Millet and Mushroom Risotto
I’ve been wanting to cook something with millet for a while, an ancient grain rich in B-vitamins and iron. These days I try to cook dishes that my 8-month old can eat too, and millet is great baby food. It is also gluten-free, so if you can’t eat wheat, millet is a great option.
I usually buy grains in bulk at PCC, a great Seattle area co-op, but millet should be available at most large grocery stores. (Look for Bob’s Red Mill millet, which you can also get online).
Technically this dish is of course not a risotto, but the texture is similar. Try to find juicy tomatoes, or you can add a little water or stock in the end if it seems too dry.
Millet and Mushroom Risotto
(Vegan/vegetarian)
1 cup millet
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups water
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 red onion
2 cups sliced mushrooms
2 cups chopped tomatoes
1 cup garbanzo beans (rinse well if canned)
Handful chopped cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste
- First cook the millet: Toast the millet in the olive oil for a few minutes until it smells fragrant. Add water and bring to a boil, let simmer for 20-25 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a pan on medium heat and sauté the onion for about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes. Finally add the tomatoes and garbanzo beans, and keep cooking until the tomatoes are soft. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the millet and add cilantro.
Wow, that sounds really tasty! I keep reading about millet recently, although I haven’t really noticed it at my local store – further investigation required I think, because I adore mushrooms and would love to try this out. Did you come up with the recipe yourself?
- Fi
Hi Fi – yes, this recipe is my own invention, but it was more of a “throw some veggies in a pan and mix with millet” kind of experiment than a conscious recipe creation
millet is also a great sub for oatmeal, if you get sick of that
Super! Well I’ve found some millet now and will be trying this out tonight. I’ll post the results on my blog, hehe!
Mushrooms, millet, oh my!
Today I made Heidi’s scrumptious supper, Millet
I loved this recipe! Looking forward to some more. I really want people to know it isn’t as hard as it seems to eat healthy, organic, vegan, veggie, etc.
hey thanx.
I am visiting my son for a few days & was wondering what to do with the millet he has kept in the kitchen.
Your recipe sounds very much like our Indian recipe, ‘Choley’. Nice tip. I’ll make use of the millet this way.
I’ve always been curious with millet, but never known what to do with it! Thanks for the recipe – a risotto substitute – love it… Will have to go and find the ingredients now…