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Rajgira (amaranth)

Amaranthus spp.
Hindiरामदाना RamdanaMarathiराजगिरा Rajgira

Names: ICAR-Indian Institute of Millets Research

Pictures

Rajgira (amaranth): The grain
The grain — from: "Red plate amaranth.jpg" by Bananenfalter, Wikimedia Commons (commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Red_plate_amaranth.jpg) · CC0
Rajgira (amaranth): The plant
The plant — from: "Amaranthus hypochondriacus L, Jardin universitaire Roger-Van den Hende 60.jpg" by Wilfredor, Wikimedia Commons (commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Amaranthus_hypochondriacus_L,_Jardin_universitaire_Roger-Van_den_Hende_60.jpg) · CC0
Rajgira (amaranth): An old botanical plate
An old botanical plate — from: "Plantarum indigenarum et exoticarum icones ad vivum coloratae, oder, Sammlung nach der Natur gemalter Abbildungen inn- und…, Wikimedia Commons (commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Plantarum_indigenarum_et_exoticarum_icones_ad_vivum_coloratae,_oder,_Sammlung_nach_der_Natur_gemalter_Abbildungen_inn-_und_ausländlischer_Pflanzen,_für_Liebhaber_und_Beflissene_der_Botanik_(15902764610).jpg) · Public domain

Nutrition of the raw grain, per 100 g

Energy356 kcal
Protein13.27 g
Fat5.56 g
Carbohydrate (available)61.46 g
Dietary fibre (total)7.47 g
Calcium162 mg
Iron8.02 mg
Magnesium270 mg
Phosphorus412 mg
Zinc2.52 mg

Source: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition, food code A002. Energy converted from kilojoules (1 kcal = 4.184 kJ).

Every nutrient in the raw grain — 96 values, per 100 g

Energy, protein, fat, carbohydrate, fibre9
Water (moisture)9.2 g
Protein13.27 g
Ash (total minerals)3.05 g
Fat5.56 g
Dietary fibre (total)7.47 g
Insoluble fibre5.8 g
Soluble fibre1.67 g
Carbohydrate (available)61.46 g
Energy1489 kJ
Starch and sugars6
Available carbohydrate (starch + sugars)60.13 g
Starch59.33 g
Fructose0.1 g
Glucose0.22 g
Sucrose0.48 g
Free sugars (total)0.8 g

Not detected in this grain (the table leaves it blank or zero): Maltose.

Minerals5
Calcium162 mg
Magnesium270 mg
Phosphorus412 mg
Potassium413 mg
Sodium2.81 mg
Trace elements8
Chromium0.092 mg
Cobalt0.021 mg
Copper0.56 mg
Iron8.02 mg
Manganese4.44 mg
Molybdenum0.049 mg
Selenium21.41 µg
Zinc2.52 mg
Vitamins13
Thiamine (B1)0.04 mg
Riboflavin (B2)0.04 mg
Niacin (B3)0.52 mg
Pantothenic acid (B5)0.28 mg
Vitamin B60.33 mg
Biotin (B7)1.87 µg
Folate (B9)24.65 µg
Vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol)53.98 µg
Vitamin E: alpha-tocopherol0.06 mg
Vitamin E: beta-tocopherol0.22 mg
Vitamin E: gamma-tocopherol0.03 mg
Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol equivalents)0.15 mg
Vitamin K12.5 µg

Not detected in this grain (the table leaves it blank or zero): Vitamin E: alpha-tocotrienol, Vitamin E: delta-tocopherol, Vitamin E: gamma-tocotrienol.

Carotenoids2
Lutein4.11 µg
Carotenoids (total)59.68 µg

Not detected in this grain (the table leaves it blank or zero): Beta-carotene, Zeaxanthin.

Amino acids18 · g per 100 g of protein
Histidine1.98 g
Isoleucine2.85 g
Leucine4.94 g
Lysine5.5 g
Methionine1.95 g
Cystine1.51 g
Phenylalanine4.75 g
Threonine2.99 g
Tryptophan1.69 g
Valine4.3 g
Alanine3.83 g
Arginine7.21 g
Aspartic acid12.7 g
Glutamic acid17.39 g
Glycine8.28 g
Proline3.83 g
Serine7.27 g
Tyrosine3.1 g
Fatty acids13
Myristic acid (C14:0)10.68 mg
Palmitic acid (C16:0)891 mg
Stearic acid (C18:0)172 mg
Arachidic acid (C20:0)36.02 mg
Behenic acid (C22:0)15.61 mg
Lignoceric acid (C24:0)13.51 mg
Oleic acid (C18:1)1030 mg
Eicosenoic acid (C20:1)12.71 mg
Linoleic acid (C18:2, omega-6)2223 mg
Alpha-linolenic acid (C18:3, omega-3)43.03 mg
Saturated fat (total)1140 mg
Monounsaturated fat (total)1043 mg
Polyunsaturated fat (total)2266 mg

Not detected in this grain (the table leaves it blank or zero): Capric acid (C10:0), Erucic acid (C22:1), Lauric acid (C12:0), Myristoleic acid (C14:1), Palmitoleic acid (C16:1).

Organic acids9
Oxalate (total)209 mg
Oxalate (soluble)32.3 mg
Oxalate (insoluble)177 mg
cis-Aconitic acid0.14 mg
Citric acid7.93 mg
Fumaric acid0.14 mg
Malic acid47.16 mg
Quinic acid75.06 mg
Succinic acid1.89 mg

Not detected in this grain (the table leaves it blank or zero): Tartaric acid.

Polyphenols8
3,4-Dihydroxybenzoic acid1.23 mg
Protocatechuic acid0.26 mg
Vanillic acid0.04 mg
p-Coumaric acid0.04 mg
Caffeic acid0.03 mg
Chlorogenic acid0.1 mg
Ferulic acid0.59 mg
Polyphenols (total)11.75 mg

Not detected in this grain (the table leaves it blank or zero): 3-Hydroxybenzaldehyde, Apigenin, Apigenin-7-O-neohesperidoside, Catechin, Cinnamic acid, Gallic acid, Isorhamnetin, Kaempferol, Luteolin, Quercetin, Quercetin-3-galactoside, Quercetin-3-glucoside, Quercetin-3-rutinoside (rutin), Sinapic acid, o-Coumaric acid.

Phytosterols3
Campesterol1.58 mg
Stigmasterol8.51 mg
Beta-sitosterol60.15 mg
Other compounds2
Phytate341 mg
Saponins (total)1.28 g

Not detected in this grain (the table leaves it blank or zero): Raffinose, Stachyose.

Source, one for the whole list: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-NIN. Values exactly as the table prints them; published values for the grain, not a laboratory test of our packs. Tap a name for what it is and does.

Where it comes from

  • Grain amaranths (A. cruentus, A. hypochondriacus) belong to Mesoamerica's crop diversity; archaeological finds at Tehuacan (Puebla, Mexico) show cultivation over 6,000 years ago; a staple of the Aztecs. (Hernandez Bermejo JE, Leon J)
  • In India grain amaranth was mainly a hill crop; from the 1990s it spread to the Central and Western Plateau regions. (Raiger HL, Jajoriya NK)

Where it grows

  • India grows about 40-50 thousand ha of grain amaranth; once mainly a hill crop, now also Central/Western plateau; Gujarat (Banaskantha, Kheda) >12,000 ha in rabi 2017-18. (Raiger HL, Jajoriya NK)
  • Why dry land: replaced wheat and potato in Banaskantha/Kheda because of water scarcity; C4 plant with tolerance of harsh conditions. (Raiger HL, Jajoriya NK)

In the kitchen

  • Popped amaranth grain is eaten as pudding or bound with sugar syrup into laddoo and candy; tender leaves are a vegetable. (Raiger HL, Jajoriya NK)

Recipes