Millet Bowl with Tangy Tahini Butternut & Chickpeas
Nothing can beat a steaming plate of rice topped with a crispy fried egg and drizzled in sweet soy sauce. It’s the tzar of down-home comfort food as far as I’m concerned, and it’s what I would choose for my last supper on earth.
BUT eating rice every day for 17 years will do you in, even when you switch out white rice for brown and red and wild. So when you head West to a big European city and chance upon the grains aisle at the eco-market around the corner, you may find yourself squeaking like a chipmunk who’s tripped into a gorgeous cache of acorns.
I’ve been having SO much fun rooting through these new (to me) whole grains — barley, bulgur, amaranth, and quinoa (a past darling of the Muss, featured in my Tempeh Bolognese and Tabbouleh), to name a few. This recipe is an ode to my latest grain fling: millet.
It may be seen as bird food in the States, but millet is a staple in many African and Asian countries. And why not? It grows prolifically, is easily digested by the body and is rich in magnesium. Yay for healthy hearts! It’s also gluten-free.
Inspired by this recipe, I roasted cubes of sweet butternut squash and tossed them in a zippy, tangy tahini sauce along with some chickpeas. Spooned over a bed of millet, this vegan dish left us feeling sated and 110% nourished.
TANGY TAHINI BUTTERNUT & CHICKPEAS ATOP MILLET
adapted from the great Smitten Kitchen & Orangette
the body
1 butternut squash, peeled and cut in bite-sized cubes
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 big glug of olive oil
A pinch of salt and a grind of black pepper
1 medium-sized can of chickpeas, or about 1.5 cups/300g cooked and drained
1/2 courgette, chopped in small cubes
the tahini sauce
1 garlic clove, finely minced
Juice of two fat limes
3 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste)
2 tablespoons water
A good glug of olive oil
Salt to taste
the millet
1 1/2 cups millet, cooked in 6 cups of water
Preheat your oven to 450 F/230 C. Toss the cubed butternut with the minced garlic, oil, salt and pepper. Slide it onto a shallow baking pan and into the fiery furnace for 20 minutes, or until soft.
Simmer the millet for about 30 minutes, turn off the heat, and let it rest for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk the garlic, lime juice, tahini, water, olive oil and salt together. I actually added a squirt of fish sauce to add that umami POW! factor, but this is up to you. Taste the sauce to make sure the flavours are in balance to your liking, then pour it over the roasted butternut, chickpeas, and (uncooked) courgette.
Fluff the millet a bit and dish it up!
Perfect timing! I bought a butternut yesterday for no other reason than that I was thrilled to find one in my local grocery store. Have been trying to decide what to do with it and this sounds perfect!
Oh good! Tell me how it turns out. (:
I became acquainted with millet because it was served so often at Zen retreats–I like it both sweet and savory. This looks like a healthy option to make during cycling season, although I’m still trying to distinguish between a “good glug” and a “big glug.” ;-) Ken
I forgot to add my usual disclaimer! Here it is:
I’m allergic to precise measurements AND I want you to feel empowered to improvise in your kitchen, so don’t be frightened by the loose measuring language below.
No fear. Just amusement. Ken
This sounds delicious, and the photos are beautiful.
Thanks for popping by, Holly. (:
A fried egg on white rice is ultimate comfort food for me too. I imagine it is for people in and from many Asian countries. I have never tried millet but always saw peasants in Asian movies eat it, who wished they could afford rice. I always wondered how cheap millet could be in comparison to rice. It looks like a great substitute though.
Cost will definitely vary by location…rice is still the cheapest option in Indonesia, although food prices have inflated drastically in the last years. The poorest of the poor will eat rice with salt.
I’m sure that millet these days found in eco/specialty shops will be more costly than say, millet found at the Chinese grocer. As yet, I haven’t found anything cheaper than rice.
I love millet a lot & also use millet flour when I bake Gf! this is one stunning & truly appetizing vegan dish that rocks! :) MMMMMM!
I’ll have to give millet flour a go – thanks for the idea! (:
My brother has been on a millet only diet for years now (which I have to confess I’ve always rolled my eyes at a bit — dutiful sister that I am); I’ve never eaten much of it myself, but tahini and squash being some of my favorite flavors, I will definitely have to try this out with him. Sounds divine!
Is he gluten-intolerant? Millet and only millet sounds so very sad!
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This looks yummy! Yer giving me ideas lady!
Ooh, I’m so glad! Let me know what culinary tangents you get yourself into. (:
I love millet and make millet flatbreads at times as well..Thanks for sharing!!
It’s wonderfully versatile, isn’t it?