Among millet's products are the ones you make yourself.
Millet is a simple, yet widely used, seed-like grain. Its uses and products are many, though it's still not utilized by many Americans. Millet is tiny, but plentiful in nutrients and easy to digest. Most varieties of millet are high in protein, according to the "Food Lover's Companion." Its amino acid profile is high compared to other grains. Although common among many cultures, its products vary.
Products Made of Millet
Millet makes a good baby food.
Its alkalinizing properties make it a staple and baby food in the macrobiotic diet. Its healing properties also have labeled it a medicinal food, and it is used in Chinese medicine. Common culinary uses include chapati flat bread made by the Hunzas; bhakri flat bread made by the Indians; kasha, a porridge; and fermented beverages made by the eastern Europeans. In Africa, uji, a thin porridge, is made for babies. They also use millet to make beer and the stalks are used to make brooms. In Ethiopia, the flat bread injera is made with teff millet.
Where You Have Seen Millet
Multi-grain breads
In the west, millet consumption is often done unknowingly. It is baked whole into multigrain breads, and added to some multigrain cereals and sprouted grain breads. It is commonly used as bird seed.
Buy Millet and Prepare It at Home
Millet is used in pilafs, porridge and soups.
Purchase millet whole, cracked or as flour at health food stores, Asian markets or natural foods co-ops. To prepare millet at home, "The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia" author Rebecca Wood suggests dry toasting it for 5 minutes or until it begins to pop. This increases its mild nutty flavor. Rinse it well and proceed to boil it. Use 2 1/4 cups of liquid per 1 cup whole millet to make a dry, fluffy pilaf. Use 2 1/2 to 3 cups liquid for a smoother texture, more like polenta or farina. Once it comes to a boil, cover and simmer it for 25 to 30 minutes.
Make More of Millet
You won't mind him eating a nutritious cookie made with millet flour.
Include millet in your home as a staple. Bake it into quick breads and muffins, cookies and cakes. Wood says to make the millet flour yourself, as it goes rancid more quickly than the whole grain. Sprout millet for use in raw food recipes. Soak millet for 6 to 8 hours, drain and put it in a sprouting bag or jar. Rinse morning and evening and, in 1 to 2 days, you have 1 1/2 cups of sprouts.
The Qualities of Millet Extend Its Uses
Millet has magnesium, iron, protein and fiber; all are essentials for pregnancy
According to Wood, hot millet porridge is useful as a poultice for some rheumatic and arthritic pains. Millet is a good food for balancing blood sugar, and it helps those suffering from thrush. Pregnant women benefit from millet for its phytonutrients and iron content, which is higher than any cereal grain. Acupuncture.com says millet is a remedy to stop vomiting, relieve diarrhea, promote urination and soothe morning sickness. It's healing nature is due to its quality protein, magnesium, phosphorus and fiber content, as well as its alkalizing properties, making it perfect for gluten-free and healthy baking.
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