Last Updated on June 11, 2021 by Sindhu
An easy and time-tested recipe for cooking Foxtail millet. A perfect vegan and gluten-free side dish packed with protein and fiber.
Foxtail millets are small seeds in yellow color and are one of the main millets eaten in India. They can be compared to Quinoa.
I first heard about them from my great-grandmother when I was probably 7 years old. But it took me almost 25 years to know their amazing health benefits.
So for anyone trying to cook Foxtail millets for the first time, here you go.
I tried to include all the details including a few tips.
Millets are always a healthier choice than rice and wheat. They are packed with fiber, protein, iron, and a lot of other minerals. Thank God, most of the millets are Heirloom varieties to date.
Have a look at why I call Foxtail millet, Superfood from India, and their amazing health benefits.
Let’s get to cooking.
Do we need to soak foxtail millet before cooking?
These are small seeds about 1 mm in diameter. Most of the grains have fiber on the outside. But in foxtail millets, the fiber is present on the outside and also inside, enveloped between the layers of Carbohydrates.
So that is the reason, soaking them before cooking is a MUST. And when I say soaking, it is around 5-8 hours.
So if you are planning to cook for dinner, soaking them at noon would be ideal.
Millets like other legumes or grains contain phytic acid. It acts as a food inhibitor and chelates micronutrients from the gut. Phytase is an enzyme that is required to digest Phytic acid, which is absent in the human gut. Hence soaking the millets to reduce phytic acid content is the best available option.
What if you forgot to soak the millets?
To cook millets without prior soaking, Pressure cooking is the best option as millets become soft when pressure cooked.
Soaking them for 15 minutes in warm water is also an option.
What does foxtail millet taste like
Raw Foxtail millets don’t have any smell unlike some seeds such as quinoa.
But when they are cooked, they taste somewhat similar to amaranth, couscous, and a combination of quinoa. But they do have a strong nutty flavor.
And the dish with which it is being served significantly impacts the taste. They are also a bit dense in texture when compared to rice.
How do you eat foxtail millet?
Foxtail millet can be eaten just like rice or quinoa with curries, vegetables, or lentil dishes such as dal. They can also be added to soups and salads.
Foxtail millets can be eaten on their own when prepared into one-pot dishes such as Upma, Pongal, Millet fried rice, and Coconut millet rice.
They taste excellent when made into Indian breakfast dishes such as Idli and Dosa.
Indian desserts such as kheer can be made with these millets.
Millet flour is an excellent gluten-free alternative to regular flour in baking. Pancakes can also be made with foxtail millet.
Recipe instructions
There are 4 main components in cooking Foxtail millets.
1. Washing – Washing of millets is not the same as rice, but can be compared to quinoa. Since they are very in size, we should be careful when washing and rinsing them.
First, take a bowl and pour water over the millet. Any unwanted millet or husk will float to the top and that can be removed easily. Then transfer the millets into a strainer and start rinsing the millets 3-4 times.
2. Soaking – Rinsed millets have to be soaked in 1:4 ratio water. The ideal soaking time is 5-8 hours. Unlike chickpeas or lentils, you won’t see a significant difference in millet size after soaking, but they do become soft.
3. Cooking – 2.5 cups of water is needed for 1 cup of foxtail millet. 3 cups can be used if cooking unsoaked millets. Similar to lentils, scum will be formed on top while cooking millet, which needs to be removed for easy digestion.
Fat such as ghee, coconut oil should be added at this stage so that millets will stay fluffy even after they are cooled.
4. Fluffing – Once the water has evaporated from millets, they need to be on standby for at least 10 minutes. And then fluff with a fork, so that they won’t turn mushy or sticky.
How to cook Foxtail millet (Kangni)
Course: Side dishCuisine: IndianDifficulty: Easy4
servings6
hours20
minutes280
kcalEasy recipe to cook Foxtail millet. A perfect vegan and gluten-free side dish packed with protein and fiber.
Ingredients
1 cup Foxtail millet
2.5 cups water
1 tsp ghee or coconut oil
1/2 tsp salt
Directions
- Take a saucepan and add 2.5 cups of water for every 1 cup millet.
- Add 1/2 tsp salt and let the water come to a boil. Or you can also add millet to water before boiling. But this will sometimes result in a mushy texture.
- Reduce the flame to medium and add the soaked millets.
- Scum started to form on the top as millets start to boil. This needs to be removed periodically.
- Keep mixing the millets while they are boiling. Covering with lid is optional.
- Once you see that most of the water has evaporated (this would take about 10 minutes), add 1 teaspoon of ghee or coconut oil.
- Cover with lid and cook on low-medium flame for 10 minutes.
- Switch off the flame after 10 minutes and when you see no water in the millets. But do not open the lid and let it be on standby for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes of standby, gently fluff the millets with a fork and they are ready to be served.
- In case you are planning to make another dish with millets such as fried rice, it is advisable to transfer it to a plate and cool it immediately.
Notes
- In case you have soaked the millets but couldn’t cook before 8 hours, replace the water with fresh water and can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours until cooked.
- If you eat the same curry with both white rice and millets, you can feel that it tastes a little bland when combined with millets. Because millets demand a bit more salt and heat in the accompanying dishes when compared to rice.
1 comment on “How to cook Foxtail millet (Kangni)”
It is healthy food from olden days in Indian life..let’s we restore all these to fight against illness..stay happy n healthy