Amaranth is a common summer vegetable, rich in nutrients and boasting numerous remarkable health benefits. Known as the "longevity vegetable," it contains abundant calcium, iron, carotene, vitamin C, and other nutrients. The folk saying "June amaranth rivals eggs; July amaranth is priceless" highlights its exceptional nutritional value. From the perspective of food-medicine homology, amaranth also offers many health-preserving properties.So how should amaranth be prepared? Below are several delicious recipes featuring this versatile vegetable.
Method: Blanch washed amaranth briefly in boiling water, then drain and set aside. Slice tofu. Heat oil in a wok, sauté garlic and ginger until fragrant. Pour in broth, bring to a boil, add tofu slices, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add amaranth, cook until tender, season to taste, and serve.
Method: Wash amaranth and cut into sections. Heat oil in a wok, sauté minced garlic until fragrant, add amaranth and stir-fry until tender. Season with salt to taste before serving.
3. Stir-Fried Amaranth with Oyster Mushrooms
Ingredients: Amaranth, oyster mushrooms, tofu.
Method: Wash and cut amaranth into sections. Slice tofu and oyster mushrooms. Heat oil in a wok, sauté minced garlic until fragrant. Add tofu and stir-fry until cooked; remove and set aside. In the same wok with a little more oil, stir-fry oyster mushrooms and amaranth with salt until well-seasoned. Add the cooked tofu and stir-fry briefly before serving.Amaranth Egg Soup
Ingredients: Amaranth, eggs.
Method: Wash amaranth and cut into sections. Beat eggs into a batter. Heat oil in a pan, sauté minced scallions until fragrant, then add amaranth and stir-fry until cooked. Remove and set aside. Add water to the pan and bring to a boil. Pour in the egg batter to form egg flowers. Finally, add the cooked amaranth, simmer briefly, season to taste, and serve.
5. Amaranth Pancakes
Ingredients: Amaranth, eggs, ham, milk powder, pancake batter.
Method: Finely chop amaranth. Beat eggs with ham, milk powder, and vegetable oil to form filling. Wrap filling in pancake batter and bake until cooked.
Amaranth not only makes delicious food but also shows remarkable efficacy in treating illnesses.
Boiling amaranth leaves, straining the liquid, and using it to cook congee treats postpartum bloody or white diarrhea;
Applying amaranth juice to affected areas heals infantile lip tightness;
Washing affected areas with amaranth decoction relieves lacquer rash itching;
Drinking amaranth decoction promotes measles eruption;
Roasting amaranth seeds, grinding them into powder, and mixing with brown sugar dissolved in water treats postpartum abdominal pain;
Calcining amaranth roots, grinding into powder, adding a pinch of borneol, and inhaling the mixture treats diphtheria;
Warm amaranth decoction aids in treating uterine cancer;
Amaranth porridge clears heat and stops diarrhea.
Every part of amaranth is valuable—its roots, stems, leaves, and seeds all offer significant health benefits and therapeutic effects.The recipes and therapeutic uses mentioned above represent only a fraction of amaranth's potential. Those interested may explore further culinary and medicinal applications. For daily consumption, amaranth excels at clearing heat and reducing inflammation during hot summers, making it ideal for this season. Whether stir-fried, cooked into porridge, or prepared in other dishes, it remains an excellent choice.