Nice to have but not necessary- an electric kettle (if not, boil the water on the stove)
- a garlic press (if not, mince the garlic with a sharp knife)
The recipe
1 cup/250 mL millet
2 cups/500 mL boiling water
1/4 tsp/1 mL salt
1 tsp/5 mL olive oil
1 cup/250 mL minced onions
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1/2 cup/125 mL minced celery
1/2 tsp/2 mL oregano
1/2 cup/125 mL frozen peas
1/4 cup/60 mL raisins
1 Tbsp/15 mL lemon juice
salt
pepper
Put some water on to boil. (I use an electric kettle.)
In a heavy pan that has a lid, toast the millet over medium-high heat, stirring, for about 5 minutes.
Pour the boiling water into the pan in a thin, steady stream. Be careful! The water will steam and spurt as it hits the pan.
Add the salt. Stir and cover.
Cook on very low heat for 15 minutes.
While the millet cooks, warm the oil in a medium saucepan.
Add the onions, garlic, celery and oregano.
Sauté, stirring, until the onions are soft (about 5 minutes).
Add the peas, cover, and cook over low heat until all the vegetables are tender.
Remove the millet from the heat and fluff it with a fork.
Replace the cover and let it sit.
When the vegetables are tender, add the raisins and lemon juice to the saucepan and cook for another minute or two.
Add the vegetable mixture to the millet and stir gently to mix.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Substitutions
- Use another vegetable oil in place of the olive oil.
- Use freshly squeezed lemon juice instead of bottled.
Ideas for making this recipe your own
- Try using another dried fruit in place of the raisins. How about currants, or dried cranberries? You could even use kitchen shears to cut up dried apricots or prunes into little pieces.
- What other vegetables could you add to the sauté? Be sure to mince them finely. How about carrots, or green beans?
Tips
- If you prefer your millet to be moist and dense, use 3 cups (750 mL) of water per 1 cup (250 mL) of millet. Using 2 cups (500 mL) of water as I describe here will produce millet with a fluffy, slightly crunchy texture.
- Toasting the millet in the pan enhances its flavor - but if you're in a real rush, you can leave out that step.
Here are some basic millet recipes
- Cooked millet
Put 1 cup/250 mL millet and 2 1/2 cups/675 mL water in a saucepan.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.
Remove from heat and let stand for 15 minutes.
- Breakfast millet
Serve cooked millet in a bowl with milk, maple syrup, raisins and cinnamon.
Menu suggestion
Serve this dish with
