Millet
Soaked and Cooked Millet
1 Cup Millet
3 3/4 Cups Water, divided
2 Tbsp. Whey, Kefir, Buttermilk, or Raw Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 tsp. Salt, Optional
1. Soak millet berries in 2 cups of water and 2 Tbsp. whey, on your counter, for 12-24 hours. At this point, you can cover the container and place it in the fridge, soaking liquid and all for up to a week, or cook right away.
2. Before cooking, drain soaked millet through a very fine mesh strainer, a colander lined with a kitchen towel, or a nut milk bag. Rinse well with cool water. Give the strainer a shake to ensure that there is no excess liquid.
3. Add soaked millet, 1 3/4 cups of water, and salt to a medium pot.
4. Carefully watching, bring water and millet to a boil.
5. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes.
6. Remove the pot from heat and let stand covered for 5-10 more minutes.
7. Remove the lid, fluff with a fork and enjoy. Use in place of white rice and pasta, add to a savory dish, a soup, or a cold salad. I like a little spoonful of millet on a green salad, to give the salad more staying power.
8. Millet tends to dry out and get clumpy when it's cold. I think it's best re-heated with additional water, as a breakfast porridge, or as a savory porridge that can be substituted for creamy polenta or grits.
TIPS
Things that can affect your cooking time and liquid amount required:
How long soaked. If you soak less than 12 hours, you may need additional water.
Type of cooking vessel, size and shape. The water will evaporate faster in a more wide and shallow shaped pan.
Age of grains. Old grains may take longer to cook.
Quantity cooked. If you significantly increase your volume of grains cooked, you will need to also increase cooking time.
Type of cooking method ie: stove top, rice cooker, oven method. Each method will very slightly. For health reasons, I do not recommend cooking grains in a pressure cooker.
Type of millet. Although, there is one variety of millet that is commonly sold in the United States, there are several different types of millet, some are smaller and require less cooking time. Also, cracked millet will take less time to cook, however, I recommend whole millet.
Altitude also affects cooking time. I am at an altitude of 4,775, if you are at high altitude or sea level, you will need to adjust cooking time accordingly.
Prepare to be a little flexible the first time you soak and cook a particular grain. Consider it an experiment. Start with this as a base and alter it as needed.