Amaranth Brittle (Rajgira ni Chikki)
Amaranth brittle is a traditional brittle made with jaggery and popped amaranth seeds
Servings: 9
Calories: 87kcal
Ingredients
- ½ cup amaranth seeds
- ½ cup jaggery crumbled or cut into slivers with a knife piloncillo or date palm sugar works too
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Grease a 9×9 inch baking pan with coconut oil.
- Heat a stainless steel or cast iron pan over medium heat until very hot. About 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add half the amaranth seeds and stir continously. If the seeds start to darken quickly, take the pan off the heat and keep stirring. The seeds will continue to pop. It’s a good idea to cover the pan with a splatter screen because the seeds tend to fly everywhere. Repeat the process with the other half of the seeds. Set the popped amaranth aside. (not all the amaranth seeds will be popped, it’s okay)
- In the same pan, heat the coconut oil over medium heat. Add the jaggery and the pinch of salt. Stir until the jaggery is melted and there are no more lumps remaining.
- Add the popped amaranth and stir. Combine well.
- Transfer the amaranth mixture to the greased baking dish. Spread evenly with a spatula.
- Let cool for 30 minutes.
- Once the brittle is cool, remove from the baking dish and break into shards with your hands.
Notes
The length of time you cook the jaggery with determine the crunchiness of the brittle. I don’t like super crunch brittle so I just melt the jaggery and add the amaranth as soon as it’s melted. Let the jaggery cook longer for crunchier brittle. Be careful not to burn it!
If you are kind of obsessive, like me, and are bothered by unpopped amaranth, pop the amaranth 1 teaspoon at a time. I found that more seeds popped that way. But I also popped 1/4 cup at a time and it worked just fine.
Traditionally, amaranth brittle is made with ghee, not coconut oil. But I wanted to keep it vegan and I really like the touch of coconut flavor. Feel free to use ghee instead if you prefer.
I bought my amaranth at Whole Foods. It’s widely available at health food stores.
If you are kind of obsessive, like me, and are bothered by unpopped amaranth, pop the amaranth 1 teaspoon at a time. I found that more seeds popped that way. But I also popped 1/4 cup at a time and it worked just fine.
Traditionally, amaranth brittle is made with ghee, not coconut oil. But I wanted to keep it vegan and I really like the touch of coconut flavor. Feel free to use ghee instead if you prefer.
I bought my amaranth at Whole Foods. It’s widely available at health food stores.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 87kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 4mg | Potassium: 35mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg