Can you pop millet like popcorn

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We and our partners process data to: Actively scan device characteristics for identification. So can many other dishes: popped grains are a great garnish for, say, roasted root vegetables.

You can sprinkle 'em on fish. And of course there's the snack element—the popcorn direction, tossed in a little butter or oil and flavored to your liking: hot sauce , Old Bay , nutritional yeast. Okay, so that all sounds good, but could popped sorghum and other grains actually be as delicious as popcorn?

Were they really as easy to make as I'd heard? I hit the Whole Foods bulk section and got to work. The principle of popped grains is the same as stovetop popcorn: you throw them into a very hot pan, let them pop a bit, and take them off the heat.

If you trawl the internet for "how to pop sorghum," you'll find variations on this theme. Some instructions say to cover the pot while your grains pop, some say to leave it uncovered; some use oil, as with popcorn, while some don't; the more advanced among these directions, involving the heartier, traditionally longer-cooking grains—wheat, barley, et al. All of these recipes are unified on one point: the pan on the stove must be very hot when you add the grains.

And it is widely agreed that quinoa pops the easiest—just throw it in a pan and go. This was not my experience. At this point, the grains should begin to turn a brown or golden color. Only stir for a few seconds and then let the millet rest on the burner. Watch the millet carefully and it will begin to pop after about 5 minutes.

Once all of the grains have popped, remove the frying pan from the heat. You can also use cooking oil when popping millet. When you do, heat the oil in the frying pan for a couple of minutes before adding the millet to the pan. Corn has a tough exterior that allows pressure to build in the soft, starchy interior when heated.

Hence, the large puffy results. But even though small, heated amaranth kernels do get puffy; they become an airy yet delightfully crunchy snack. The only glitch is their tiny size—this makes them tricky to eat by the handful. But that can actually be an asset. So just make a delicious snack mix by folding them into nut butter, shredded coconut, a touch of raw honey, some raw nuts, maybe sesame seeds, and raisins.

Roll all this into balls and refrigerate in an air tight container. This high protein treat goes anywhere and really fills you up! And who knew you could pop quinoa? But texturally, quinoa becomes more airy when puffed.