Millet is an interesting grain. It is one of the oldest cultivated grains in the world, and it is naturally gluten-free, but not many of my friends who are following a gluten-free diet like it. I started trying it in different recipes only recently, and I quite like it.

I think the secret to making a tasty millet is toasting it. As it gets toasted, it releases a nutty aroma, and that is really delicious. When I cook millet, I like to cook it not too much so that there is still a bite to it. This gives a nice texture to the dish.

In this salad, I used my favourite veggies. As I was planning the recipe, I decided to use soy sauce at the last minute as well. And this gave a very nice little extra rich flavour.

While I call this salad “warm”, the leftovers are excellent to eat cold as well. So you can both warm it again or just eat it at room temperature. Enjoy!
—

Ingredients:

Difficulty: Easy
(serves 4)

Printable PDF-recipe (no photos)

2.5 dl (or 1 cup or 200 gr) hulled millet
5 dl (or 2 cups) water
1 tbsp olive oil for millet
2 tbsp olive oil to cook the vegetables
1 medium red onion, diced large*
1 aubergine, peeled in stripes and diced large
1 courgette, diced large
1 yellow bell pepper, diced large
2 potatoes, diced large
4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2.5 dl (or 1 cup) tomato puree
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp salt (or to taste)

*Try to dice all the vegetables in more or less equal size.

1. Put a large pot on medium-high heat and toast the millet in the pot for about 5 minutes until it gets browned and has a nutty smell.

2. When the millet gets browned, pour water, reduce the heat to medium and cover the pot. Cook the millet until it absorbs almost all the water. If you think that at this stage, the millet is still not tender enough for you, add a little more water and continue cooking until you reach your desired texture.

3. When the millet is ready, transfer it to a salad bowl and add 1 tbsp olive oil. Mix well, put aside.

4. In the same pot, put 2 tbsp olive oil and red onion on medium-high heat and saute for a few minutes.

5. When the onion starts browning on the edges, add the veggies: aubergine, courgette, bell pepper, potatoes and garlic and saute for about 3 minutes, then cover the pot, reduce the heat to medium and cook for about 5 minutes.

6. After 5 minutes, add tomato puree, stir and continue to cook covered for 3-4 more minutes.

7. Add soy sauce and salt (I used 1 tsp salt), stir and let it cook for about 1-2 more minutes until the vegetables are tender.

8. Add cooked vegetables to the millet and mix well. Serve warm. Enjoy the leftovers warmed again or at room temperature.