Amaranth Porridge With Grated Apples and Maple Syrup

Name: Amaranth Porridge With Grated Apples and Maple Syrup
Total time: 25 min
Yield: Serves 1
Ingredients: 1/4 cup amaranth; 1/2 cup water; Pinch of salt; 1/3 cup milk; 1 teaspoon maple syrup; 1/2 small or 1/4 large apple, grated

By Martha Rose Shulman

Total Time: 25 minutes
Rating: 4(50)
Notes: Read community notes

Amaranth is a tiny seed – it isn’t really a grain, though that is how we treat it – and has both sweet and grassy overtones. I experimented with preparing it as a polenta, like the teff polenta I made earlier in the week, and seasoning it with nut oil or mixing in a little Parmesan. It worked that way, but I still found that the flavor of this food works better with sweet flavors, and the texture did not benefit from the long oven simmer, the way the teff did. So again, I decided that amaranth is best served as a breakfast porridge. I toasted the seeds in the pan before adding water, and this added a wonderful popcorn dimension to the flavor. The aroma of this cereal as it cooked reminded me of the smell of the whole wheat Ralston Hot Cereal that my mother used to make for me. The amaranth will cook in about 20 minutes on top of the stove. I add milk halfway through the cooking, and the amaranth retains a nice grainy texture.

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Ingredients

Yield:Serves 1

For Each Serving

¼cup amaranth
½cup water
Pinch of salt
⅓cup milk
1teaspoon maple syrup
½small or ¼ large apple, grated

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Heat a small saucepan over medium-high heat and add the amaranth seeds. Shake them in the pan until they begin to smell toasty and a few seeds begin to pop, about 2 minutes. Immediately pour in the water. Do not wait too long because the line between toasted and burnt amaranth is a thin one – as soon as you smell the toasty aroma and see a few seeds popping, add the water. Add the salt, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cover. Simmer 10 minutes.
Step 2
Stir in the milk and bring back to a simmer, stirring. Cover and simmer another 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the amaranth is tender. Remove from heat and stir in the maple syrup. Transfer to a bowl, sprinkle the grated apple on top and serve.

Tip

Advance preparation: You can make more than you need and keep in the refrigerator for a couple of days. Amaranth reheats well. I add a little more milk when I reheat.

Ratings

4 out of 5

50 user ratings

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Cooking Notes

Mary6 years ago

I used almond milk and honey and a pinch of cinnamon and it was delicious, especially on a cold winter morning.

mosaic6 years ago

Amaranth is one of my two favorite breakfast grains. This is a lovely porridge that I will be making for years to come. Thank you.

sbsidhu4 years ago

I follow the cooking instructions from this recipe but usually top my amaranth with toasted nuts instead of grated apple. My family loves oatmeal, but this is a great alternative and adds variety to our usual rotation of breakfast cereal grains.

HH1 year ago

I added a dash or cardamon with the salt and then crunchy peanut butter with the apple. A delight!

sbsidhu4 years ago

mosaic6 years ago

Amaranth is one of my two favorite breakfast grains. This is a lovely porridge that I will be making for years to come. Thank you.

Mary6 years ago

I used almond milk and honey and a pinch of cinnamon and it was delicious, especially on a cold winter morning.

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