Alternative Grains: Millet
Mastering the details in making basic millet pilaf unlocks limitless sweet and savory recipe creations.
Last year at this time, millet wasn’t on my list of things I needed to make as soon as possible. I also didn’t include it in my evolving writing plans; millet remained a grain I had fooled around with previously but quickly dumped. I didn’t even consider it worthy of carrying a one-night stand label.
Cut to the present, and now I can’t stop thinking about millet and the wonderful, sweet or savory possibilities I can make with it. Millet has forced its way into my kitchen, demanding more attention and a more honored spot in my pantry – something eye-level and within a swift blind reach of my left arm.
What happened?
Millet is often cast off as bird food...a tiny grain unworthy of human consumption.
But thinking about it, I realized that tiny seeds and grains like sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, flax seeds, and hemp are often used in bird feed, and I don’t have a problem with any of these. So, why should millet be any different?
Let’s take a closer look...
The excellent cookbook author and chef Peter Berley once wrote this about millet:
“Millet, unlike rice, is a fairly austere, dry grain. It reminds me of a curmudgeonly, tight-lipped old uncle who needs a good deal of buttering up to come forth with one of his famous tall tales. Toasted, cooked with a bit of fat, and propped up by judiciously seasoned aromatic vegetables, millet reveals its hidden charms.”
It’s not an endorsement that will build a lot of excitement. But it got me thinking; I knew toasting helps grains because I do it all the time with another miniature pseudograin, quinoa...so why shouldn’t I do the same with millet? It was that idea that led me to reconsider my cooking technique.
My previous attempts at cooking millet typically led to a medium-sized pot full of a sticky clump of unflavored gruel. It wasn’t pleasant, and to make things worse, the bottom layer glued itself to the pot, making clean-up a nightmare. I accomplished all of this cookery nonsense in just over 25 minutes...or, according to the package instructions. I felt massively misled, which often happens when relying on package instructions.
So, what were my instincts telling me? How could I channel my inner chef to figure out how to cook this delicate little grain? How could I, as Mr. Berley wrote, “reveal its hidden charms” and finally taste what others have already discovered? After all, millet porridge and pancakes were popular fare for our ancestors, but I wonder, did they consider gruel an acceptable outcome?
I imagine there’s plenty more millet can offer, and I’m anxious to discover those hidden charms...but there’s a fine line between deliciously charming and a giant meh.
Preparing Millet
Unlocking those hidden charms is all about the cooking technique and understanding how to make a basic millet pilaf, which yields a soft and fluffy grain dish that is absurdly close to couscous.
Tasting a well-made pilaf reminds me of popcorn, not in looks, but without a doubt, there’s a certain whiff of homemade popcorn emanating from millet as it gently cooks...and that’s rather charming.
Once prepared, millet pilaf can easily and quickly evolve into a breakfast porridge, a delicious grain salad similar to tabbouleh but without gluten, a savory cake, soup, croquettes, and much more. In other words, millet is a fabulous batch-cooking ingredient that is inexpensive, healthy, and simple to cook.
Are you getting the picture? Everything begins and ends with the initial preparation of millet, and the pilaf method works well to create light grains. But there are pitfalls to avoid...tiny bits of information often left out of a recipe or package instructions.
Like most grains, the suggested ratio to prepare millet is 2 parts water and one part millet. That’s a good place to begin, but I’ve concluded that millet requires slightly more than a 2:1 ratio. It’s not much more, but it can make the difference between getting a sticky mass on the bottom of your pot and perfectly hydrated grains of millet. I suggest using 10% more water than what’s suggested...and here’s the math for my standard amount of 200 grams (one cup) of millet. Instead of using 2 cups of water (500 ml), I add an additional 1/4 cup (50 ml).
Invest an extra 10 minutes to toast the millet grains. The light toasting of the grains works wonders to draw out the hidden flavors buried inside this tiny grain. My method is straightforward: Heat a large pan (either stainless steel or non-stick) over medium heat until the pan is hot (one drop of water in the pan should fly around the pan like a mercury ball – too much heat will evaporate the water quickly). Rinse and drain the millet, then add it to the hot pan. Turn the heat to medium-high and stir the millet frequently until the moisture cooks off and the grains turn light golden – about 8-10 minutes in my world.
Measure the correct amount of water and bring it to a simmer. Add a small amount of salt to the water, quickly stir the water to dissolve the salt, and then add the toasted millet. Stir the contents briefly, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pot, and set a timer for 15 minutes. Getting the heat right and setting a timer helps to avoid creating a tasteless gruel.
Lift the cover from the pot once the timer goes off. Give the millet a gentle stir – if water is left in the pot, cover and cook for 2 minutes more. If no water remains, remove the pot from the heat and transfer the cooked millet to a large baking pan. Spread the grain to allow the steam to escape.
Now, my instincts began screaming couscous...or at least my Moroccan half, which often screams louder than my Irish half. One of the steps I always take after steaming couscous is to rub it between my oiled hands to eliminate clumps. It seemed like a perfectly reasonable idea to apply the same rubbing concept to cooked millet...and it works beautifully to separate the small grains.
Preparing a batch of millet pilaf takes about 30 minutes, including the toasting period and the actual cooking time. And now the fun begins because there are endless possibilities to turn that fresh batch of millet pilaf into something charming...something that may even cause the cooking hipsters out there to promote millet up the prospect charts.
This Week’s Recipes…
Millet pilaf stores well refrigerated for 5-7 days – plenty of time to explore any number of preparations...and here are a few places to begin your journey.
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Millet Pilaf
This straightforward method of cooking millet lends itself perfectly to batch cooking. Fluffed and cooled pilaf can be turned into salads, fillings, cakes, croquettes, and a healthy and delicious breakfast porridge. Of course, millet pilaf can be enjoyed simply as is or with your favorite chopped herbs running through it.
Millet Breakfast Porridge
Millet porridge is similar to oat-based porridge. However, the texture of round millet grains feels different in the mouth than the flake shape of more traditional oats – a bit like steamed rice vs. risotto. Both are delicious – just different.
Toasted Millet Salad with Radishes, Oranges and Herbs
A combination of early-season radishes, oranges – preferably blood oranges, and freshly chopped aromatic green herbs gives this pilaf salad tantalizing textures and flavors. It’s a salad that bridges the gap between winter and spring. It’s a delicate, light, and easy-to-digest salad that is most pleasing to eat.
Savory Millet Cake with Creamy Leeks and Mushrooms
This is a variation of a millet cake recipe I made during one of my stints working in a high-end Zürich restaurant. It was also my first exposure to millet, and I loved the creative vegetarian feeling this cake created. It felt different from what others were doing in the late 1990s. But after looking a bit closer at millet, I realized this sort of cake in the German-speaking area of Switzerland was common in the 1940s...but it was called, perhaps mistakenly, millet soufflé.
Previously in this series about Alternative Grains
Be sure to join me for the next part of this series as I expand on millet and begin looking at the tiny grain teff and how it helps define Ethiopian cuisine.
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Have you ever experimented with millet?
What did you prepare...and was it successful?
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Thank you Jack for this tip...toast the millet!? I love this idea and will try it. I want to add millet more into my diet so I appreciate this post today. Happy Day to you and yours. :)
You’ve reminded me that all grains can be toasted before cooking so I’m going to try that next time I cook rice. I’ve never eaten millet so I’ll give it a go. Thanks for your practical advice as always.