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Millet Salad with Corn and Pepper

May 27th, 2008 | 7 Comments »

African Millet Salad with Corn and Peppers
from The New Whole Grains Cookbook by Robin Asbell

3 T. olive oil
1 medium onion, julienned
2 T. chopped garlic
2 T. minced ginger
1 T. paprika
1 t. black pepper
1/8 t. ground allspice
1/8 t. cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 c. millet
1 t. salt
1/4 c. lemon juice
1 T. brown sugar
1 8-oz can extra crunchy corn
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
1 roma tomato, chopped
1/4 c. parsley, chopped
1/4 c. roasted peanuts, chopped

In a 2-qt saucepan with a tight fitting lid, heat 1 T. of oil and saute onion until golden. Add garlic and ginger and cook for one minutes, then add paprika, black pepper, allspice, and cayenne and cook for one minute more. Wash millet quickly and drain; add to pan and stir, coating grains and cooking until hot to the touch. Add water and salt and bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer on low for 20 minutes before checking for doneness**. When all liquid is absorbed and grain is tender, cover and remove from heat, allowing to steam for 10 minutes. Scrape millet into bowl and cover, then let cool. Whisk remaining oil with lemon juice and brown sugar in a small bowl. Stir corn, bell pepper, tomato and parsley in with the millet, then drizzle dressing over and stir to coat. Serve topped with peanuts.
KATE’S NOTES:
I used cilantro in place of parsley as I had it on hand; a red bell pepper instead of a green (don’t care for green) and frozen corn instead of canned.

**Despite following the cooking instructions faithfully, the grain, I felt, came out to be a little chewier than I expected and being unfamiliar with it, I contacted the cookbook author to ask her opinion on the texture. Her response was that millet can often be confounding in that way, and the amount of water listed in the recipe can sometimes be less than needed and other times it’s just enough. She feels this is simply one aspect of the grain’s natural humidity level, and can be adjusted during the final cooking stages. Once the grain has absorbed all the water, she suggested to quickly stir and remove a few pieces to test for tenderness, and if it is still firm and chewy to add in a little more water- 1/4 to 1/2 cup- quickly bring the temperature back to boiling, then reduce and simmer again for another 10 minutes.

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Posted in For the Love of Food, Recipes | 7 Comments »

7 responses to “Millet Salad with Corn and Pepper”

  1. The Back Burner » Blog Archive » Millet Salad with Corn and Pepper says:
    June 13, 2008 at 9:34 pm

    […] enriched white rice, Kate’s Millet Salad is healthy, full of flavor and color! In her blog, Kate in the Kitchen, she describes how this dish is filling precisely because it’s a grain. Aside from being a […]

  2. Sophie says:
    June 9, 2008 at 6:02 pm

    I’m Sophie, Key Ingredient’s Chief Blogger. We would like to feature this recipe on our blog. Please email sophiekiblogger@gmail.com if interested. Thanks 🙂

    Sophie
    http://blog.keyingredient.com/

  3. Joy says:
    June 2, 2008 at 8:57 pm

    I love that you chose a millet recipe. Millet seems like such an under appreciated grain. I remember my Mom making me millet for breakfast with sugar and raisins like oatmeal. This looks like a lovely light summer meal! Thanks for sharing!

  4. coffeepot says:
    May 29, 2008 at 8:40 pm

    Looks so good kate.

  5. aria says:
    May 28, 2008 at 5:40 pm

    cheese curds and ice cream —mmmmn

    wait let me get ahold of myself. this looks delish and healthy yum!!!

  6. Susan from Food Blogga says:
    May 28, 2008 at 1:36 pm

    Oh, I’m so glad you featured millet. I’ve recently become a millet fan myself, though mostly for breakfast. So I’m excited about trying this recipe now. Good choice on the red bell pepper too. Green is so blah. Thanks for a delicious and healthy meal, Kate. It’s an ideal entry for BB. 🙂

  7. Paula says:
    May 28, 2008 at 12:46 pm

    Beautiful salad. I love all the veggies. Looks perfect for summer!!