Millet is originally from China and Africa and still remains a staple in the diets of about a third of the world's population, but relatively unknown in New Zealand.
It is rich in iron, B vitamins, calcium and has a lovely mild nutty flavour. It also happens to be naturally gluten free.
Millet has no hull, meaning it is free from lectins.
Why is this good? Well, according to research, lectins pry apart what are called tight junctions in the mucosal wall lining in your intestine. Believe it or not, this lining is only one cell thick, so you can imagine how this leads to leaky gut syndrome and inflammation.
Millet can be used as a replacement for oats, like I have here or in more savoury dishes replacing things such as couscous, rice and potatoes.
To cut down on preparation time in the morning, I pre-cook my millet and keep it in the fridge until needed.
In the morning I then simply add 3/4 cup of millet to my pot with some coconut milk and cook gently until creamy. This takes around 10 - 15 minutes.
MILLET PORRIDGE
Ingredients
(makes 4 bowls in total)
1 cup millet
2 cups water
1/2 - 1 1/2 cups coconut milk (depending on how many bowls you'd like to make)seasonal fruit, yogurt and nuts.
Method
Add 1 cup of millet to a medium sauce pan. Rinse twice under cold water.
Drain rinsing water as best as you can and add a further 2 cups of water.
Bring to the boil, then lower the heat to the lowest setting possible. Leave covered and cook for 20 minutes, until all the liquid has absorbed.
At this point you can either go ahead and make porridge, or you can store in the fridge until needed. (It will keep well for 3-4 days).
To make the porridge add the required amount to a saucepan and add coconut milk. Roughly 1/2 cup milk per cup of millet.
Cook on low until creamy.
Serve with seasonal fruit, nuts and yogurt.