Millets and their benefits

Millets are a type of ancient grain that is gluten-free and rich in protein, fiber, minerals, and antioxidants.

They have many health benefits, such as improving digestion, immunity, blood sugar control, and heart health. Millets can also help with weight loss, as they are filling and low in calories.

There are different types of millets, such as foxtail, finger, pearl, buckwheat, and more. Each one has its unique flavor and texture. Millets can be cooked like rice or quinoa, or used to make salads, fritters, burgers, granola, porridge, breads, and cakes.

Here are some easy and delicious recipes to try with millets:

– Spiced millet salad with chickpeas and garam masala

– Millet sweet corn fritters with honey and coconut

– Puffed millet granola with almonds and dried fruits

– Easy summer millet salad with cucumber, tomato, and feta cheese

– One-pot millet pilaf with vegetables and turmeric

– Millet veggie burgers with oats and herbs

– Millet porridge with milk, nuts, and berries

Millets are a group of gluten-free grains that are rich in protein, fiber, minerals, and antioxidants. They have many health benefits, such as improving digestion, immunity, blood sugar control, and heart health. Millets are also easy to cook and versatile. You can use them to make salads, pilafs, burgers, fritters, porridge, breads, and cakes. Here are some recipes you can try with millets:

– Spiced millet salad: Cook millet with water, salt, garam masala, and turmeric. Fluff with a fork and toss with chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumbers, cilantro, lemon juice, and olive oil.

– Millet sweet corn fritters: Mix cooked millet with corn kernels, eggs, flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and parsley. Drop spoonfuls of the batter on a greased skillet and cook until golden on both sides. Serve with sour cream or yogurt.

– Puffed millet granola: In a large bowl, toss puffed millet with almonds, coconut flakes, cinnamon, and salt. In a small saucepan, heat honey and coconut oil until melted. Pour over the millet mixture and stir well. Spread on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven at 300°F for 15 minutes or until golden. Let it cool completely and store it in an airtight container.

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Mission Millets

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Gluten-free grains

If you want to try some other gluten-free grains, there are plenty of options to choose from. Some of them are quinoa, buckwheat, rice, corn, amaranth, teff, and sorghum. They all have their unique flavors and textures and can be used in similar ways as millets.

Quinoa is one of the most popular gluten-free grains. It’s very nutritious and has all the essential amino acids that your body needs. Quinoa is also very versatile and can be used in many different recipes. Here are some tasty recipes you can make with quinoa:

– Quinoa veggie burgers: Mash some cooked quinoa with black beans, oats, onion, garlic, cumin, salt, pepper, and cilantro in a large bowl. Shape the mixture into patties and cook them on a greased skillet until browned on both sides. Serve them on buns with your favorite toppings.

– Quinoa pilaf with vegetables and turmeric: Cook some quinoa with water, salt, turmeric, and bay leaf in a pot until fluffy. In another pan, sauté some onion, carrot, celery, peas, raisins, almonds, salt, pepper, and parsley in some oil until soft. Fluff the quinoa with a fork and toss it with the vegetable mixture.

– Quinoa breakfast bake with pears: In a small bowl, whisk some eggs with milk, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and baking powder. In a large bowl, toss some cooked quinoa with chopped pears and walnuts. Transfer the quinoa mixture to a baking dish and pour the egg mixture over it. Bake it in the oven at 375°F for 25 minutes or until set.

Buckwheat is another gluten-free grain that has a nutty and earthy flavor. It’s very nutritious and has all the essential amino acids that your body needs. Buckwheat is also very versatile and can be used in many different recipes. Here are some tasty recipes you can make with buckwheat:

– Buckwheat mushroom risotto: Toast some buckwheat groats in a pot until fragrant. Then add some vegetable broth, salt, pepper, and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the buckwheat is tender. In another pan, sauté some onion, garlic, mushrooms, thyme, salt, pepper, and butter until soft. Stir in some parmesan cheese and parsley. Serve the buckwheat topped with the mushroom mixture.

– Buckwheat kale salad: Cook some buckwheat groats with water and salt until fluffy. In a large bowl, whisk some olive oil, lemon juice, honey, mustard, salt, pepper, and garlic. Add some chopped kale and massage it with the dressing until wilted. Toss in some cooked buckwheat, cherry tomatoes, avocado, feta cheese, and almonds.

– Buckwheat banana bread: In a large bowl, mash some ripe bananas with a fork. Add some eggs, maple syrup, coconut oil, and vanilla extract, and mix well. In another bowl, whisk some buckwheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and walnuts. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until combined. Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan and bake in the oven at 350°F for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Amaranth is another gluten-free grain that has a nutty and earthy flavor. It’s very nutritious and has all the essential amino acids that your body needs. Amaranth is also very versatile and can be used in many different recipes. Here are some easy ways to cook amaranth:

– Amaranth porridge: In a pot, bring 2.5 cups of water to a boil. Add 1 cup of amaranth and a pinch of salt. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and serve with your choice of milk, fruits, nuts, seeds, or sweeteners.

– Amaranth pop: In a skillet over high heat, toast 1 tablespoon of amaranth at a time until they pop like popcorn. Shake or stir constantly to prevent burning. Transfer to a bowl and repeat with more amaranth if desired. Sprinkle with salt or sugar and enjoy as a snack or use as a topping for salads or soups.

– Amaranth pilaf: In a pot, bring 3 cups of vegetable broth to a boil. Add 1 cup of amaranth, 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric, and a bay leaf. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and stir in some chopped parsley or cilantro. Serve as a side dish or add some cooked beans or veggies for a complete meal.

Corn is another gluten-free grain that has a sweet and juicy flavor. It’s very nutritious and has many health benefits such as improving digestion, immunity, eye health, and skin health. Corn is also very versatile and can be used in many different recipes. Here are some delicious recipes you can make with corn:

– Corn soup: In a blender or food processor, puree 2 cups of corn kernels with 2 cups of water until smooth. Transfer to a pot and bring to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons of butter, salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste. Simmer for about 10 minutes or until slightly thickened. Garnish with some fresh parsley or cilantro.

– Corn cheese balls: In a large bowl, mash 1 cup of boiled potatoes with a fork. Add 1 cup of grated cheese, 1/4 cup of corn kernels, 2 tablespoons of corn flour, salt, pepper, oregano, and chili flakes to taste. Mix well and shape into small balls. Coat them with some bread crumbs and deep fry them in hot oil until golden and crisp. Serve hot with ketchup or chutney.

– Corn salad: In a large bowl, toss 2 cups of cooked corn kernels with 1 chopped tomato, 1/4 cup of chopped onion, 1/4 cup of chopped cucumber, 2 tablespoons of chopped mint leaves, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and olive oil to taste. Refrigerate for an hour or until chilled. Enjoy it as a refreshing salad or a side dish.

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Sources and references-

5 Healthy gluten-free grains

A millet melting pot

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Not a bad way to spend a Friday at the Knowledge Factory