Author(s): Akanksha Singh and Darshan Punia

Abstract:
Amaranthus belonging to the family Amaranthaceae, comprises a series of wild, weedy and cultivated species and found worldwide in almost all agricultural environments. Amaranthus species are cultivated in different regions of South and Central America, India, and Nepal. In India, Amaranthus is chiefly grown in Himalayas from Kashmir to Bhutan and some extent in the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka and eastern parts of Uttar Pradesh and used as an important ingredient in food. Amaranth is a fast growing crop which can grow under varied soil and agro climatic conditions and is also resistant to heat and drought with no major disease problems. It is a rare plant whose leaves are eaten as vegetable while seeds are eaten as cereal. The amaranth grains can be toasted, popped, extruded or milled into flour and can therefore be consumed as such or included in other cereal products such as bread, cakes, muffins, pancakes, cookies, dumplings, noodles and crackers. The optimal nutritive composition of this seed has made its use attractive as a blending food source to improve the nutritional value of some cereal by-products.