MILLET it RIGHT

FOXTAIL MILLET VEGETABLE BIRYANI/ CHICKEN BIRYANI

INGREDIENTS

• Foxtail millet 1½ cup
• Onion sliced 2
• Carrots 2
• French beans 15
• Green peas (shelled) 1 cup
• Salt, as per taste
• Green cardamom 8
• Black cardamom 1
• Cloves 15
• Cinnamon ½ inch stick
• Bay leaf 1
• Caraway seeds ½ tsp
• Ginger-garlic paste 1½ tsp
• Turmeric powder 1 tsp
• Red chilli powder 1 tsp
• Coriander powder 1 tsp
• Tomatoes (chopped) 1 cup
• Garam masala 1 tsp
• Lemon juice 1 tsp
• Fresh coriander leaves 2 tsp
• Fresh mint leaves (chopped) 2 tsp

METHOD

• Boil foxtail millet in four cups of salted water with cardamoms, cloves and cinnamon, until three-fourth done. Drain excess water and set aside. Boil all chopped vegetables and keep aside.
• Add green cardamom, cloves, black cardamom and cinnamon along with bay leaf and caraway seeds, and roast in a thick bottomed pan.
• Add tomatoes, ginger-garlic paste, deep fried onions, carrot, French beans and boiled peas. Sprinkle salt, cover and cook on medium heat for two minutes.
• Add turmeric powder, red chilli, coriander, garam masala powder and mix well. Simmer for two minutes.
• Arrange a layer of millet at the top; over that arrange half cooked vegetables.
• Sprinkle fried onions, lemon juice, coriander and mint leaves.
• Cover with a lid and cook. Let it stand for five minutes. Serve hot.

NOTE: For chicken biryani; in the place of vegetables chicken is to be substituted, while the remaining procedure is the same.

BLACK RICE SALAD

BLACK RICE SALAD

INGREDIENTS

• Black rice 2/3 cup
• Chopped onions ½ cup
• Chopped tomatoes ½ cup
• Salt ¼ tsp
• Olive oil 3 tbsp
• Bell pepper (coarsely chopped) ½ cup
• Lemon juice 1½ tbsp
• Honey ½ tbsp
• Pepper to taste
• Green onions (sliced) 2 tbsp
• Pomegranate ½ cup

METHOD

• Add 2/3 cup black rice in a vessel. Add 150 ml water. Place vessel in a pressure cooker. Cook rice on high flame for three whistles and at medium flame for another three whistles. Cool.
• Whisk two tbsp oil, lemon juice, honey, and pepper in a serving bowl. Toss with black rice, chopped onions, tomatoes and bell peppers along with pomegranate seeds.

CHIA, FLAX SEED & MILLET COOKIES

CHIA, FLAX SEED & MILLET COOKIES

INGREDIENTS

• Multi millet flour 1 cup
• Chia seeds 2 tbsp
• Flax seeds 2 tbsp
• Himalayan rock salt ½ tsp
• Cinnamon powder 1 tsp
• Cardomom powder ½ tsp
• Coconut ½ cup
• Cold pressed groundnut oil 1/3 cup
• Organic jaggery ½ cup

METHOD

• In a bowl; mix multi millet flour, chia seeds, flax seeds (partly crushed), Himalayan rock salt, cinnamon and cardamom powder.
• In another bowl, mix coconut, cold-pressed groundnut oil and organic jaggery melted in ¼ cup of water.
• Heat oven to 180°C.
• Combine wet and dry ingredients to form a wet dough.
• Put down spoonfuls – half-inch apart on a baking tray (lined with oiled butter paper or foil.)
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
• When cool, remove from paper. They should be crisp outside and soft inside.

— Recipes courtesy: Vismitha Yeshwanth