So . . . millet (vegan edition)

January 31, 2018 11:35 AM

In an effort to try new healthful things, I bought millet. Now I have questions.

I bought some millet, and now I need to know what to do with it. Should I use it like rice? Do you have any good vegan recipes you like? Other ideas?

Also, I found a recipe on the Oh She Glows site, and she said this:
For the base, I used fluffy millet. This is different from the scorched millet which was my first attempt. Fluffy millet is also different from the overcooked mushy millet which was my second attempt. When you don’t forget to set the timer and leave the room, it’s light and fluffy like quinoa, but heartier and denser, in a stick-to-your-ribs kind of way that is perfect for the colder months.

So - is it hard to get millet right? I got rid of my rice cooker because I cook rice like pasta now. Can I do that with millet?

Lay your millet thoughts and ideas on me!

posted by FencingGal to Food & Drink (17 answers total)

I put dry millet in my homemade granola.
posted by beyond_pink at 11:42 AM on January 31, 2018 [1 favorite]

I made millet recently with half water and half chicken broth in my pressure cooker. It's good and hearty. IIRC the ratio for the pressure cooker was 1:1.5. I've cooked it stovetop with similar results. IMO millet's about as easy to cook as any other small grain-like item like rice or quinoa.
posted by sleeping bear at 11:57 AM on January 31, 2018 [1 favorite]

I love baking with millet. It all started with Smitten Kitchen's recipe for crackly banana bread (has an egg but could be easily made vegan), but you can apply the concept to any muffin/quick bread recipe-- just add a scoop of millet, the same way you'd add nuts or chocolate chips or anything else. It's wonderfully crackly and has lots of fiber. Actually when baking for myself I swap out some of the flour for extra millet because I like it so much, even though it results in a slightly more leaden muffin.
posted by acidic at 11:58 AM on January 31, 2018

I like Mark Bittman's Autumn millet bake (included on this blog post). You can easily use it in a pilaf or stir fry, instead of rice. I prefer to use it as a porridge or as a stuffing for squash, rather than for something like beans and rice. I find it substitutes for barley or orzo pretty well.
posted by crush at 12:00 PM on January 31, 2018 [1 favorite]

You can definitely just cook up your millet in a pot! There are different ways to cook millet, and it feels like a different dish depending on which you choose. This is a great breakdown -- and the toasting really is key. (Also a great trick for kasha or rice, though for those I use a bit of oil when toasting.)

I'm not as fond of it as a substitute for quinoa or rice, because it doesn't feel chewy enough for me. But you can do a lot of fun things with it. Seconding Mark Bittman's autumn millet bake with hazelnuts -- vegan when you use maple syrup and not honey. You can change it up with different herbs, fruits, and nuts/seeds, too, or make a summery version with fresh basil and zucchini in place of the winter squash. Millet cakes are another tasty option; carrot-spinach and sweet pea are just two possibilities and the format is flexible.

It can be a nice alternative as a breakfast porridge, but it's not very good when cooked ahead of time. You want to eat it same-day.
posted by halation at 12:02 PM on January 31, 2018 [1 favorite]

Toss it in soups, toss it in oatmeal, toss it in something you'll be simmering on the stove for a while in liquid.

It's great grain, super inexpensive, healthy and tasty.

is it hard to get millet right?
No, not any harder than rice or quinoa or barley or... any other grain you might boil.

I cook rice like pasta now.
Wait what? You mean you boil it in several quarts of water, then drain it in sieve or colander? I mean ok, but that's not how most people cook rice, and if you're going to cook millet by itself, I'd recommend doing it more conventionally, by simmering it in a covered pot with the right amount of water. Usually 2 liquid to 1 millet by volume is a good starting point, but if you want to make it firmer or moister you can adjust.
posted by SaltySalticid at 1:04 PM on January 31, 2018 [1 favorite]

So that cookbook I recommend all the time has a recipe for a salad involving millet. I think I've made it before; it was a similar concept to tabbouleh, where it was cooked grains and chopped veggies and herbs with a dressing.

Which means, you could probably experiment with whatever chopped veggies you want.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:10 PM on January 31, 2018

Response by poster: Wait what? You mean you boil it in several quarts of water, then drain it in sieve or colander? I mean ok, but that's not how most people cook rice

Not exactly like pasta. You boil it, then steam it. Directions here. I think Sara Moulton on the food network said she does that as well. Way, way better than the more traditional way, even with a rice cooker. It also reduces the amount of arsenic.
posted by FencingGal at 1:18 PM on January 31, 2018 [1 favorite]

Oh ok, sure that method could be adopted for millet. In theory. I would not expect to enjoy draining it with a strainer (it would either fall through or stick badly in my gear, YstrainersMV). And it will need to boil far less than 30 minutes. Maybe 8-10? But I’d still recommend starting the normal way unless you really enjoy an experimental path :)
posted by SaltySalticid at 2:35 PM on January 31, 2018

I cook and eat millet regularly, but I don't do any toasting of it... I just cook it in a pot the way I would cook rice.

This recipe is particularly good with millet instead of rice: https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/peanut-butter-and-kale-fried-rice/ (No need to blanch the kale, just stir it in for a little longer and maybe cover it for a bit.)

Another use of millet I have enjoyed is cooking it in broth with a bay leaf and some dried oregano. It's really tasty added cold to salads or paired with white beans and garlic.
posted by purple_bird at 3:11 PM on January 31, 2018 [1 favorite]

Cooking with millets is something I've been eyeing. I got stuck on all the different kinds of millets.
posted by jointhedance at 3:41 PM on January 31, 2018 [1 favorite]

You could try making boza.
posted by dizziest at 4:07 PM on January 31, 2018

Toasting is key. Toast it longer than you think you need to; the spherical shape means that a very small area of the grain's surface is in contact with the pan, so it takes a long time to toast it, but the upside is it's very hard to burn it.

I've done it in the instant pot or on the stove, either work fine. On the stove, I do a ratio of 2:1 water to millet, like any other grain. All the water should be absorbed in cooking so the cooked millet is dry and fluffy.
posted by BrashTech at 4:31 PM on January 31, 2018

I love this Mediterranean Millet Salad recipe. Super fresh and healthy, and the millet makes it more filling than just vegetables. Obviously you'd leave out the cheese to make it vegan.
posted by Kangaroo at 4:34 PM on January 31, 2018

This seems like a good place to post one of my favorite resources: Cooking Times for 30 Grains (Stove-Top and Pressure Cooking)

I have been boiling rice like pasta for years and will never go back #TeamBoilRice
posted by slogger at 6:12 AM on February 1, 2018

I really like this Thug Kitchen Roasted Broccoli and Millet Pilaf recipe. Like the blogger who tried this said, I double the garlicky sauce because I like a lot of sauce.
posted by Kitteh at 8:33 AM on February 1, 2018

Millet is very versatile. It's definitely worth experimenting with. I have used it in a loaf, salads, burgers and also as a stuffing base. It's a super seed. Packed with iron and calcium, it is a great addition to a healthy lifestyle and a Runner's diet. There are tons of online recipes easy to find as I am sure you know. Enjoy playing with this great food..
posted by cookiemaster at 4:40 PM on February 22, 2018