Mixed Millet Kichadi

Ingredients for Mixed Millet Kichadi (Serves 6)

• Mixed millets – 200 grams (50 grams each of Kodo Millet, Foxtail Millet, Little Millet and Barnyard Mille)
• Onions (finely chopped) – 3 nos. (Medium size)
• Green chillies (cut in two)  – 3 nos.
• Red chillies (cut in two) – 2 nos.
• Ginger (finely minced) – 2” piece
• Carrots (finely chopped) – 2 nos.
• Beans (finely chopped) – 100 grams
• Fresh Green Peas – 50 grams
• Tomato (finely chopped) – 1
• Oil for cooking – 3 to 4 tablespoons (We have used Coconut Oil here)
• Ghee – 1 tablespoon (Clarified Butter or Melted Butter)
• Water – 750 ml

For seasoning/tempering:

• Mustard – 1 teaspoon
• Broken Black gram dhal – 1 ½ teaspoon
• Bengal gram dhal – 1 ½ teaspoon
• Asafoetida – ¼ teaspoon (optional)
• Curry leaves – a few
• Chopped coriander leaves – a few
• Salt to taste

Preparation Time for Mixed Millet Kichadi: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Resting Time: 20 minutes

Method

1. First wash the millets thoroughly, soak in clean water for about 45 minutes.
2. It is advisable to make this dish in the pressure cooker as millets take time to cook.
3. In your pressure cooker, add the oil and heat it well.
4. Add the seasoning, followed by all the other ingredients, except for the coriander leaves, asafoetida, water and millets.
5. Use half the quantity of salt to ensure that the onions and vegetables cook evenly.
6. Once the vegetables are fairly soft, add the water and allow it to start bubbling.
7. Add the remaining salt and then put in the soaked millets after you have strained the excess water.
8. Allow the mixture to boil well; close the pressure cooker and wait for the steam to rise.

Mixed Millet Kichadi can be made with any of the 9 millets available in India

9. Place the weight of the pressure cooker and wait for just one whistle.
10. As soon as the whistle is about to blow, switch of the flame and keep the cooker closed till the steam completely subsides.
11. Open the cooker and mix the millet kichadi well.
12. Add the coriander leaves, asafoetida and ghee and keep covered for at least fifteen minutes.
13. Serve the Mixed Millet Kichadi hot with coconut chutney.

To make this Millet Kichadi and you can use any of the Millets available in India. In this recipe we have used Kodo Millet, Foxtail Millet, Little Millet and Barnyard Millet. You could use around 50 grams of each of these Millets. You can also mix one, two or more Millets to come up with your own millet combinations. Please experiment and find the ideal combination of Millets by mixing and matching.

Mixed Millet Kichadi is a very healthy and nutritious food for breakfast/dinner.