth cake
Ingredient:
- ¼ kg. of amaranth flour
- 3 tbsp. of baking powder
- ¼ kg. of flour
- 1 cup of milk
- ½ kg. of Butter
- 5 eggs
- 400 g. of sugar
Preparation:
- Put the butter to melt and remove it, add the yolks and sugar, beat until the consistency of cream.
- Stiff flour and baking powder, beat egg whites to incorporate the point of nougat, to continue to work, add milk, beat all well, lastly add nuts or raisins.
- Grease the pan and bake 30 to 35 min. a regular fire.
Amaranth joy
Ingredients:
- 1 / 4 kg. of amaranth seeds
- 1 / 4 kg. of brown sugar
- Raisins, nuts or seeds to taste
Preparation:
- Soak Amaranth seeds in water for 6 hours.
- Get them out and put them to dry in a cloth of very fine wire, the openings of the fabric must not allow the passage of seeds.
- Once dry, toast on a griddle, stirring constantly until they take a whitish color.
- Boil the water with brown sugar, Blend it with seeds and knead until a uniform paste.
- Cut it into cubes or bars extending it on a flat surface.
- You can add raisins, nuts or pumpkin seeds to taste.
Amaranth Bread
Ingredients:
- 3 ½ cups of white flour
- 3 ½ cups of whole grain flour
- 1½ cup of amaranth flour
- ¼ margarine
- 3 eggs
- 1 tablespoon of yeast
- 1 tablespoon of salt
- ¼ cup of sugar
- 3 cups of milk or warm water
Preparation:
- Prepare yeast with 1 ½ cup of lukewarm water or milk, 1 tablespoon of sugar left to ferment for 15 minutes in warm place.
- Mix the three types of flour in a large bowl and add yeast prepared.
- Margarine is dissolved in the rest of the warm water with sugar and salt. Mix this solution with flour and add eggs.
- The dough is formed. -regulate the consistency by incorporating more water or flour as necessary. It is left in a warm place until increased in volume. Knead gently, separating in small portions with which the loaves are formed.
- Set floured tray and leave in warm place to continue to grow in volume. Paint with milk, water or egg yolk and put into pre-heated oven.
Amaranth Horchata
Ingredients:
- 1 Liter of milk
- 3 tablespoons of Amaranth flour
- Honey or sugar
- 3 liters of water
- cinnamon
Preparation:
- Sweeten 1 liter of water with honey or sugar
- Dissolve flour in remaining water (2 liters).
- Let stand for 10 minutes and strain
- Add to sweetened water.
- Add milk to taste and sprinkle with cinnamon.
- Serve cold.