how to use amaranth

How to Use Amaranth.

Considered an ancient grain, amaranth is a great source of nutrition. It has high fiber at 15%, high protein at 14% and can be used in many ways. It also contains high lysine, an amino acid found in few foods and higher calcium than most other grains. The best reason to eat amaranth is for its high nutritional value, but it also can become a staple food in the diets of people who are diabetic or have celiac because of its low glycemic index value and lack of gluten. Children also benefit from amaranth in their diet because of its high nutritional value. Amaranth is a whole grain and can also be counted as a vegetable. Although amaranth is gaining popularity, it is still not widely used and many people are unsure how to cook and eat amaranth. Knowing how to use amaranth will help you incorporate it into your diet more often.



Part 1 Using Amaranth as the Grain Portion of a Meal.

The Institute of Medicine recommends consuming grains as part of a healthy meal. These grains can be served separately or as a part of a dish. Amaranth is a nice substitute for rice or pasta in a meal and satisfies the grain portion of the meal.

1. Serve amaranth instead of rice.

Use 2.5 to 3 cups of water to 1 cup of amaranth.

Simmer it in a covered pan for approximately 20 minutes.

All the water should absorb and the grains should be fluffy when finished.

You can also toast the amaranth in butter and add some of it into a rice pilaf with rice and other grains.

2. Use amaranth instead of couscous, risotto or orzo in pasta dishes. Amaranth works well because the texture and size are not far off from these pastas or grains. You will want to use slightly less water to cook the amaranth to help it retain its structure.

Make whole grain rolls with amaranth. Amaranth is a nice addition to whole grain breads. It can either be used whole or as flour.

Using it whole, it will add texture and nuttiness to the bread.

If using the flour, you can substitute 5% to 30% of the regular flour with amaranth flour, and the only other change you need to make to the recipe would be a slight increase in water.

It also works well as gluten free flour. When making gluten free rolls, you will need to substitute all the regular flour for amaranth flour, increase the water and add xanthan gum and a starch to help the bread bake correctly.

3. Make amaranth instead of oatmeal.

Amaranth can be simmered in juice for a sweet flavor.

Add nuts, spices and fruit for a healthy and sweet breakfast.

4. Add amaranth to soups or chili. Amaranth flour can be added to thicken up soups or cooked amaranth can be added for flavor and texture.



Part 2 Preparing Amaranth in Dessert.

Amaranth has a mild flavor that lends itself well to many applications, including dessert. Many people describe amaranth as being slightly nutty and toasty.

1. Make amaranth pudding. This is just like rice pudding. You can follow a rice pudding recipe and just substitute the amaranth for rice.

2. Use amaranth to make cookies.

Amaranth seeds add a nice crunch to cookies.

The flour can also be used to make gluten free cookies. You only need to substitute the amaranth flour for regular flour when making a gluten free cookie. This will affect the flavor and give a slightly dryer cookie. To help counter these effects, try adding applesauce to your cookie recipe. The applesauce will add some flavor and retain moisture.



Part 3 Baking with Amaranth.

Amaranth works well in baked applications, especially for gluten free baked goods. Using amaranth in baked goods increases the nutritional value, mainly the fiber and protein. Also, amaranth has a low glycemic index and people looking to keep blood sugar stable while still enjoying baked goods can do that with amaranth.

1. Substitute a portion of regular flour or whole wheat flour with amaranth flour. By substituting no more than 30% of the flour with amaranth you can still follow most recipes, with the exception being the amount of water. You may need more water when using amaranth flour because it absorbs more liquid than regular flour.

2. Make gluten free baked goods. Going gluten free in baking requires more changes to recipes because you need a way to build air structure in bread without gluten. The way this is overcome is by using xanthan gum and a starch. When making cookies or baked goods that don’t require much air cell structure, you may be able to substitute 100% of the flour.

3. Add whole amaranth for flavor and texture. You can toast the seeds before you use it or just add them raw to many bread and cookie recipes. Toasted amaranth seeds go well in items like biscotti because they add flavor and crunch.



Part 4 Making Amaranth Part of a Healthy Snack.

Healthy snacking is part of a balanced diet. Ideally, when snacking you want carbohydrates and protein to help satiate you until the next meal. Amaranth provides carbohydrates and protein and can be added to many snack foods.

1. Pop amaranth into a crunchy snack. Amaranth will pop easily and creates nice “puffs” that can be eaten alone or added to a snack mix.

To pop the amaranth, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of amaranth to a very hot skillet.

Stir the seeds continuously until they pop and while they are popping.

Once most of the seeds have popped, quickly remove them from the pan to avoid burning them.

Try drizzling honey and cinnamon on popped amaranth for a sweet snack.

2. Add course ground amaranth to smoothies. This will boost the nutritional value of the smoothie while giving it a thicker texture and nutty flavor.

3. Finished.



Question : How do you make popped amaranth?

Answer : Making popped amaranth takes a little getting used to but once you've mastered it, you'll be able to do it quickly and easily. It is popped without oil or other additions, which may feel odd at first, but it's a great low calorie way to make a treat. For step-by-step instructions on making it, check out the wikiHow: How to Pop Amaranth.

Question : How do you pronounce amaranth?

Answer : Depending on your own accent, it is pronounced "am-uh-ranth". A brief online search for "how to pronounce amaranth" will provide you with a sound file to listen to so you can perfect it!

Question : Should vegans eat amaranth?

Answer : Absolutely! Amaranth is a good choice to add to a vegan or vegetarian diet because of their high protein content and complete protein profile. Not only are they healthy but they're a tasty addition to a vegan diet that will help to keep you feeling full.

Question : What is a pseudocereal?

Answer : A pseudocereal refers to a plant that has starch-filled seeds or fruits that we treat as a grain. The reason such seeds or fruits are called "pseudocereal" is that they do not meet the botanical requirements to be considered a true cereal grain but they get used in much the same way for our diet (e.g., as a cereal, as flour, etc.). Many pseudocereals were staples in ancient cultures, like amaranth, quinoa and buckwheat. In general, they have highly nutritious profiles, which is why many of them are getting "rediscovered" in current times and are thought by agricultural experts to be an underappreciated source of future nutrition (Rosentrater and Evers 2018). Another name you might find these seeds and fruits referred to is "pseudograin".

Question : Can you eat amaranth leaves?

Answer : Yes, the leaves of amaranth are edible, the Aztecs used to boil the leaves and eat them as a vegetable. If you want to enjoy amaranth as a vegetable, use either any leaves from a young amaranth plant (or even the whole plant if you can spare it) or just go for the fresh growing tips of larger, older plants. If the leaves have spines, these need to be scraped off before boiling.

Question : Is amaranth healthy?

Answer : Yes, amaranth is a healthy grain. It contains around 27 grams of protein per cup, making it one of the best sources of grain protein. It is also a complete protein. Other nutrients include manganese and iron. It is a good source of dietary fiber as well.

Question : Can it be eaten raw?

Answer : You should cook amaranth before eating it because it contains components in its raw form that block the absorption of some nutrients in the digestive system.

Question : Can I use amaranth to make porridge to feed a toddler?

Yes, you can use amaranth to make instant porridge. Add some hot milk and sugar/jaggery to amaranth puffs. Allow it to stand for a few minutes before serving. You can make the porridge as runny or as thick as you want by adjusting the amount of milk you use.

Question : Can I find this product in Bangalore?

Answer : Amazon India and several other websites sell online to customers all over India. You can also get it in large grocery stores or organic food stores in Bangalore.

Question : What does an amaranth plant look like?

Answer : Amaranth plants are highly variable in leaf size and color, also in overall plant height. Some are tiny with solid green leaves and few seeds (pig weed), while others are over 6 ft/ 2 m tall with bright orange/red/green leaves. If you type "amaranth plant" into Google and click on Images, you'll see plenty of examples.



Tips.

Purchase and taste some products made with amaranth before committing to cook with it or use it regularly. This will help you determine if and how you want to use amaranth.

Use tea strainer (fine mesh) to rinse amaranth, and dry well before use.

The USDA recommends at least 51% of grains come from whole grains and amaranth counts towards the whole grain recommendation.

Februari 23, 2020

how to make oat flour

How to Make Oat Flour

Want to use up your oats in a more creative and a much more delicious way than oatmeal each morning? Suffering from gluten intolerance? Looking for a way to get rid of mountains of rolled oats? Oat flour may be for you. This healthy, versatile flour is easy to make yourself, so don't waste money buying it at the health food store. You only need a food processor and one ingredient to get started.

Ingredients

Oats (Old fashioned, steel cut, or quick-cooking all work).

Blender or food processor.

Part 1 Making Oat Flour.

1. Measure out a portion of oats. The type of oats traditionally used for oat flour are called "rolled oats." These can be bought for cheap at many grocery stores, but are not always available. Luckily, you can use instant, quick-cook, or steel cut as well -- the only difference is grain size, and you're grinding them all up anyway.

Don't use oats that have been flavored in any way, as this flavor will work into your final dish. Plain oats are best.

If you're going to be using your oat flour in a recipe immediately, measure out more oats than the recipe calls for. Once you turn them into flour, they'll settle and take up a smaller volume. You'll generally end up with about 3/4 of the volume of oats you started with.

2. Pulse the oats in a food processor. Any standard blender or "Magic Bullet"-type device will also work well.In a pinch, you could use a coffee grinder. Be sure to clean it out first unless you want coffee-flavored flour. Pulse for 30 seconds or until the oats reach a fine, powdery consistency. They should look a lot like traditional plain, all-purpose wheat flour.

No blender? There are a variety of ways to make manual flour, but you need to know they will take a while. You could try.

Mincing: Using your sharpest knife, rock it back and forth over a small pile of oats to quickly chop them up. They will be a little bigger than a real flour, but will still work.

Grinding: Using a mortar and pestle, grind the oats into a powder.

Mashing: A last-ditch effort, put the oats in a resealable plastic bag, squeeze the air out, and start crushing as if washing clothing by hand. Note that this will likely take a long time.

3. Stir to mix in any stray oats, then pulse again. It can be hard to tell whether any extra oats remain in your flour, so open the food processor or blender and stir the powder a few times to be safe. Pulse again for 10 seconds or so.

4. Use or store your oat flour at once. Your oat flour is ready to use right away. You can use it roughly how you would use plain flour ordinarily, substituting it into recipes. If you need to save some, use the same rules you would use for ordinary flour. Keep it in a cool, dry place in an airtight container. Oat flour lasts for about 3 months in the cabinet and 6 months in the freezer.

These are only estimates, and oat flour will never keep as long as whole oats. Only make as much as you can use in the next few weeks.

Hot and humid environments will lower the shelf life of your flour. Cold and dry areas may be able to store their oat flour a little longer without problems.

Part 2 Using Oat Flour.

1. Use for its subtle oat flavor. The taste difference between plain flour and oat flour won't immediately jump out at you, but it's somewhat noticeable. Oat flour gives the baked goods a nutty flavor and a chewy texture, different from plain flour but not overwhelmingly so. This is perfect for certain dishes — specifically, savory-sweet baked goods tend to benefit from this taste profile.

The classic example, Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, are taken to the next level with oat flour.

In most recipes, you only need 3/4 cup flour for every 1 cup of plain flour. If a cookie recipe calls for 2 cups normal flour, you should use 1 1/2 cup oat flour. except in raised yeast breads that need gluten to give them structure.

If you're unsure how a baked good will respond, mix and match the flours. Instead of 1 cup of plain flour, try 3/4 oats and 1/4 wheat to get the textural benefits of gluten (it gives loaves of bread shape) without eating too much of it.

2. Use to reduce the gluten in recipes. One of the most popular ways oat flour is used today is as a gluten-free alternative to plain flour. Because gluten is a protein that naturally comes from wheat, using oat flour instead of all-purpose flour will usually remove the gluten from baked goods.

Note: The rolled oats you can buy at the store aren't always 100% gluten free. Small amounts of wheat can get mixed into the oats (usually, because the equipment used to process them is also used to process wheat). This can make a difference for people with Celiac disease or gluten intolerance, so be sure to use oats that are advertised as gluten-free to fully protect friends with Celiac disease.

3. Use oat flour to give baked goods a lighter texture. Compared to plain flour, oat flour is slightly less dense, which makes foods baked from it a little fluffier than they normally would be. This can be used to make wonderfully light muffins and biscuits, though it's also great for giving a unique texture to thicker pastries like scones and soda bread.

You don't need to substitute all of the flour to get this effect. To add lightness without losing the taste or consistency of plain flour, use a half-and-half mixture.

Try using oat flour in our scone recipe for a lighter version of this delicious breakfast treat.

4. Use to coat or dredge foods. Just like ordinary flour, oat flour can be used as a coating for a wide variety of foods. For instance, if you're frying breaded cuts of meat, you can coat them with oat flour (instead of plain flour) before dipping in an egg wash and tossing with the breading. Oat flour can also be dusted on proved loaves (loaves that have finished rising, but aren't cooked yet) to create an attractive, crunchy crust.

Another excellent idea is to use oat flour when kneading bread dough to keep it from sticking to your work surface. Because of its lighter texture, it won't make the dough stiff if you incorporate too much.

5. Use oat flour for its nutritional benefits. Oat flour is great for your body even if you don't have gluten intolerance. Oats are naturally rich in protein, fiber, and help your body burn fats. They are lower in carbohydrates than most grains and are known to have minor cholesterol-reducing properties. This makes oat flour an excellent choice for your recipes — even if there isn't a special reason to use it.

Oat flour has high levels of magnesium, making it very helpful for women going through menopause or menstruation. Magnesium deficiencies are a common cause of profuse menstrual bleeding.

6. Finished.

Tips

Gluten is a protein that gives bread and bread products their springy, elastic quality.[10] Because oats don't naturally contain gluten, using oat flour in place of plain flour will change the texture of many baked goods.

In many countries, wheat flour, plain flour, and all-purpose white flour are referred to as one and the same; but plain flour and wheat flour are sold as two different items in some countries such as India. The difference is similar to the difference between brown rice and white rice. Both the ingredients are derived from the same item.

A very small percentage of Celiac patients may experience a negative reaction to oats even though they do not contain gluten. This is because the oats could be contaminated at the factory with plain flours. Make sure the oats are certified gluten-free.

Desember 05, 2019