Amaranth grain, cooked

Cooked amaranth is a tiny gluten-free grain (technically a seed) with a naturally sticky, slightly nutty and earthy flavor. Simmered in water or milk it turns creamy and porridge-like, similar in texture to grits or fine polenta, which makes it a common breakfast bowl base topped with fruit or a savory dish stirred with vegetables. It also works as a thickener stirred into soups and stews at the end of cooking, or mixed with rice or other grains for a heartier pilaf. Latin American cooks use it in the warm drink atole, while toasted, popped amaranth shows up in candies and snack bars, and in West African and South Asian kitchens the cooked leaves of the same plant are used as a leafy green.

Buy amaranth from the bulk bins or a sealed bag, and once home store it in an airtight container in a cool, dark spot since the grain's natural oils can turn rancid over time. Rinsing before cooking helps remove some of the mildly bitter surface coating, and a longer simmer than rice, generally twenty minutes or more, is needed to soften the tiny grains fully. A cooked cup is fairly low in sodium at just 6 mg, and provides 15% of the daily value for magnesium and 12% for iron, so it makes a useful grain side dish alongside a protein and vegetable for a simple weeknight plate.