Millet Pilaff

About

This recipe turned out really well, especially considering I have not cooked in a long time! Quite tasty, although both myself and my roommates thought that the almonds didn’t really go well with it. I also added a little garlic which was a good idea (but I love garlic)!

Ben Chute, Tester

Editor’s Notes

1. Given Ben’s comments, I have made slivered almonds an optional ingredient. I have added fresh garlic as an option as well. I agree that garlic would be good in this recipe.
2. Instead of almonds, pine nuts might be a good substitute. Some sun dried tomatoes might also be nice.
3. This is an older recipe and to update it so that it reflects more modern ideas about cooking with oils, I changed the “vegetable oil” ingredient to just “oil”. I recommend choosing one that is stable at high temperatures such as coconut oil. For this recipe you will want one that is refined to remove the coconut taste and smell (choose a brand that does not use chemical solvents). You could also use palm oil (look for a sustainably sourced, organic palm oil). If you are not plant-based you can simply use tallow, lard or ghee.
4. Some people like to stir-fry with water which is a technique I have not tried but you could Google it. Gentle World has an article. In this case you could drizzle your favourite oil on top after the cooking is completed and not have to worry about its stability when heated.

Ingredients

Directions

1. Chop the onion and mince the garlic (if using).
2. Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a saucepan and add the onion and garlic. Sauté for about 3 minutes until tender but not brown.
3. Add the millet and cook for another 2 minutes or so, stirring occasionally.
4. Sprinkle in the salt and pour in the water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, place the nuts under the broiler and toast until lightly browned, turning frequently. Set aside.
6. Chop the leek and zucchini finely and slice the mushrooms.
7. Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a skillet or wok and add the chopped leek and zucchini. Stir-fry for about 3 minutes.
8. Add the sliced mushrooms and stir fry for a further 2-3 minutes.
9. When the millet is tender and the water is absorbed, stir in the vegetables. Add fresh ground pepper to taste. Cook for a couple of minutes longer, stirring, then remove from heat, and stir in the nuts (if using).

Source

This recipe came from a fact sheet about Millet at Rainbow Foods. A few years ago, Rainbow was purchased by Natural Food Pantry (but the location recently closed).

Above feature photo of millet grains by Tiia Monto, Wikimedia Commons.