By: Marina Biljak |
Millet - versatile, healthy and easily digested cereal |
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Millet is an ancient seed originally cultivated in the dry climates of Africa and northern China since the Neolithic period.
Archeologists have discovered a 4 000 years old bowl containing millet noodles in northwestern China.
In time, millet had spread around the world.
Romans and Gauls used this cereal for making porridge and during the Middle Ages, millet was more often on the menu than wheat.
Despite its popularity, millet has been mostly seen as food for farm animals in Europe and America.
Luckily, interest for this food item is growing, especially among people that are on gluten-free diet.
That is because unlike other cereals, millet does not contain gluten.
Millet’s nutritive properties
Millet has mildly sweet taste and nutty texture.
This cereal is recommended to everybody because it gives body many beneficial nutrients.
It consists of 15% protein, which makes it a great food item for vegetarians, and is rich in fibers and B-complex vitamins - including niacin, thiamine and riboflavin.
Millet is an excellent source of minerals because it contains iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus and potassium.
Phosphorus has a very important role in our organism.
Apart from being responsible for building bones and teeth, phosphorus is necessary for cell reparation and growth and DNA and RNA creation.
Millet is a food item that maintains the health of our heart, since it is rich in magnesium.
This mineral mitigates problems associated with asthma and frequent migraines. Besides that, magnesium helps lowering the blood pressure and reduces the risk of heart attack.
Millet contains phytochemicals, including phytic acid, which is believed to lower cholesterol, and phytate, which is connected to reduced cancer risk.
This cereal belongs to an alkaline group of food items, which makes it easily digestible and gives it a calming effect on the stomach.
Millet is smart carbohydrate filled with fibers and low sugar percentage. That gives it a relatively low glycemic index.
It is believed that millet cleans our organism, restores the balance, regulates digestion and strengthens our immune system.
It is recommended in cases of increased physical and psychical exhaustion and to pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers.
Preparation of millet
Millet is a versatile food item and you can use it in salt dishes and deserts.
It has a delicate nutty taste and, depending on how you cook it, it can be crunchy or soft.
Basic recipe
Start with washing and decanting millet.
Pour two and a half cups of water in a moderately-sized pot and add one cup of millet in it when it starts boiling. Put the lid on, reduce the heat and cook for 15 minutes.
Remove the pot from the stove after 15 minutes and leave it for another 20 minutes. Add olive oil and spices according to your liking.
For slightly softer millet porridge, increase water content to three and a half cups and cook millet in closed pot until it absorbs the water - 45 minutes to one hour.
If you want to make crunchy millet, toast it before cooking. Fry it in a dry pan over a mild fire with constant stirring for about three minutes, then add water and put the lid on.
If you have leftover millet after lunch, do not worry what to do with it. You can:
- add it to salads
- fry it with tofu and vegetables
- mix it with milk, honey and cinnamon and eat it for breakfast.
Millet and black bean salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup of millet
- 3 cups of water
- 2 cups of cooked black beans
- 2 large tomatoes – chopped
- 1 medium-size onion – chopped
- 1 medium-size cucumber
Dressing:
- 1/3 of cup of water
- 3 spoons of lemon juice
- 1 spoon of balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons of garlic – minced
- 1 teaspoon of sea salt
- ¼ of teaspoon of black pepper
- 1 teaspoon of cumin
Preparation
Cook millet in three cups of water until it soaks in the water - around 30 minutes. Leave to cool. Mix millet, black beans, tomatoes and onion in a large bowl.
Slice the cucumber and add the salad. Mix all ingredients for dressing and pour it over the salad. Put the mixture in the fridge in order to cool the salad.
Millet casserole
Ingredients:
- half of cabbage – thinly sliced
- salt
- 2 spoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium-size onion – finely chopped
- ¼ of cup of chopped fresh dill
- fresh minced pepper
- 1 cup of non-fat cottage cheese
- 2 cups of cooked millet
- heat the oven to 190 degrees C. Put the cabbage in one bowl, add some salt and let it stay for 10 minutes
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In the meantime, heat one spoon of oil over a medium fire and add the onion. Let it simmer until the onion becomes soft, for about three minutes. Add salt and keep stirring for another 10 minutes.
Then add cabbage and cook the mixture for an additional 10 to 15 minutes – do not stop stirring. Mix in dill and add pepper. Put the mixture into a big bowl. - Put the cheese in a mixer and mix it until it becomes smooth. Add some salt and pepper. Pour the mix into a bowl with cabbage. Add millet and mix it all together. Put the mix in the baking pan.
- Bake for 40 minutes and then leave to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.
Include millet on your menu. This food item is healthy and rich in nutritive substances so it is an excellent addition to every diet.
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