You Can Make Almost Any Grain Like Popcorn
If you’ve mastered popping corn , chances are you’re ready to add other crunchy, delicious whole grains to your snack range. This turns out to be very easy to do, as most whole grain flakes burst and puff up much like popcorn.
To determine which grains burst the most, Epicurious’s Sam Worley tossed a bunch of different samples into a saucepan over high heat and shaken them for a few minutes. Here are the main takeaways:
- The pan must be hot. Before adding the beans, Worley heated a 4-liter saucepan over high heat to almost smoke. If you are not sure if it is hot enough, just add some water there. If it boils and evaporates almost immediately, it’s okay.
- It does not take a lot of time. Just toss in a handful of beans – you still want the bottom of the pan to be visible – and shake them while they cook (like popcorn), letting them breathe and burst (no lid) for one to two minutes. Once the noise dies down, remove them from the fire.
- Works with almost any grain. Worley has had great success with a variety of grains including barley, wheat berries, millet, freekeh, farro, sweet brown rice, amaranth, and quinoa. Some kernels burst more than others – sorghum is very similar to popcorn and should be cooked in a sealed container – but they all swell, turning into crunchier versions of their former selves.
When everyone’s eaten, you can eat the grains as a snack, mix them with yogurt, or use them as a salad dressing. (Epicurious even has some decadent desserts at the link below.)