We’ve spoken a lot about millets, their history, nutrition and farming benefits. I think its finally time to talk about some recipes! The first of which is a personal favourite.
As I’ve probably mentioned in many posts before, I grew up in the Middle East. There were several things I disliked about growing up there but food was never one of them! Kabsa is an incredibly popular dish that originated in Saudi Arabia. Rice, meat, veggies and spices are cooked together in one large pot and is served on a communal platter. Everything about kabsa is larger than life, from the flavours to the quantity! We have a ‘small’ kabsa pot that’s 20 inches wide and a serving platter that’s twice as wide! Generosity has always been a part of the Arab culture and you can definitely see that reflected in their food. You might find versions of this, with a mix of meat, a mix of meat and veg and so on. In all honesty, it’s just biriyani. Or is Biriyani just Kabsa?
I do have an absolutely fantastic Kabsa recipe in store for you, but this is a bit of a jugaad recipe. It’s Kabsa inspired, but with a few changes. Okay, maybe a lot of changes! Sometimes I feel a little guilty using spice pre-mixes. My grandmother would never think to use ready made sambhar masala and surely I should feel the same running a food blog right?
NO!
There is absolutely no shame in using pre mixed spices, masalas and sauces. If it makes something tasty then that’s all you need. Till about two years ago we always asked friends and family coming from the middle east to get us Kabsa masala, but it wasn’t a sustainable model. While the Middle Eastern mixes are far better I think the Eastern Kabsa Masala is a pretty great one too.
Millets taste infinitely better when cooked in stock instead of just water. There was a time when I would make stock at home but I am now a lazy chef so I like to use the Maggi magic cubes. They come in easy to use individually wrapped sachets and I use them in so many recipes, millets included. You could also get stock powder While you could omit it, I would definitely recommend ‘stocking’ up. (#sorrynotsorry) This recipe calls for 1/4 cup of millet that should be enough to feed two very hungry people. Soaking the millet is an important step, even if you only do it for 15 minutes. Pressure cooking the millet is by far the easiest way to cook it since it takes a total of 8 minutes.
One of my favourite utensils in the kitchen is a 2 litre pressure cooker. If you’re cooking for two I would definitely recommend getting one of these. It takes much longer for pressure to build up in the standard sized cookers and you run the risk of over-cooking your millets. It takes about 4-5 minutes for the first whistle and then turn the heat down to low and wait for 3 minutes – your millet is ready! Okay, you have to wait for the pressure to release but you can use that time to get your veggies ready.
It might seem odd to add the potatoes first, especially before the onions and garlic, but I like to cut them into larger pieces that take longer to cook. Once your potatoes are half-done, you can add your onions, garlic and ginger and cook them together. Once your veggies are cooked, you can either set them aside while you cook the egg or you can do what I like to do which is push my veggies to the outer ring of the pan (a la pav bhaji guy) and just cook the egg in the centre. Did I mention I’m a lazy chef?
So there you have it, a Kabsa inspired millet dish! It’s super tasty and the perfect make-ahead meal that’s also really healthy. Give it a try and if you do enjoy it, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!
Kabsa Millet
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- ¼ cup Foxtail Millet
- ½ cup Stock (or ½ stock cube mixed in ½ cup of water)
- 1 medium Potato
- 1 large Onion
- 1 large Tomato
- 3 large Garlic Pods
- 2 inch piece Ginger
- ½ tsp Turmeric
- ½ tsp Chilli Powder
- 1 tsp Kabsa
- 1 Egg
- 1 Tbsp Coriander
- 1 Tbsp Butter
Instructions
- Wash your millet thoroughly until the water runs relatively clear.
- Cover the millet with fresh clean water and soak for 10-15 minutes.
- In the meantime prep your veggies. Chop the potatoes into 1 inch cubes and roughly chop the onions and tomatoes. Finely chop the garlic.
- Once the millet is soaked, discard the water and measure ½ cup and add it to the cooker.
- Place the cooker on high heat.
- Turn the heat down to low after the first whistle and cook for another 3 minutes.
- Turn the heat off and set the cooker aside to release pressure naturally.
- Place a pan over medium heat and add 2 tbsps of oil to it.
- Add the potatoes and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the onions and garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and salt and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the turmeric, chilli powder and kabsa masala and mix well.
- Push the vegetables to the sides of the pan to empty some space in the centre.
- Add a touch of oil or butter and crack an egg into the centre of the pan. Scramble immediately.
- Once the egg is half cooked, stir the vegetables into it and cook for another minute.
- Add the cooked millet to the pan and mix well.
- Add the butter and stir thoroughly so that the butter is evenly distributed.*
- Add the coriander and adjust the seasoning if needed.
- Serve up and enjoy!
Notes
- You can of course, skip the butter but I would recommend adding it.
