Growing up, my favourite breakfast porridge was a sweet bulgur concoction often served with nuts and fresh cream. My mum was always experimenting with different grains whether it was breakfast bars made of amaranth and millet or muesli made of puffed rice, corn and an odd assortment of nuts and seeds. I didn't care for them at the time other than that bulgur porridge and toasted cornflakes. My tastebuds were primitive and stayed like that for a very long time. Then I discovered oats and everything else became a moot point.
But there comes a time after years and years of oat eating that you feel like something else. That is when I started cooking other grains for breakfast. When I first started cooking with millet, I would get very nostalgic. The smell reminded me of my little lovebirds. The millet grain formed a permanent carpet on the floor of their cage. To me the smell was synonymous with my birdies. Eventually the more I cooked with millet, the more the association was detached.
This little number with millet and coconut milk has quickly shot up to the ranks of that bulgur porridge from my childhood. It is creamy and luscious and I love to top it with shards of dark chocolate and toasted pistachios when I feel like indulging during the middle of the week. I like to rinse the millet and then dry roast it in a pan for a couple of minutes until the water evaporates and the grain starts blushing.
I find that this really brings out the flavour. Why Millet? Why not? It is one of the best sources of magnesium and phosphorus responsible for repairing body tissue damage and rebuilding cells. And it is equally lovely in savoury recipes as it is in sweet.
Recipe
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CREAMY COCONUT MILLET PORRIDGE
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup millet, rinsed and drained
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- dark chocolate shards, to serve
- toasted pistachios, to serve
- maple or rice malt syrup, optional, to serve
Instructions
- Place millet in a small saucepan on low heat. Toast lightly until dry and a shade darker. Add water and salt. Increase heat to medium and cook for approximately 15 minutes until the grain has puffed up.
- Reduce heat to low, add coconut milk and simmer for a few minutes until heated through. Remove from heat, pour in a bowl and top with chocolate, nuts and maple syrup (if desired).
Divine served with applesauce, sunflower seeds and chopped dates!
Delicious. Nice served with Balinese palm sugar syrup and banana. 🙂
Thanks for the recipy. I'll try it on Monday.
Please can I use any type of millet?
Yes 🙂
Shame that the "pin it" button gets in the way of your beautiful photos! (On my iPhone, at least)
Hi there, Im a first time millet user and have a question about the consistency. It doesn't seem to turn soft at all but retains a slight nutty crunch even after simmering for about 20 mins at least. If I cook it longer will it become smoother or is that just the way millet is?
Melissa, it won't turn very soft, but it shouldn't have a crunch. I think of it more as a bite, a firm chewiness. If you simmer it some more that will happen. Different batches of millet behave differently when cooked, just like rice and some other grains and seeds. 🙂
Hi Sneh,
I just discovered your site for the first time today - having googled Millet Porridge recipes #asyoudo - and love it! Looking forward to following along from you. Your work is stunning.
Kindest regards,
Amber | The Beautiful Lens
sounds delicious 🙂
I like to make a mixed grain porridge - my mix currently has spelt, buckwheat, quinoa & oats & I add lsa, pumpkin & sunflower seeds, coconut & walnuts, yum
I love experimenting with different grains! I usually only use them in salads though. This looks so luscious and I can't wait to try it for breakfast.
This is a brilliant recipe, Sneh! Do you think kids' tastebuds will like it too! You're more than a food, you're a food genius! This blog is worth following!
the idea of millet does remind me of what birds eat, but seeing the photo of the porridge with the pistachios on top does look surprisingly tasty
Hi Sneh, lovely to e-meet you! You are such an inspiration! I could eat this everyday. Blogging and Sydney are relatively new to me (both of which I am madly in love with at the moment) and I find this beautiful space incredibly inspiring. Will be back soon for more. Much love, Sonali
I think I've fallen for millet, thanks to this simple and perfectly comforting recipe. I've had millet when it still has a crunch, and It is definitely worth the wait, to find its creamy side. Thiis is going to be a regularly appearing breakfast dish on my table. Thank you.
I'm a big oat-lover too but I can't say I've ever had millet this way before. I love the idea of using coconut milk instead of dairy too. As always, your photos are divine.
this looks so good in a breakfast rut with give this a try
What a good way to make breakfast more interesting! I'm excited to try it!
Porridge, the breakfast of champions. Always a great way to start the day and gives me bags of energy so I am always on the lookout for variations that I can try.
Coconut milk, chocolate and pistachios for breakfast? Oh, almost forgot about the millet 🙂 Sounds like a perfect way to start the day... Love the story. Lovely post, Sneh.
Definitely gonna try this. I'm making a lot of coconut porridges the last few months and getting a bit over oats. I'm not a huge fan of quinoa in the mornings, so this millet porridge sounds like the perfect variation for me. Thanks for the inspiration!
Also: what a gorgeous kitchen you have created. Absolutely stunning!
ooh, this looks delicious, Sneh! love the photos 🙂
Looks and sounds lovely and comforting. Beautiful photos !
Creamy yumminess for breakfast on a chilly winter morning.
i am looking forward to warm comforting porridge with the arrival of Fall. Recently. I have started eating steel cut oatmeals - sooo good as well.
Beautiful photography and delicious porridge. Very original and really healthy.
Cheers,
Rosa
mmm... as soon as my boxes are back in Perth (and if it's not yet too hot) and unpacked I think I'm going to make a batch of this porridge, it sounds delicious! I always enjoyed oaty porridge with golden syrup as a child, the smell of the hot syrup was just delicious!
Pistachios make everything better. I can just imagine how tasty this porridge is – thanks for the great idea!
Seriously, this looks DIVINE. Love the pistachio & dark chocolate addition, I will most definitely make this soon x
Such a great simple/easy recipe. Thanks Sneh! I love porridge of all sorts, and would love to make it with millet and those delicious toppings. Yum! 🙂
Serving it with dark chocolate and pistachio makes it so decadent - much more interesting than a normal boring porridge!
This looks delicious! I haven't really experiments with millet very much. But now I can't wait! Thanks for sharing!