Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Millet "curd rice"

I’ve always found it difficult to force myself to eat something simply because it’s considered healthy. Health-giving properties alone don’t make the cut, as far as my tastebuds are concerned. I accept that it is entirely my loss. But I am trying to trick my tastebuds into accepting non-rice (or non-white-rice) wholegrains as tasty, mainly by disguising them in familiar recipes.

I don’t know if you’ve heard of how shepherds help orphaned newborn lambs survive, by putting them together with ewes whose own lambs died at birth. Basically, they tie the fleece from the dead lambs onto the orphaned ones, and then introduce them to the mama sheep… and the mama sheep, smelling only their own dead lambs’ smell, accept the orphans as their own. Eventually, they get used to the adopted lambs’ own smell and then there is no need for the fleece to do the tricking job.

In other words:

Shyam (me) = mama sheep, who can’t/won’t accept
other lambs = brown rice, millet, broken wheat, quinoa, etc.,
in place of
her own beloved lamb = white rice.

Did y’awl get that awesome symbolism? Good, isn’t it? I’ve been planning my acceptance speech for the Nobel Prize for Literature ever since I’ve been able to put pen to paper. (Please try not to hurt my feelings by saying I’m baaaaaaaaaad (get the pun! get the pun!) at metaphors.)

So anyway, I think mama sheep was quite reasonably fooled into accepting the millet “curd rice” lamb as a reasonable substitute for her own white rice baby.

I’ve listed a few optional extras in the recipe below to add to the millet, none of which you will see in my photos – but that is because I didn’t have green grapes or cucumber handy, and couldn’t be fagged to grate any carrots because I was doing other things at the time.

One thing I noticed about the cooked millet – how much it resembled cooked quinoa, but luckily without the distinctive taste. The millet took less getting used to than quinoa. Which is a good reason why it worked so well in this recipe. My dinner was millet "curd rice" with 1-1/2 brown rice dosas and molagapodi. Pretty satisfying, all said.

Recipe for:
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Ingredients:


1/2 cup millet
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Water as required
Yogurt as required (I used Greek-style yogurt)
1 tsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
A few curry leaves, torn up
1/4 tsp asafoetida powder
2-3 green chillies (or to taste), sliced into thin rounds
Optional: 2-3 tbsp cucumber cubed small OR 2-3 tbsp grated carrots OR a few halved green grapes

Method:

1. Cook the millet in plenty of boiling water till soft and cooked (takes about 15 minutes, but keep testing the millet during the cooking period to see if it's done).
2. Drain the water off as well as you can and let the millet sit covered for 10 minutes. Let it cool.
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3. Add as much yogurt to the millet as required, mixing gently, until it's of a consistency you like.
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Ideally, it shouldn't be sloppy/runny, and it should also not be thick and dry.
4. For the tempering, heat the oil in a small pan, add the asafoetida powder, green chillies (if using), mustard seeds and curry leaves. Cover the pan and let the mustard seeds pop.
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5. Now pour this tempering over the millet and mix it in gently. You can also mix in the cucumber, carrots or grapes at this point.
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Serve cold or at room temperature.
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This can be had by itself or with pickles and any vegetable curry.

RECIPE: MILLET "CURD RICE"

Ingredients:
1/2 cup millet
Water as required
Yogurt as required (I used Greek-style yogurt)
1 tsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
A few curry leaves, torn up
1/4 tsp asafoetida powder
2-3 green chillies (or to taste), sliced into thin rounds
Optional: 2-3 tbsp cucumber cubed small OR 2-3 tbsp grated carrots OR a few halved green grapes

Method:
1. Cook the millet in plenty of boiling water till soft and cooked (takes about 15 minutes, but keep testing the millet during the cooking period to see if it's done).
2. Drain the water off as well as you can and let the millet sit covered for 10 minutes. Let it cool.
3. Add as much yogurt to the millet as required, mixing gently, until it's of a consistency you like. Ideally, it shouldn't be sloppy/runny, and it should also not be thick and dry.
4. For the tempering, heat the oil in a small pan, add the asafoetida powder, green chillies (if using), mustard seeds and curry leaves. Cover the pan and let the mustard seeds pop.
5. Now pour this tempering over the millet and mix it in gently. You can also mix in the cucumber, carrots or grapes at this point. Serve cold or at room temperature. This can be had by itself or with pickles and any vegetable curry.
Millet "curd rice"

7 comments:

Hari Chandana P said...

Very healthy and refreshing recipe.. looks amazing !!
Indian Cuisine

Bharathy. said...

Hmm this is something I have eaten growing up in N. Karnataka. But my mom used to use broken millet and pressure cook it. Maybe you can try putting it thru a processor?

Manasi said...

Laughed all the way thru! u have my vote:)
I like the idea of 'millet' curd rice and imagine it makes a refreshing change from the same old, same old.

harini-jaya said...

As Bharthy said, I thought the millet needs to be put through the processor..This is brilliant if it gets accepted at our place. Let me give it a try.

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Nupur said...

Shammi- this post is a literary masterpiece, I kid you not! Wee lambs and curd millet- oh my :)

Shammi said...

Hari Chandana: Thank you very much :)

Bharathy: I dont see the need to put the millet through the processor... is there any particular reason for it?

Manasi: It was surprisingly nice. I'm going to try a couple of other recipes with millet, too.

Harini-jaya: It worked fine as whole millet, too :) No need to process it.

Nupur: :) You're so pulling my leg; but I agree, this is a literary masterpiece. Just waiting for the call from the Nobel committee... :D
Nupur:

Linda said...

Shammi -- that bit with the lambs reminded me of a childhood song: "Mairzy doats and dozy doats and liddle lamzy divey... A kiddley divey too, wouldn't you"? And you thought Nupur was kidding about the literary masterpiece!

OK, so little lambs eat ivy -- but I'll try your millet 'curd rice' any day -- it looks great! Can't go wrong with Greek yogurt for curd anything, and the tempering, yum :)