I stood in the cold sunroom listening to winds howling outside, my eyes nervously scanning the clock, as I waited for my son to return home from school on the late bus. Back in the kitchen, I scanned my pantry for a wholesome warm, sweet snack. A bag of unopened amaranth seeds and almonds magically appeared side by side. Nothing could be more perfect for this wild January day.

Winter, the "vata" season per Ayurveda, is characterized by excessive dry, cold, and light or airy qualities. Nervous energy is higher in the winters, and is pacified by warm, heavy, oily, sour and sweet foods.

Some of the classic ayurvedic winter foods include almonds, walnuts, flax, lemons, oranges, figs, oats, quinoa, amaranth, ginger, cardamon, fennel, anise. Amaranth and almonds are both considered winter "super foods".

Cream of Amarnath : 3 servings

*Almonds: 1/2 cup
*Amaranth seeds: 1/2 cup
*Cardamom powder : 4 pods freshly ground or 1 tsp prepared powder
*Sweeteners : Jaggery : 2 tbl (or to taste) OR fig jam
**Fig jam:** Soak figs in water, and blend into a paste.

Method:

Wash and rinse amaranth seeds and cook according to instructions on the label. Alternatively, use an Instapot (15 minutes on Multigrain setting) or pressure cooker (2 whistles). Add 3/4 cup of water to the amaranth when using a cooker/Instapot.

Blanch almonds in hot water, and remove skin. The skin will slip off easily when almonds are boiled in water for a few minutes. In a blender, combine almonds with 3/4 cup of water and grind into a creamy paste, leaving behind a few pieces of almonds for an extra little crunch.

Heat the almond paste in a pot adding about a cup of water and stirring over a medium heat, until the raw smell of almonds disappears (about 10 minutes). Add the cooked amaranth seeds, stirring well for a few more minutes. Add powdered jaggery and cardamom and remove from heat. Serve warm.

NOTES

Amaranth is a herbaceous plant with edible leaves and seeds. The seeds are gluten-free, with a host of minerals and vitamins, and a good mix of amino acids, including lysine, which is often low in most grains. 1 cup of cooked amaranth provides about 10-13g of protein, one of the highest among most cereal grains. Amaranth is a good source of calcium, zinc, selenium, magnesium, and iron. Quinoa, another popular seed (or pseudo-grain), belongs to the same amaranthus family (Amaranthaceae).

Seeds and oil of amaranth are a good source of squalene, also found in shark liver oil. Squalene has shown to reduce to high cholesterol levels, and is used in skin care products. As a source of colorful betacyanin, amaranth has been studied for its anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties as well.

TIPS

The cooked amaranth seeds remain crunchy, unlike quinoa which tends to get mushy. But the seeds can smell a little like amaranth leaves. It is important to heat both the raw almond milk and the cooked seeds into a delicious creamy consistency and to remove all extraneous flavors. The cardamom is the jewel in the crown, and turns this porridge into a dessert. As for jaggery, you've got to give it a try if you haven't already, or add it to your bucket list along with all your other exotic adventures.

Try these products:
Bob's Mill amaranth seeds
Jiva organic jaggery

"What is this?", my son asks as he perches on the stool wearily.

"Cream of Amaranth," I state as a matter of fact.

"You made that up," he retorts.

"Yes, I did. In thirty minutes to be exact."

He looks at his bowl with growing suspicion.

"Try it, you'll live. I promise."

A few bites into it, and I notice his shoulders drop, his sigh deepen. And soon an empty bowl returns for seconds.

Later at night, I check in to see if he wants dinner.

"No, I'm still full from the cream-thingy."

"Nice, that's a good to know," I admit happily.

"But I'll have some lavender tea."

"Good call, bud, good call." :-)