Spiced and Herbed Millet

By Nigella Lawson

Updated May 23, 2024

Spiced and Herbed Millet — Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times

Total Time: 30 minutes
Rating: 4(106)
Comments: Read comments

Millet is an underused grain associated with rough-hewn, well-meaning vegetarianism: although we all think it might be good for us, we doubt it will be one of life's true pleasures. But when it is tossed in a little oil, well-seasoned and simmered in broth, it produces a toothsome graininess, not as nutty as bulgur but more interesting than couscous. Leftovers make a great grain salad the next day: think tabbouleh and add masses of freshly chopped herbs, a judicious amount of good olive oil and a spritz of lemon juice.

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings

2teaspoons olive oil
2½cups millet
½teaspoon ground cumin
4cups vegetable or chicken broth
Juice of half a lemon
¼cup chopped parsley
2tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Place olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add millet and stir until glossy. Add cumin and broth and stir.
Step 2
Raise heat and bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer gently just until millet has absorbed all the broth, about 25 minutes.
Step 3
Remove from heat and add lemon juice, parsley and extra virgin olive oil. Work them into the millet using a fork, fluffing mixture. Transfer to a warmed bowl and serve.

Ratings

4 out of 5

106 user ratings

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Comments

Lolostar5 years ago

So glad to see a millet recipe!~ I've been enjoying it for years, cooking it in my rice cooker, like rice, but with 1cMillet to 3cWater. Try it w/butter & honey for breakfast, or w/grated cheese melted in, or with just about any cooked vegetable or meat dish, tastier than rice! I've never understood why more people don't eat it.

MsMcK7 years ago

Really liked this recipe - texture was great. Could accommodate a range of herbs & vinaigrettes - I added a clove of pressed garlic, 2 thinly sliced green onions, and a garnish of finely chopped castelveltrano olives. The leftovers will go under poached eggs in the morning!

Melanie7 years ago

Nice change of grain from my usual couscous and quinoa. Versatile dish will accommodate all sorts of herbs (I added rosemary to this version). I'm using the leftovers tomorrow to make millet and greens gratin: https://approvedpromo.info/recipes/1014793-millet-and-greens-gratin%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E%3Cdiv class="noteactions_noteActions__VlyP0">

uberswell3 weeks ago

So if you have decided that you are going to be someone that eats millet. This is a good recipe. It makes a remarkable amount of millet. This is not a let’s try it out amount of millet. If you want anything, but in a vow, millet lover or unless you have a very large family I suggest cutting this in half. Like everything it takes longer to cook in the New York Times tells you. I would use more cumin, but it is I think probably as tasty as a simple millet pilaf can get.

Whole Wheat5 months ago

Need about 3 times the volume of water rather than double.

Ellen3 years ago

A little dry. I noticed that most recipes suggest a ratio of 1 cup of millet to two cups of liquid. I would go with that ratio next time.

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