Amaranth Recipes

Ingredients

• 1 part amaranth flour
• Cooking oil
• 3 parts wheat flour
• Salt to taste

Divide the dough into bowls and roll out into a circular shape on a floured board. Brush the surface with oil and fold the pastry into a wheel. Roll out again thinly into an even round circle.

Heat a frying pan. Dry each chapati separately on both sides over the pan, add a little oil to the pan and fry the chapati is slowly until golden brown on both sides.

Serve hot or cold with meat, fish, bean, cow peas or green gram stew or vegetable sauce or with tea or coffee for breakfast.

Amaranth Grits

Ingredients

• 1 cup amaranth
• 1 medium onion finely chopped
• Salt or soya sauce
• 1 clove garlic crushed
• 3 cups water
• Hot sauce

Combine the amaranth garlic, onion and stock in a saucepan. Boil; reduce heat and simmer covered until most liquid has been absorbed or about 20 min. Stir well. Add salt or soya sauce. Stir in a few drops of hot sauce. If desired garnish with chopped tomatoes.

Amaranth Breakfast Cereal

Method

Boil 1 cup of amaranth seeds in 3 cups of water. Sweeten with honey, add raisins or dried fruits.

Poached Amaranth

Method

Boil 1 cup of grain in 2½ cups of water or (half water and half stock or apple juice) until seeds are tender (18-20 min.) Add fresh herbs or ginger or mix with beans for a main dish.

Popped Grain Amaranth

Method

Clean amaranth grain of any foreign materials. Heat a sauce pan on medium fire. Place the grain in the pan and fry until all the grains have popped, while stirring. Serve as a snack.

Sprouted Amaranth

Method

Sprouts are seeds that are starting to grow unto a new plant. Soak seeds overnight in a container. Drain water.

Keep the seeds in the dark until sprouting begins. Rinse the sprouts to remove the shells twice a day, with clean and safe water, morning and evening;if it is hot, rinse more often.

The sprouts are ready to eat after 2-3 days. Place in a cool place or refrigerator ready to eat. Used in sandwiches, salads or much alone.

Advantages of sprouted foods

• They increase the vitamin, mineral and protein content of foods.


• They contain many live enzymes that help food to be digested.


• They cut down on cooking time.


• They are easy and cheapway to obtain fresh food.




Amaranth in Baked Products

Amaranth has no gluten hence need to be mixed with other flours in the ratio of 1 part: 3-4 parts. However for pancakes and flt breads 100% amaranth can be used.

Amaranth Spinach Served With Mashed Pumpkin


ingredients

• ½ kg amaranth leaves
• 1 medium pumpkin, seeded and peeled
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• ½ cup milk
• ½ salt to taste

Method


Wash the pumpkin and sprinkle with salt, place the pumpkin in a large pot with water.

Cover and boil for ten minutes or until the pumpkin flesh is tender, then drain away water and mash the pumpkin with a wooden spoon. Set aside for later use.

Add oil to a pot over medium heat, add diced onions and cook for 1 min or till soft and cleared, add chopped tomatoes and cook for 2 min, stirring occasionally.

Add the washed amaranth leaves (terere) stirring constantly until the mixture is thoroughly heated and leaves are falling apart.

Mix milk with the cooked vegetables, stir and add salt to taste. Cover and simmer for 5 min.Serve the cooked spinach by pouring over mashed pumpkin. This preparation provides four to six servings.

Amaranth Spinach In Coconut Milk


ingredients

• 1 kg amaranth leaves
• 1 litre water
• ½ litre coconut milk
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• Vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp salt

Method


Wash the amaranth and place it in a large pot containing boiling water and salt and boil until the leaves are tender (about 15 min).

Add oil to pan, when hot add the chopped onion then cook till golden brown.Add the boiled amaranth leaves, stirring occasionally. Add the coconut milk and boil for 12 min.

This preparation provides 4 to 6 medium servings and is best served with cooked white maize meal (ugali) or rice.

Amaranth, Spider Plant and Groundnut Relish


ingredients

• ¼ kg amaranth( 1 large bunch)
• ¼ kg spider plant(1 large bunch)
• 2 tbsp shortening or cow fat
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• ½ cup groundnut powder
• 3 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp salt

Method


Clean and wash both the green vegetables, chop the vegetables, onion and tomatoes and set aside for later. Heat the shortening or fat and fry the onion until soft and slightly brown. Add the tomatoes, stir and cook until soft. Add the green leafy vegetables, stir cover and simmer for 20 min, stirring occasionally. Mix the groundnut powder into a smooth paste and add to the simmering vegetables, then salt to taste. Cook for an individual 5 min.Preparation yields 4-6 small portion sand is best served while hot with ugali or mashed bananas.

Amaranth Spinach with Creamy Groundnut


ingredients

• 1 kg amaranth leaves(4 bunch leaves)
• ¼ litre water
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 litre fresh milk
• ¼ groundnut flour
• ½ tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp traditional salt(optional)

Method


Separate amaranth leaves from the stems, discard the stems and wash the leaves with water until clean. Add

water and traditional salt to a pot and heat until boiling, then add the amaranth leaves, cover and boil for 20 min.

Add the groundnut flour, chopped onion and salt, stir well, cover and then simmer for 5 min.

Add milk, stir well, cover and boil for an additional 5 min.

Serves 4-6 medium portions and is best served while accompanied by hot ugali.

Flying terere (amaranth) Kikuyu-style


ingredients

• ½ Kg amaranth ( 2 bunches)
• Onion
• Garlic (medium to large)
• Margarine
• Salt

Method


Separate amaranth leaves and stems, discarding stems.Wash the leaves thoroughly and drain away the excess water.

Chop the onions and crush the garlic.Saute' the chopped in margarine until tender, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the amaranth leaves and cover the the pan, cooking for three minutes or until tender.

Uncover the pan and stir thoroughly, add garlic and cook 3 additional minutes to remove excess liquid, stirring occasionally.

Season with salt to taste.


This preparation provides 3 or 4 portions and is best served while hot.

Okra with traditional Green Vegetables


ingredients

• 4 Okra
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 2 bunches Kunde (cow peas leaves)
• 2 bunches terere (amaranth)
• 1 tbsp cooking fat
• 1 medium onion
• 2 medium tomatoes
• salt to taste

Method


Wash and chop the okra, kunde and terere.Boil water, add all the chopped vegetables and cook for 10 minutes.

Heat the fat in a saucepan and fry the onion until tender.Add the chopped tomatoes, green vegetables and salt and fry for 5 minutes.

Serve with ugali or mashed potatoes and meat or pulses dishes.

Rasow and Lika (Boiled wild Amaranth and Wild carrots)


ingredients

• 8 bunches wild amaranth
• 4 wild carrots
• 1 tbsp salt
• 2 cups fresh milk

Method


Wash and chop the amaranth and carrots.Boil the vegetable until tender.Darin off water.

Add the milk and salt and continue cooking for 2 minutes.Remove from the heat.

Serve hot






---