Instant Pot Millet Recipe|How to cook Millets

Last updated on February 11th, 2021 at 05:54 am

Instant Pot Millet recipe - an easy step by step recipe to cook millets perfect every single time using your Instant Pot. This recipe doesn't require toasting or soaking, all you have to do is dump start!

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Millets have made quite a dramatic comeback. I say "comeback" because even though millets are a fairly new term in some parts of the world, in India millets have been here all along. I remember my grandmother reminiscing about her childhood when millets were the staple food.

She says her family used to have millets and split pea soup or mung bean curry almost every other day for lunch. Varieties of food were only on occasions. Everyday food was simple food packed with nutrition; less refined carbs and more fiber.

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Instant Pot Garlic Mashed Potatoes recipe

Millets took a big break or probably was shunned by people who thought rice and wheat were fancier than millets. My parents being one of them, lol. It was just what was trending back then and because none had the time to pick out tiny stones from the millets and do all the background work.

Thankfully with all the technology and awareness, we can all feed our children some nutritious millets. Let's see how to make this the easy way!

What are millets:

If you're new to cooking with millets or haven't heard of them: millets are small grains that grow on grass-like plants. These are indigenous to India, Africa, and some parts of Asia. In India, millets have been an important part of a meal for several thousand years until rice took over.

There are several types of millets available. But the millets that are similar in size and color are Kodo Millet, Barnyard Millet, Foxtail Millet, and Little Millet. Millets like finger millets are of the same size as these but it adds color; mostly finger millet is used in ground form. Other millets like pearl millet is slightly larger in size comparatively. It is served in cooked form as well but best served on its own and not mixed along with other millets.

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Instant Pot Mushroom Rice /Biryani Recipe

This is why I always mix equal quantities of Kodo, barnyard, foxtail, and little millet and store it away in a large enough container. This way I get to use the millets to make cooked instant pot millet or I soak and grind them up with little rice to make Millet Dosa Batter. Cooked millets are an excellent alternative to couscous and quinoa.

Instant Pot Millet:

I finally, like finally got hold of some organic millets. Millets are native to South Indian lands and yet I wasn't able to find any organic millets even when they started to come back to our lives. And when I finally found them, it was so worth it. And there was so much difference in the way it looks and tastes.

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Instant Pot Chickpea Butter Masala recipe

Nonetheless, if you cant get your hands on organic millets, that's totally alright. I've been using regular millets for over a decade now. It is packed with nutrition whatsoever.

Serving suggestions:

You can serve cooked instant pot millet with just about anything you serve alongside cooked rice. Like these recipes from the blog. You have 4 different meals just with these options given below.

• Instant Pot Drumstick Sambar
• Instant Pot Mushroom Curry
• Spicy Chicken Curry in Instant Pot
• Instant Pot Split Pea Soup

Apart from these, you can serve them with a chicken stir-fry and some vegetables. Also, you can make curd "rice" millets, Lemon Millets, Tamarind Millets, etc.. There are a million ways you can serve millets.

Storage Instructions:

It tastes best when you serve the Instant Pot millet right away. But should you have to store it for later, you can splash some water and reheat it in the microwave in an Instant Pot by Pressure Cooking it for "0.00" minutes. Additionally, it stays good in the refrigerator for about a day.

Diet and Allergen Information:

Millets are in general very nutritious and are low GI. Read more about its benefits here in this article. Millets are in fact also naturally gluten-free making it the best food for people who are gluten intolerant or are looking to reduce gluten intake.

See also:

Instant Pot Chicken Biryani (30-minute) recipe

To cook millets in a non-electric Pressure Cooker:

If you dont have an Instant Pot, you can cook millets in a regular Pressure Cooker on the stovetop. You will have to add 2 cups of water for every 1 cup of millets and let the pressure release for 3 times.

How to cook millets:

To make Instant Pot millet all you need is some good quality millets and water. I like to add 1 teaspoon of Sesame Oil but that's totally optional. I have used a mix of four millets (Foxtail, Kodo, Barnyard and Little Millet) like I do for my millet dosa batter. But you can use any of these millets; the water and cooking time will remain the same.

To make it you'll need:

• Mix of (Foxtail, Kodo, Barnyard and Little Millet) or any one of these - 1 cup
• Water - 1.5 cups
• Sesame oil - 1 teaspoon (totally optional)
• Salt - optional (I dont use it)

Method:

• Place the Instant Pot's inner pot in the Instant Pot.
• Add the millets
• Pour in the water and oil if using.
• Close with its lid and SEAL it.
• Set the instant pot to RICE mode (12 minutes).
• After the cooking time, quick release. Open and fluff it with a ladle or fork. Finally, Serve your Instant Pot Millet hot!

Notes:

• I use a mix of Kodo, Barnyard, Foxtail and Little millet. You can use 1 cup of any of these millets or a mix of it all. The cooktime and water levels are the same.
• You can store leftovers in the refrigerator for upto a day. Reheat it in a microwave or in Instant Pot with Pressure Cook mode for 0 minutes. Ensure to splash some water for both the method.
• you can cook millets in a regular Pressure Cooker on the stovetop. You will have to add 2 cups of water for every 1 cup of millets and let the pressure release for 3 times.

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Made this? Got doubts? Let me know what you think in the comments below!