Cooking with Kamut (Khorasan) Wheat 101
What is Kamut?
Kamut, also known as Khorasan wheat, is a delicious, mild, buttery flavored ancient grain that has grown in popularity in recent years.
Kamut stands out by its kernel size which is more than twice as large as other commonly grown wheat varieties.
Origins of Kamut/Khorasan Wheat
Khorasan wheat is believed to have originated thousands of years ago in Persia, modern day Iran, and the name Khorasan refers to a region of Iran where it is still cultivated today.
Legend has it that Khorasan wheat was introduced to the United States when an airman stationed in Portugal during World War II purchased a handful of kernels from a man claiming they had been taken from a tomb in Egypt.
It is said that 36 kernels were brought back to the airman father’s farm in Montana who planted them successfully for several years and nicknamed them “King Tut wheat.”
The grain was well known in the local community and a young man named Bob Quinn came upon a few samples at a county fair in the early 1960s.
Fast forward a couple of decades, Bob Quinn had received his Ph.D. in Plant Biochemistry and he had gone on to convert the family farm to fully organic practices.
After sharing some Khorasan wheat at a food show and getting significant interest in the grain, Bob and his father increased the acreage on which they grew the grain.
In parallel, in 1990, Bob sought to trademark the name Kamut so as to limit its usage to Khorasan wheat that has been grown using organic practices and not subjected to any modern hybridization efforts.
Since then, Kamut/Khorasan wheat has only grown in popularity in the West.
In this post the term Kamut is used as it is the most popular name for the grain.
Genealogy of Kamut
Kamut is believed to be a cross between durum wheat and another ancient wheat variety called Polish wheat, known to have similarly large kernels.
Below is a chart of cultivated ancient wheat relationships with non cultivated, wild varieties excluded for simplicity.
Characteristics of Kamut
Just like its ancestors emmer and durum, Kamut has 28 chromosomes.
In contrast, modern dwarf wheat has 42 chromosomes.
Gluten in Kamut
Though it contains gluten, many people with gluten sensitivity (not celiac disease) report tolerating Kamut better than modern dwarf wheat.
Since Kamut is organic, it is not sprayed with glyphosate at any stage of growth, which is likely another reason people tolerate it better than conventional modern wheat.
Nutritional Properties of Kamut
According to the USDA Food database, Kamut has a protein content of 14.5% on average.
This is higher than most modern wheats, except for some varieties of spring wheat.
Kamut is rich in B vitamins, namely b-6, niacin and thiamin as well as in vitamins A, E, and K.
Kamut is high in both zinc and selenium – two minerals that our modern diets are often deficient in.
As indicated by its golden color, Kamut contains lutein, which is important for eye health, as well as many polyphenols.
Overview of Culinary Uses of Kamut
According to this link, more than 2,000 products are made using khorasan wheat: they include flour, granola, pasta, breads, cereals, energy bars, pizza, syrup and even beers.
Kamut wheat has properties very similar to durum wheat and most recipes calling for durum wheat can use Kamut wheat.
In recent years, Kamut has become very popular for making pastas and apparently, half of the Kamut produced in North America is exported to Italy mostly for that purpose.
I have found Kamut to have a sweeter, more buttery flavor than the durum wheat I have purchased in the past.
I started using Kamut several years ago now and my approach to preparing Kamut has changed over the years.
Below is a list of the culinary uses of whole grain Kamut with from scratch instructions and tips specific to Kamut.
Dry Roasted Kamut
Dry roasting Kamut berries will enhance its nutty flavor.
How to Dry Roast Kamut
- Place Kamut grains one level deep in a tall pan set to high heat.
- Jostle the grains frequently for about two minutes until they start popping.
- Remove from heat immediately and transfer to a separate plate to prevent burning.
Uses of Dry Roasted Kamut
Because Kamut is in the durum family, with “durum” being the latin word for “hard,” I find that dry roasted, popped Kamut is harder than I care to consume as is.
My recommendation is to dry roast Kamut if you have not had the time to soak it prior to boiling.
This will help shorten the cooking time and enhance the nutty flavor of the grain.
Boiled Whole Kamut Berries
Kamut berries can be boiled and they will keep their shape well even after extended cooking.
While most recipes advice to soak the berries overnight (with or without an acid such as apple cider vinegar at rate of 1 tablespoon per cup of water), I have found the best, most tender, results from sprouting the berries for an additional 12 hours.
How to Boil Kamut over Stovetop
- Soak Kamut berries for 12 hours or overnight.
- Rinse Kamut berries using strainer.
- Place strainer containing Kamut berries in a bowl and cover with kitchen towel.
- After 12 hours, berries should be fully softened and nub should show first signs of sprouting.
- Rinse berries and place in pot using a 1:1 ratio of liquid to berries, with a pinch of salt.
- Bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes.
- Remove from heat and keep covered for another 5 minutes so that liquid gets fully absorbed.
Note: If you are not able to soak or sprout the berries, cooking time increases up to 50 minutes, depending on level of chewiness you prefer.
How to Pressure Cook Whole Kamut Berries in the Instant Pot
- Soak Kamut berries for 12 hours or overnight.
- Rinse Kamut berries using strainer.
- Place strainer containing Kamut berries in a bowl and cover with kitchen towel.
- After 12 hours, berries should be fully softened and nub should show first signs of sprouting.
- Rinse berries and transfer to Instant Pot.
- Add just enough water to cover Kamut berries.
- Set Instant Pot to white rice setting (Low pressure 12 minutes, natural release).
Note: If you are not able to soak or sprout the berries, then cook Kamut berries for 30 minutes at high pressure, natural release. The kamut berries will be chewier than the soaked, sprouted method.
Uses of Boiled Kamut Berries
Boiled Kamut berries can be used in pilafs, grain bowls or any other recipe calling for cooked whole grains.
Sprouted Kamut
Sprouting Kamut has become one of my favorite ways to preprocess this grain.
According to cookbook author and baker Peter Reinhart, in his book Bread Revolution:
“sprouting softens the bran, reduces its phytic acid, renders it less bitter, and makes the grain’s minerals more bioavailable.”
The ideal sprout length will vary depending on the intended purpose as noted in instructions below.
How to Sprout Kamut Berries
- Soak the Kamut berries for about 12 hours or overnight in at least twice their volume of filtered water.
- Drain water and place grains in a wide mouth mason jar with a meshed lid, held at a 45 degree angle.
- Rinse twice a day.
- Per this post:
- for sprouted Kamut bulgur, flour or wet milled dough it is sufficient for the sprout shoot to barely emerge.
- for use as a salads, the sprouted Kamut can be used at any point where the shoot has emerged and is less than a quarter inch
- for Kamut malt you will want to let the sprout shoot grow to slightly less than the length of the grain.
Uses for Sprouted Kamut
Sprouted whole Kamut berries can be used in salads, smoothies or as part of a breakfast cereal blend.
Dehydrating Sprouted Kamut Berries
Sprouted Kamut berries can be dehydrated for later use or ground into cracked sprouted Kamut bulgur or sprouted flour.
How to Air Dry Sprouted Kamut Berries
If you live in a drier climate, you can air dry Kamut berries by spreading them out one layer deep on a clean dry surface and covering them with a fine mesh to protect from birds and insects or by using a hanging mesh rack for about 24 hours.
How to Dehydrate Sprouted Kamut Berries in a Dehydrator
Place sprouted KAMUT berries one layer deep in a dehydrator at 110° Fahrenheit or below (to preserve enzymes) for a minimum of 12 hours.
In some cases, you may need to purchase finer mesh sheets to make sure the grains do not fall through.
How to Dehydrate Kamut Berries in a Solar Oven
If you have a solar oven, like the Sunoven, you can use it as a dehydrator on sunny days.
Keep in mind it will not be as easy to regulate the temperature, which can be a concern if you want to preserve enzyme activity.
- Place sprouted Kamut berries one layer deep on a tray that fits inside the solar oven.
- Cover the solar oven with its clear cover but do not close it tightly: you want to allow moisture to evaporate.
- Depending on brightness of sunlight, berries should be dehydrated in 12 hours or less.
How to Dehydrate Kamut Berries in a Home Oven
Set your home oven to 110° Fahrenheit or at the lowest setting it allows (mine is 170° Fahrenheit) for a minimum of 4 hours, keeping in mind enzymes will not be preserved at temperatures above 113° Fahrenheit.
Wet Milling Sprouted Kamut Dough
Sprouted Kamut berries can be wet milled and used immediately to make a bread dough or other baked goods.
For home wet milling, if they don’t have a dedicated wet mill, people will use a food processor, meat grinder, or even a masticating juicer as detailed in this post.
How to Grow Kamut Wheat Grass
Kamut sprouts can grow further into Kamut wheat grass.
- Place Kamut berries in a growing medium with good drainage.
- Keep in a well ventilated area and keep the soil moist.
- Harvest with scissors close to the soil level when grass is around 7 inches – within 6 to 10 days depending on external temperatures (warmer will cause sprouts to grow faster).
Uses for Kamut Wheat Grass
Add Kamut wheat grass to smoothies or juice it into shots of high chlorophyll wheat juice.
Kamut Rejuvelac
Kamut Rejuvelac is an enzyme rich beverage with a mild lemony taste and a cheesy fragrance.
Kamut can be made into Rejuvelac by placing sprouted kamut in filtered water for one to two days.
And in depth step by step post on making Rejuvelac can be found here.
Cracked Kamut Bulgur
Bulgur is the generic name given to dried, preprocessed, cracked durum wheat – however Kamut Bulgur is now also commercially available.
According to Eli Rogosa in her book Restoring Heritage Grains, the original bulgur was made with einkorn grains that had been soaked in water to remove their hulls.
The water would activate the sprouting process.
The grains would then be air dried in the sun and presumably coarsely ground prior to cooking.
Nowadays there are several ways to make Kamut bulgur from the more ancient to the more modern way:
- Sprouting Kamut
- Roasting Kamut
- Parboiling
Kamut bulgur can be ground into 4 different levels of coarseness:
- #1-very fine
- #2-fine
- #3-medium coarse
- #4-coarse
The benefit of using cracked Kamut Bulgur is that the cooking time is significantly reduced and the grain is quite tender.
How To Make Sprouted Kamut Bulgur
- Sprout the Kamut grains as instructed above, until the nub (acrospire) barely appears- usually plan for 24 hour total time from initial soak to when nub appears.
- Dehydrate the Kamut grains in your preferred way as instructed here.
- Grind the Kamut grains using a blender, spice grinder or home stone mill.(See milling guide for more details)
- Separate out the coarser grind from the finer grain using a sifter. Finer grain can be used like semolina flour in other recipes.
- Boil the coarse grind kamut in a 2 to 1 ratio of water with a pinch of salt for about 20 minutes, until grain is tender.
How to Make Roasted Cracked Kamut/Bulgur
Roasted cracked Kamut is a faster way to make bulgur with freshly milled grain.
A detailed, step by step post for making roasted cracked Kamut can be found here.
How to Make Parboiled Cracked Kamut Bulgur
The Alphafoodie site has an excellent step by step post on making parboiled bulgur.
When making parboiled Kamut bulgur, my only alteration to that recipe is to soak the Kamut berries for 12 hours and then sprout them for 12 hours for maximum tenderness.
After that, you can proceed with dehydrating the berries and grinding them.
The coarse grind Kamut Bulgur can be cooked in a 2:1 ratio of water to grain for 20 minutes on the stovetop, while the fine ground Kamut bulgur only needs to be rehydrated in boiling water for about 15 minutes.
An in depth bulgur cooking guide can be found here.
Note: While dehydrated Kamut bulgur is shelf stable, it will lose some nutritional value over time. Therefore it is best to keep your Kamut bulgur frozen.
Uses of Kamut Bulgur
Just like whole Kamut berries, cooked coarse Kamut bulgur is great in grain bowls or as a substitute for rice in most recipes.
Fine Kamut bulgur can be used in hot porridges or prepared like overnight oats.
Whole Kamut Flour
Raw Kamut berries are among the hardest grains and they can be hard to grind at home into a fine flour.
Even when finely milled, whole grain kamut flour can be slightly grainy due to the hardness of the bran.
A micronizer mill will grind Kamut finely, though at a slower rate than other grains because of its hardness.
You can mill small amounts of Kamut berries in a spice grinder or a high speed blender.
When using a home stone mill, it is best to mill raw Kamut in two passes – first at the coarse setting then at the fine setting.
When the Kamut berries are ground into a coarse flour, that is often referred to as Kamut semolina.
You may also see finely ground Kamut flour referred to as Kamut semola rimacinata, its Italian name.
Uses of Whole Kamut Flour
Kamut flour, just like durum flour, is ideal for making pasta.
A recipe for making Kamut pasta can be found here.
Whole Kamut Flour is less elastic then modern wheat flour, therefore it will not rise as much.
While risen bread can be made from whole Kamut flour, more often Kamut flour is added to a flour mix.
Whole Kamut flour is a great addition to pizza dough as well as to pastry doughs.
Sprouted Whole Kamut Flour
Sprouted Kamut flour is much easier to grind into fine flour than raw Kamut flour and its texture is lighter and softer than non sprouted Kamut flour.
Per Peter Reinhart:
“when [sprouted] grains […] are ground into flour, the resulting bread tastes better, is higher in nutrients, and is also easier to digest, allowing the body to access more of the nutrients.”
It is still best to use two passes when using a home stone mill because of the larger size of the grain.
Uses of Sprouted Kamut Flour
Sprouted Kamut flour will provide a lighter texture to all baked goods when compared to whole grain raw Kamut flour.
Sprouted Kamut flour can more easily replace sifted kamut or sifted durum wheat flour in most recipes.
Sprouted Kamut flour is one of my favorite types of flours to use for pasta making.
It makes pasta with the softest texture yet perfect bite.
Sprouted Kamut flour is delicious in used whole or in part in baked goods.
Not as many recipes for it are available online but a few I would like to try can be found here.
Kamut Malt
There are two forms of malt: diastatic malt and non-diastatic malt.
Diastatic Kamut Malt
Diastatic malt still has live enzymes.
Diastatic malt is made by drying sprouted Kamut berries at low enough temperatures for the enzymes to still be active (below 110° Fahrenheit is safe).
According to this excellent post on home made rye malt, rootlets should be removed to prevent bitterness.
The dried berries are then ground into malt powder using a mortal and pestle or a mill.
Diastatic malt is used in small quantities in bread baking to help with leavening.
Non-Diastatic Kamut Malt
Non diastatic malt does not contain live enzymes.
Non-diastatic malt is made from roasting Kamut berries at higher temperatures which deactivates the enzymes.
Non-diastatic malt is a flavor enhancer for malted beverages and a post related to Kamut malt including specific roasting temperatures can be found here.
Kamut Malt Syrup
To make malt syrup, dilute the non-diastatic malt in some warm water, using 20% of the malt weight as a guide, per this post.
Books about Kamut
For an in depth history of Kamut in the United States, you can read Grain by Grain by Bob Quinn.
I have not found any cookbooks dedicated specifically to Kamut.
There are however, several popular cookbooks about whole and ancient grains which include recipes specifically for Kamut.
Not all of these cookbooks are plant-based, so you will want to make you own plant based substitutions.
- The Great Vegan Grains Book by Celine Steen
- Ancient Grains for Modern Meals by Maria Speck
- The Essential Home-Ground Flour Book by Sue Becker
- Bread Revolution by Peter Reinhart
- Supergrains by Chrissy Freer
Where to Buy Whole Kamut Berries and Flour
Local Grocery
Whole Kamut wheat based products such as pasta, bulgur and semolina can sometimes be found in local grocery stores.
Online Vendors
As always, it is best to seek out vendors closest to where you live to get the lowest cost shipping.
This post on where to buy whole grains contains a FREE PDF download with 17 online sources of Kamut berries and/or flour listed by the U.S. state the vendor operates from.
You can also search on Amazon for “kamut”, “khorasan” or “sprouted kamut”.
Vendors with Drop Off Locations
If there is an Azure Standard drop off location near you, their price for organic Kamut berries is very affordable due to the drastically lower shipping costs.
Azure also sells whole kamut flour at a competitive price.
Azure Standard is particularly competitive if you have many heavy organic bulk items to purchase and I am happy to count them as an affiliate partner.
Another online affiliate partner with some drop off locations and competitive pricing is Country Life Natural Foods.
Country Life Natural Foods sells bulk organic kamut berries as well as organic kamut flour.
Storing Kamut Wheat Berries
Kamut berries purchased in bulk should be stored in airtight containers in a cool, dry location away from light.
For more details on storing whole grains, please see this guide.
Conclusion
As you can see from this extensive list of culinary uses, Kamut/Khorasan wheat is a versatile and delicious ancient grain.
It is my hope that this post will pique your curiousity and give you enough information to try it out.
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