Crunchy Amaranth Granola
Amaranth, used by the ancient Aztecs, is a complete protein source boasting all nine essential amino acids and a variety of other nutrients. It is naturally gluten free – it’s actually a seed, not a grain. I usually make a simple porridge with soaked amaranth, cinnamon, a few blueberries and a drizzle of honey, but I love this nutty granola with apples and a little milk or yoghurt. It’s always best to soak overnight if you can.
INGREDIENTS
- 250g amaranth, soaked 12-24 hours
- 250 mixed nuts and seeds, soaked 12-24 hours
- 2 – 3 tbsp virgin coconut oil
- 2 – 3 tbsp rice syrup (or other sweetener of your choice, such as honey or maple syrup)
- 1 tbsp vanilla paste or essence
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp Maldon salt
STEP BY STEP
Drain the soaked amaranth and put in a pan with just enough water to cover, and bring to the boil. Then lower the heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes. You will need to stir vigorously for the last few minutes so that it does not stick, but it’s important to get it thickened, like a firm polenta. The more you cook it at this stage the less time it takes to slow bake and dry in the oven later on, so a little elbow grease is prudent.
Pre-heat the oven to 80 fan and grease two non-stick baking trays.
Drain the nut/seed mix well and pulse in a food processor a few times. Mix with the cooked amaranth and rest of the ingredients, and spread on two trays as evenly as possible.
Cook in the low oven overnight, with the door wedged just slightly open to let out moisture (I use a chopstick across the corner of the door for this). Turn the mix over halfway through if you can. It needs to be completely dry, so you may find that the cooking time depends on how dry the amaranth was to begin with.
When it’s done, let it cool before breaking into small pieces. Store in an airtight container. Enjoy with yoghurt, nut milk, berries or apple.
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