The Complete Guide To Cooking Millet And How It Benefits Your Body

Millet is one of the world’s oldest cultivated grains, having been grown in Africa and Southeast Asia for thousands of years. Millet is used in the production of bread, beer, cereal, and a variety of other foods. Millet is still a popular food all over the world today.

Millet is regaining popularity as a result of its versatility and ease of cultivation. Millet is available in the United States in pearl, finger, proso, and sorghum varieties. While the appearance of these millet varieties varies, the health benefits they all provide are similar.

Advantages for Health

Millet is high in niacin, which helps your body manage over 400 enzyme reactions. Niacin is also necessary for healthy skin and organ function. In fact, it’s such an important compound that it’s frequently added to processed foods to enrich them.

Millet, especially the darker varieties, is also high in beta-carotene. This natural pigment functions as both an antioxidant and a precursor to vitamin A, assisting your body in fighting free radicals and promoting eye health.

Other health benefits of millet include:

Take Care of Your Heart

Millet’s soluble fiber can help lower the amount of “bad” cholesterol in your blood, which is a risk factor for atherosclerosis. Soluble fiber gels in your stomach and absorbs cholesterol, allowing it to be safely carried out of your system.

According to some studies, millet can also increase “good” cholesterol levels while decreasing triglycerides. Because cholesterol is such a major risk factor for heart disease, eating millet on a regular basis may help keep your heart healthy.

Sugar Control

Millet has a low glycemic index (GI) because it contains fewer simple carbohydrates and more complex carbohydrates. This means millet takes longer to digest than wheat flour. Low-GI foods can help keep your blood sugar from spiking after eating, making it easier for people with diabetes to manage their blood sugar levels.

Improve Your Digestive Health

Millet is high in dietary fiber, both soluble and insoluble. Millet’s insoluble fiber is a “prebiotic,” which means it promotes the growth of good bacteria in your digestive system. This type of fiber is also important for adding bulk to stools, which helps keep you regular and lowers your risk of colon cancer.

How to Cook Millet

Ingredients

1 ¾–3 ½ cups Water
1 cup Hulled Millet
½ tsp Salt

Instructions

Stovetop

Bring 2 cups of water to boil in a small pot. Add millet and salt. Return to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until tender, 20 minutes. Drain off any remaining water.

Slow Cooker

Place millet, 3 ½ cups water, and salt into a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 4–5 hours or high for 1 ½–2 ½ hours.

Multi-Cooker

Place millet, 1 ¾ cups water, and salt in the pot of a multi-cooker. Set the valve to sealing. On manual setting and high pressure, set for 10 minutes. Natural release the pressure for 10 minutes, then serve.

FAQ

How much cooked millet does 1 cup millet yield?

1 cup dry, raw millet yields about 3 ½ cups cooked millet.

How much liquid do I need to cook millet?

To cook 1 cup of millet in a pilaf-style (as described below), you’ll need 2 cups of water. If you want to make a creamier porridge, increase the water to 3 cups.

How long does it take to cook millet?

Millet takes a few minutes to toast, about 15 minutes to cook, and 10 minutes to fluff. All told, about 30 minutes total cook time.

Shouldn’t I always rinse my grains before cooking them?

Not necessarily. The only grain I habitually rinse is quinoa because of its bitter coating, saponin. I don’t find it necessary or beneficial to rinse millet. Sometimes you’ll see little black pebble-like bits in your millet, and these are simply the unhulled grain. Just pick them out and continue on.

What are the different ways I can use millet in the kitchen?

Millet is commonly cooked as a porridge to enjoy in the morning (great when you tire of oatmeal!), but there are many other ways to use millet. You can toss raw millet into cookies, muffins or quick breads for extra crunch. I love using it in granola for that reason. Use it to thicken soups, or as a base for warm grain salads of your choosing. You can also buy millet grits which are extremely quick-cooking, and are wonderful in any preparation you’d think to use polenta or grits.

Last Updated on 6 months by Evan White

SourceWebMD: Health Benefits of Millet, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: “Dietary fiber intake and risk of colorectal cancer and incident and recurrent adenoma in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial., The Guardian: “Against the grain: why millet is making a comeback in rural India.”, National Institutes of Health: “Niacin.”, National Institutes of Health: “Potassium.”, FoodData Central: “Millet, cooked.”Food Research International: “Potential use of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.) in Brazil: Food security, processing, health benefits and nutritional products.”,