Popped Kiwicha (Amaranth) Granola + A Giveaway!

Hi everyone! I hope you’re having a great day. I’m here to share a fun recipe using a Peruvian super food called kiwicha, also known as amaranth. Kiwicha looks like teeny tiny quinoa grains. It’s naturally gluten-free and higher in protein than most other grains.

One of the coolest things about kiwicha is that you can pop it like popcorn – a snack commonly sold on the streets in South America. I used popped kiwicha in my granola recipe, which adds a slightly peppery flavor and puffed rice texture. It’s so good, my husband and I ate a few spoonfuls of freshly popped kiwicha right out of the bowl!

I adapted my granola from the Peruvian Kiwicha Granola in Manuel Villacorta’s new book, Whole Body Reboot: The Peruvian Superfoods Diet to Detoxify, Energize, and Supercharge Fat Loss. Manuel is also a Registered Dietitian, and he wrote the book with my friend Sarah Koszyk, MA., R.D.

Whole Body Reboot introduces you to 21 Peruvian superfoods like aji, pichuberries, purple corn, purple potatoes, and yuca. Villacorta argues that Peruvians who live in areas that still consume traditional foods have lower rates of metabolic syndrome (a combination of medical disorders including a large waistline, high blood pressure and high triglycerides), diabetes and obesity than those who live in the cities. The rates are also lower than in the United States. In addition, the superfoods offer memory-boosting properties, are high in antioxidants and vitamins, and help with weight management.

The book is filled with 135 recipes, many of which are gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian. I liked reading about foods I’d never heard of, and had a fun visiting a local Latin market to pick up ingredients like the kiwicha (also available at natural foods stores as amaranth).

Try it out in my…

Popped Kiwicha (Amaranth) Granola

Adapted from Whole Body Reboot by Manuel Villacrota, M.S., R.D., with Sarah Koszyk, M.A., R.D.

Servings: 12 / Serving Size: 1/2 cup

Ingredients:

• 2 cups popped kiwicha (requires about 6 tablespoons raw kiwicha) – see instructions below
• 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/2 cup steel-cut oats (or you can use all old-fashioned oats)
• 1/2 cup almonds, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips or cacao nibs
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 5 tablespoons honey

Step One: Pop the Kiwicha 

Thanks to Radiant Health Inner Wealth for the really helpful insider tips

1. Get the pot hot enough: Place a medium soup pot or sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add a few kiwicha grains to the pot and cover. When the grains turn dark brown, you’re ready to make kiwicha popcorn! Throw out the burned grains and put the empty pot back on the burner
2. Start popping: Add a tablespoon of kiwicha grains to the pot in a single layer. Cover the pot. Shake immediately, and keep shaking for the next 30 seconds
3. Empty the popped kernels into a medium bowl
4. Repeat step 2 & 3 five times until you’ve popped six cups

Step Two: Assemble the Granola:

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F
2. In a large bowl, combine the popped kiwicha, oats, almonds, dried cranberries, chocolate chips and cinnamon
3. Toss the dry ingredients with the canola oil and honey
4. Spread evenly on a parchment-line sheet pan. Bake for 25-35 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until the granola is fragrant and golden brown.
5. Once cooled, transfer to jars and store at room temperature for one to two weeks

I’m thrilled to be able to give one lucky reader a copy of Whole Body Reboot so they can start including Peruvian superfoods in their diet. Thank you to Manuel Villacorta for sponsoring this giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you liked this post, please share it with a friend! 🙂

xx

Caroline