Mexican-Style Black Bean and Millet Salad

One of the oldest grains known to be cultivated by humans, millet is a staple food in many parts of Eurasia as well as in Africa where it is thought to have originated thousands of years ago. Although in North America it's primarily grown as livestock fodder, millet is a highly nutritious grain for humans, containing nearly 15% protein, high amounts of fibre, iron, magnesium, phosphorous and potassium minerals, B-complex vitamins including niacin, thiamin, and riboflavin, and the essential amino acid methionine. Non-glutenous and non-acid-forming, millet is also one of the most easily digestible and least allergenic of grains.

But to the modern cook, the main appeals of millet are its warm buttery and slightly nutty taste and a soft porous texture that easily absorbs spicy or astringent flavours. These qualities make it a perfect complement to citrus and fresh tomatoes, and a welcome and healthy addition to zesty summer salads. This simple Mexican-style black bean salad loaded with tomatoes and vegetables and tossed with a spicy lemon-balsamic vinaigrette is a delicious way to incorporate millet into a complete, healthy and colourful summer meal.

Mexican-Style Black Bean and Millet Salad

Salad:

2/3 cup dried black beans
1 cup millet
1 shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 carrot, shredded
1 orange or red bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and cut into thin strips
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
handful fresh parsley, chopped

Dressing:

juice of 2 lemons
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

Rinse the millet under cold running water and place in a medium saucepan. Cover with 2 cups of cold water, and leave to soak overnight. Separately, rinse the beans and soak overnight covered in several inches of cold water with a little yogurt whey or lemon juice added.

Drain the beans and add to a medium saucepan. Cover with water and bring to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 1 hour or until the beans are tender but not falling apart.

Meanwhile, bring the millet to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes or until the water has been absorbed. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork, and set aside to cool while the beans are cooking.

Combine the millet, beans, and vegetables in a large mixing bowl. Whisk the dressing ingredients together and pour over the salad. Toss gently to blend.

Serve warm or cold. Serves 4 to 6.

Other millet recipes you may enjoy:
Millet-Quinoa Hash with Peppers and Zucchini on Sautéed Greens
Spicy Indian-Style Millet
Northeast African Millet Patties

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Millet-Quinoa Hash with Peppers and Zucchini on Sautéed Greens

Dark leafy greens lightly sautéed in lemon juice and crushed coriander seeds lend a pleasingly bitter and slightly astringent contrast to a warm and colourful millet, quinoa and vegetable hash. A simple, nourishing and delicious addition to almost any kind of meal, this is another recipe adapted from Yamuna Devi's wonderfully inventive Table.

Millet-quinoa hash with peppers and zucchini on sautéed greens

Hash:

1/2 cup millet
1/4 cup quinoa
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 or 4 fresh hot green chilies, seeded and minced
2 teaspoons brown mustard seeds
2 red bell peppers, diced
1 large zucchini, diced
large handful fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 1/4 cups vegetable stock
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
fresh ground black pepper

Greens:

1 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed
1 1/2 pounds fresh chard, spinach or collard greens, stemmed and coarsely chopped
juice of 1 lemon
sea salt
fresh ground black pepper
olive oil

Rinse the millet under cold running water and soak overnight in a few inches of cold water. Repeat with the quinoa, scrubbing the grains as they are rinsed, and soak separately. The next morning drain the millet and let air dry for a few hours in a strainer; the quinoa may be left to soak.

Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the olive oil, wait a few moments, then swirl around to coat the pan. Add the chilies and mustard seeds. As soon as the mustard seeds begin to splutter, a few seconds, stir in the millet, peppers and zucchini. Stir until the millet darkens a couple of shades, about 5 minutes. Stir in half the parsley and the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, drain the quinoa. Stir in the quinoa, cover, and continue cooking until the liquid has been absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork. Season with salt and fresh ground black pepper, and set aside.

Toast the coriander seeds in a large stainless steel frying pan or saucepan over medium heat. When they darken slightly, a few minutes, add the greens and lemon juice. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the leaves are bright green and slightly wilted, about 4 or 5 minutes. Remove from heat and season with salt, pepper and a small drizzle of olive oil.

To serve, arrange the sautéed greens on plates and top with spoonfuls of the millet-quinoa hash. Serves 4 to 6.

Other recipes you will want to explore:
Beetroot and Quinoa Salad with Feta Cheese and Olives
Quinoa Oat Croquettes
Quinoa Soup with Corn
Millet and Brown Rice with Tahini and Tamari
Spicy Millet Vegetable Soup

Millet and Brown Rice with Tahini and Tamari

This nutritious grain dish can easily be shaped into patties and fried in a bit of oil until browned, though it is not necessary. The nutty and earthy flavour of this dish comes out either way.

Millet and Brown Rice with Tahini and Tamari

1 cup of millet
1/2 cup of brown rice
1 small onion, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons of celery seed
1/2 cup of tahini
3 tablespoons of tamari
2 tablespoons of unsalted butter

Soak the grains together in a medium-large pot in 3 cups of water for at least 8 hours.

Bring the millet and rice to a boil, along with the celery seed, reduce the heat to low and cover and simmer until the liquid is absorbed - roughly 40 minutes. The onions can be added part way through the cooking time or at the end of the cooking time if a crunchier texture is desired.

When the water is absorbed, remove from the heat and stir in the tahini, tamari and butter.

Spicy Indian-Style Millet

I include a grain with virtually every dinner I make. Sometimes buttered basmati rice is just the perfect thing, but other days I like to dress up my grain a bit. This easy to prepare Indian-style Millet dish can also be made with green beans if desired. Simply add the beans shortly after you add the millet to the pot.

Spicy Indian-Style Millet

1 cup of millet
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
4 cloves
3 green cardamom pods
1 inch piece of cinnamon stick
1 tablespoon of finely grated or minced ginger

2 1/2 cups of water or vegetable stock
1/2 teaspoon of saffron threads
2/3 cup of frozen green peas
1/3 cup of roasted or fried cashews

Soak the millet in enough water to cover overnight. Drain, and set aside.

Heat the oil in a medium-large pot. Fry the onion, garlic and ginger for five minutes or so. Add the cloves, cardamom and cinnamon stick. Stir and fry for another minute. Now stir in the millet and cook for another minute, stirring constantly. Pour in the water or stock, stir in the saffron and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until most of the liquid is absorbed - about 20 minutes. Stir in the peas, cover and cook for another 5 minutes or so. Sprinkle with roasted cashews.

Serves 4 - 5.

Spicy Millet Vegetable Soup

Any combination of vegetables can be used in this Curried Vegetable Soup. For the grain, I used millet, but feel free to substitute quinoa instead. As with most soups, it tastes even better the next day once the flavours have had a chance to blend together. Make it up ahead of time and simply heat it up before serving for lunch or dinner the next day. The recipe yields a large pot making it an ideal soup to serve if you have lots of mouths to feed or if you want leftovers for a few days.

Spicy Millet Vegetable Soup

I cup of uncooked millet

3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
2 medium sized carrots, thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed or minced
1 inch piece of ginger, minced

7 cups of water or vegetable stock
2 - 3 teaspoons of celery seed

small handful of hot chilies, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups of broccoli, stems and flowerettes, chopped into bite sized pieces
1 large tomato, chopped
6 - 8 button mushrooms, chopped into pieces
1 tablespoon of curry powder
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
1 tablespoon of ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne
1 teaspoon of turmeric
2 teaspoons of dried basil
1 teaspoon of dried thyme

frozen or fresh peas
5 tablespoons of tamari
2 teaspoons of sea salt (less if you are using vegetable stock)
freshly cracked black pepper
juice from two limes
handful of fresh parsley, chopped

Soak the millet overnight in about 1 cup of water. Drain, and set aside.

In a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat. When hot, add the onion, celery, carrots, garlic and ginger and stir and fry for about 5 minutes. Next, add the water or vegetable stock and the celery seed. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for about 15 minutes.

Add the broccoli stems to the pot, along with the tomato, mushrooms, millet, spices and herbs, and fresh peas if you are using them. Bring to a boil, immediately reduce the heat to low and cover and simmer for another 20 minutes, or until the millet is cooked.

Now add the broccoli flowerettes, tamari, salt, black pepper, frozen peas if you are using them and lime juice. Simmer for another 10 minutes. Taste for seasoning, and garnish each bowl with parsley.

Northeast African Millet Patties

Millet is one of the oldest grains known to be cultivated by humans, and is one of the staple foods in many parts of the world like India, northern China, Korea, Japan, Russia and eastern Europe, and of course Africa where it is thought to have originated thousands of years ago. Although in North America it's primarily grown as livestock fodder, millet is a highly nutritious grain for humans, as well as non-glutenous and non-acid-forming to make it one of the most easily digestible and least allergenic of grains. It is nearly 15% protein, contains high amounts of fibre, B-complex vitamins including niacin, thiamin, and riboflavin, the essential amino acid methionine, lecithin, and some vitamin E. It is also particularly high in the minerals iron, magnesium, phosphorous, and potassium. The only drawback is that its hull is rich in phytic acid, but a good soaking overnight in water at room temperature allows enzymes to break down the phytic acid.

These easy to prepare millet patties are a great way to enjoy the mildly sweet and nutty flavour of millet.

Northeast African Millet Patties

1 cup millet, uncooked
2 cups water
3/4 cup tahini (or any other nut butter)
1 small onion, finely diced
1 1/2 tsp. celery seed
2 tbsp. tamari or fermented soy sauce (or to taste)
1 tbsp. sesame oil

Rinse the millet and soak in the water at room temperature over night.

Bring the water and millet to a boil, the quickly turn down the heat to low and cover. Simmer for about 20 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Remove from heat, fluff, and let sit uncovered for a few minutes to cool down.

Add all the other ingredients and mix well. Form into patties, and fry over medium heat in a lightly oiled pan for a few minutes on each side until brown. Serve as is or with a condiment or chutney, like Simple Tomato Chutney for example.

Alternatively, the millet may be served when warm without frying. It's delicious this way as well.

I like everything spicy, so I decided to serve the millet patties with some of my Mushroom Curry. India meets Africa. Yum!

Staple Corner: Quinoa and Millet

Quinoa is one of the most nutritious grains available as it contains a nearly perfect balance of all eight essential amino acids, and is very high in protein. Make sure to rinse the grain well, and soak the quinoa overnight. Serve with a bean and vegetable dish for a complete meal.

Quinoa and Millet

2 1/4 cups of water
A pinch of sea salt
1/2 cup of millet
1/2 cup of quinoa
2 tablespoons of toasted sunflower or sesame seeds

Rinse the quinoa for a few minutes under cool water and place in a small bowl. Quickly rinse the millet and place in another small bowl. Divide the water evenly between the two bowls of grains and soak overnight.

Drain the millet, saving the soaking water, and set aside. Drain the quinoa, saving the soaking water, and set aside.

Bring the collected soaking water to a boil with the salt in a medium sized pot. Add the millet, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add the quinoa and toasted sunflower seeds, cover, and continue to simmer for another 15 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat, letting the grains sit in the covered pot for 5 to 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.

Note: You can season the grain with tamari or soy sauce.

Alternately, you can add a small, finely chopped onion, along with a teaspoon of curry powder and a dash a cayenne pepper. If you make this variation, fry the onion for a few minutes in the pot with a small amount of butter or oil before adding the water. Add the spices with the millet.

Indian Millet with Green Beans

I've been asked to provide a few recipes for spicy side dishes of a milder nature, so I cooked up this flavorful millet dish for dinner tonight. If you're into heat like I am, increase the amount of cumin and cayenne slightly, and add a dash of turmeric. It goes well with vegetables and bean dishes. Include a small bowl of yogurt with the meal, as yogurt has a cooling effect.

Millet with Browned Onions, and Green Beans

2 tablespoons of sesame oil
1 cup of millet
2 cups of water
1/2 - 1 teaspoon of whole cumin seeds
1 small onion, cut into fine half rings
20 - 30 green beans, cut crosswise into 1/4 inch pieces
1 medium tomato, seeded and finely diced
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne
2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice

Soak the millet in the water overnight.

Heat the oil in a heavy pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, put in the cumin seeds, stir fry about 10-15 seconds and then add the onion. Cook the onion, stirring frequently until browned.

Add the green beans and stir and fry for about 30 seconds. Next, add the tomato, and stir fry for about a minute.

Stir in the salt, cayenne, lemon juice and the millet, including the soaking liquid. Mix well and bring to a boil. Cover with a tight-fitting lid, turn the heat to very low and simmer for about 30-40 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed.

Remove from the heat, and leave covered for 15 minutes or longer. Fluff with a fork and serve.

Adapted from "Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian"

Staple Corner: Brown Rice and Millet

Though it's always a treat to try new dishes, most cooks have a ready supply of staple recipes on hand, and Lisa's Kitchen is no different. A balanced and satisfying vegetarian diet based on whole foods is relatively easy to sustain, so take care to serve up a grain with your beans, especially if your meal includes few dairy products.

Brown Rice and Millet

1/2 cup brown rice
1/2 cup millet
2 cups of water

Soak the rice and millet in the water overnight.

Bring the rice and millet to a boil in the soaking water and immediately reduce to a simmer and cover the pot.

Cook for about 30 - 40 minutes, or until the water is absorbed.

Let sit for 5 minutes, fluff with a fork and serve as is or sprinkle with a bit of tamari or soy sauce.