I just adore Millet. Sadly most people have never even heard of it. Millet is one of the oldest foods known to humans. It is mentioned in the Bible, and was used during those times to make bread. Millet has been used in Africa and India as a staple food for thousands of years and it was grown as early as 2700 BC in China.
Millet is tasty, with a mildly sweet, nut-like flavor and contains a whole range of beneficial nutrients. It is high in protein and fiber, contains B-complex vitamins including niacin, thiamin, and riboflavin, and it is particularly high in the minerals iron, magnesium, phosphorous, and potassium.
It is considered to be one of the least allergenic and most digestible grains available and it is a warming grain so will help to heat the body in cold or rainy seasons and climates. My favorite part about millet is that it is the only grain that is not acid-forming (although quinoa and buckwheat are only slightly acid-forming).
To cook millet, bring 2 cups of water to a boil, add 1 cup of millet (rinsed first in cold water), cover and reduce to a simmer. It is ready when all the water is absorbed. It is a quick cooking grain, and takes only about 20 minutes to cook. For this recipe, you can easily substitute quinoa for the millet.
Enjoy!
You’ll need:
- 2 cups cooked millet (or quinoa)
- 3/4 cup cooked chickpeas
- 1/3 cup chopped red peppers
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/3 cup chopped raw walnuts
- 2 Tbsp Lime Juice
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp Agave nectar or honey
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 Tbsp cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp sea salt
- chopped green onion (optional)
Directions:
In a large bowl, combine millet with chickpeas, peppers, cranberries and walnuts.
To make the dressing, whisk the olive oil, orange juice, lemon juice, agave or honey, salt and garlic in a small bowl. Pour over the millet mixture and toss to coat. Sprinkle with chopped green onion if desired.
mmm!! My mom makes millet bread sometimes. I’ve always enjoyed the grain.
Thanks for posting this it looks amazing!
Thanks Diana! I have to try to make millet bread now 🙂
This is a great post! I love millet and have cooked with it over the years, often making a salad out too. I didn’t realize it was soo nutritious, although I knew it had to be good for me 🙂
Hi,
I am a Chinese living in Hongkong. I just love millet.
It never came to my attention until I read about it in the ancient Chinese book (thousand years ago) about rejuvenizing and longevity for Chinese Emperor.
Today I heard about the rejuvenization of the Chinese Dowager of Qing dynasty. An Englishman took her photo
at her age of 69, were amazed with her skin color, texture, eyesight, hair, body-build etc. At the time of no facial, mask etc, millet was her main meals.
Interesting…!!
I do congee with it. I wonder if someone can let me know the simple way to do other meals or vegetarian dishes??