How to Cook Millet: Instructions and General Information

What is Millet?

The term “millet” refers to a family of small-seeded grains that were traditionally used as fodder for domesticated animals. Although the nutritional value of millet is very similar to that of wheat, millet is gluten-free and is often eaten by people on the GFCF diet or those who have celiac disease and cannot digest wheat correctly. Millet has a slightly nutty flavor and a different texture than wheat.

How to Choose, Store, and Prepare Millet

Hulling millet (or removing the hard covering) can be difficult to do, so make sure that your millet is already hulled when you buy it. Smell the millet to ensure that it does not have a musty scent. If it doesn’t, go ahead and buy it. Store it in a cool, dry area.

To prepare millet, you can either rinse it or toast it. For a softer texture, you can rinse millet either by using a colander with fine holes, a coffee filter, or your hand. For a crunchier texture, you can toast millet in a dry pan over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. When the millet is finished toasting, you should be able to smell a slightly nutty aroma.

How to Cook Millet

You can cook millet by boiling one cup of millet in two cups of water, and then simmering it while covered until all of the water is absorbed. The simmering process may take 20 minutes or more.

Once millet is cooked, it can be used in any dish that calls for rice or quinoa. You can add it to casseroles, slip some into soups or stews, or include it in some stuffing. It can also be used as a breakfast food similar to porridge or as a side dish, with the appropriate spices added to taste. For example, you might add cinnamon and nutmeg to millet for a child’s breakfast, or cumin to it to give your millet side dish an Indian flavor. The basics of how to cook millet are easy, and the possibilities of how to use it are endless.