Name: How to Cook Millet
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 cup millet (I used foxtail millet); 2 cups water (use 1 3/4 cup water if cooking in instant pot); 1 tea spoon of oil (optional ); 1/4 tea spoon salt (optional)

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Last Updated on January 21, 2020

A gluten free grain with slightly nutty flavor, millets are packed with protein and fiber. This ancient grain is fairly simple to cook and is a great substitute for white rice or brown rice. Sharing the basic recipe on how to cook millets in Stove top, Instant Pot, pressure cooker and rice cooker.

With people getting more conscious about health, this age old grain is gaining lot of attention these days. Poor diet and busy life is taking a toll in our health and we are all looking for alternatives to keep our health in check.

Packed with many nutritional benefits, millet is wonderful grain to include in our diet. Just like quinoa this wonderful grain is finally getting its due in the food industry.

What are millets?

Millet are small seeded grasses widely grown is Asia and Africa as cereal crops. 97% of the millet cultivation is done in these places.. Millet were commonly used to feed birds and animals, but very few know that millet have been consumed by humans for 7000 years now.

Millets have been widely consumed in India for a very long time. Growing up I have enjoyed eating Ragi and Jowar in many dishes like ragi roti, jowar rotti and ragi mudde.

Different kind of millets?

There are variety of millets available in the market. These are sorghum, pearl millet , foxtail, little millet, finger millet , kodo and barnyard.

Cooking millet is very similar to how we cook rice or quinoa. Rinse the millet and cook in 1:2 ratio until done. But unlike quinoa and rice which do not need any soaking, I prefer my millet to be soaked before cooking.

Today I am going to share the basic recipe of cooking millet which will give you perfectly cooked grain every single time.

Cooking Millets in Instant Pot –

1)Add a cup of millets in a bowl. The millet I have used is foxtail.

2) Wash the millets with tap water by gently rubbing it with hands, wash them twice.

3) Soak the millets in enough water for an hour. If you are short of time, soak for atleast 30 minutes.

4) After an hour drain the water from the millets.

5) Turn on the saute mode in instant pot.

6) Add the millet and toast them for a minute ( but not more than two minutes), keep stirring while toasting.

7) The millet should get little plump but not brown. (If the Instant pot becoms too hot and you think the millets are browning turn off the instant pot)

8) Cancel the saute mode and add 1 3/4 cup of water. Mix well making sure millets are not stuck on the side of the Pot.

adding the millets in to a instant pot and toasting them

9) Close the lid and turn the valve to sealing position.

10) Press Pressure cook mode and adjust the time to 8 minutes.

11) Once done, wait for atleast ten minutes before releasing the pressure.

12) Add a tea spoon of oil and little salt (optional) and fluff the millet and enjoy as side.

cooking the millets for 8 minutes in instant pot until fluffy

Perfectly cooked millet in Instant Pot-

perfectly cooked millet in the instant pot

Cooking millets in stove top –

1)Wash the millets ( I used foxtail) with tap water by gently rubbing it with hands. Wash it twice and soak the millets in fresh water for an hour.After an hour drain the water from the millets.

2) Transfer the millets to a sauce pan. In medium heat, toast them for three to four minutes. We do not want the millet to brown, just toasting a bit.

3) Now add 2 cups of water and mix well.

4) Close the lid about 3/4th way and turn on the stove to medium flame. Cook for 13-15 minutes, you may want to stir once or two in between. Keep an eye, making sure the millet do not spill over.

5) Once done, turn of the stove and let rest for ten minutes. Add salt and oil (optional) and fluff with a fork.

millets toasted in a steel sauce pan and cooked till fluffy

Perfectly cooked millet in stove top –

Should millet be soaked before cooking?

I have tried both ways and I highly recommend soaking the millet for an hour. If you cant do an hour do atleast 30 minutes.

Soaking the millet remove phytic acid and it easy on your tummy and helps in better digestion.

What is the water to millet ratio?

If cooking in stove top, rice cooker and pressure cooker add 2 cups of water for 1 cup of millet. .

If cooking in Instant Pot add 1 3/4 cups of water for 1 cup of millet.

Does millets need to be rinsed?

As with any grain, it is good idea to rinse them before using.

How long does it take to cook millet?

Depending on what cooking method you use, it can take any where from 10 to 15 minutes.

What can I eat millet with?

Millet can be enjoyed as porridge, in salad, burgers or enjoy with a curry or stir fry. The options are limitless.

Few millet recipes from the blog –

Ragi Jowar Rotti

Bajra Ragi rotti

Ragi roti

cooked millets serves in a large white plate with dal ,egg plant curry and tomato.

Millet Lemon Rice

lemon millet rice served with baby carrot, snap peas and hummus

Served the millet with curry of your choice, dal or make porridge or enjoy as a salad.

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