Utilization of Amaranth Grain for Value Addition

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 have different centers of domestication and origin, being widely distributed in North America, Central America, and th e South American Andes, where the greatest genetic diversity is found. Among all the species, Amaranthus caudatus, Amaranthus hypochondriacus and Amaranthus cruentus are mainly cultivated for their seeds and are considered as pseudocereals, with a high seed protein content and a high lysine content. These Amaranthus species are cultivated in different regions of South and Central Ame rica, 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.