How to make millet-based upma or pongal?

Question

Learn easy recipes using millets for healthier breakfast or dinner.

Answer 1

To make millet upma or pongal, substitute rice or semolina with your choice of millet (like foxtail, pearl, or little millet), and follow a standard upma or pongal recipe, adjusting cooking time and liquid as needed for the specific millet.

Detailed Explanation:

Making millet-based upma or pongal is a healthy and delicious alternative to traditional recipes. Here's a step-by-step guide:

1. Choose Your Millet: Select your preferred millet. Foxtail millet, pearl millet (bajra), little millet (kutki), or barnyard millet work well. Each has a slightly different texture and flavor.
2. Rinse the Millet: Thoroughly rinse the millet under cold water to remove any impurities.
3. Roast the Millet (Optional): Dry roasting the millet in a pan for 2-3 minutes enhances its flavor and prevents it from becoming mushy. This step is optional but recommended.
4. Prepare the Vegetables and Spices: Chop vegetables like onions, carrots, peas, and beans. Gather spices like mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, green chilies, and ginger.
5. Tempering: Heat oil or ghee in a pan. Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Once they splutter, add curry leaves, green chilies, and ginger. Sauté for a minute.
6. Sauté Vegetables: Add the chopped vegetables to the pan and sauté until they are slightly softened.
7. Add Water: Add water according to the millet-to-water ratio. This varies depending on the millet type. A general guideline is 2 to 2.5 cups of water for every 1 cup of millet. Bring the water to a boil.
8. Add Millet: Slowly add the roasted millet to the boiling water, stirring continuously to prevent lumps from forming.
9. Cook: Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and cook until the millet is cooked through and the water is absorbed. This usually takes about 15-20 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
10. Season: Add salt to taste. You can also add a squeeze of lemon juice for extra flavor.
11. Serve: Serve hot, garnished with fresh coriander leaves.

Pro Tip:

Soaking the millet for 30 minutes before cooking can reduce the cooking time and improve its digestibility.