Black Beans and Millet

I bought some millet a couple of months back, but haven't seen too many recipes using it, so I decided to construct my own based on a beans and rice recipe.

Millet is one of those super-grains that was more or less forgotten in America until recent times, a bit like quinoa.  As agriculture moved to greater yields over the years, older crops like millet got forgotten.  Industrialized nations moved to corn, wheat, and rice, giving the biggest bang for the buck.  Only in less developed regions, like Africa, India, and South America did the traditional crops linger.  Millet is an ancient grain and they find records of it from archaeological sites 10,000 years old.  It is gluten free and you can bake flatbreads from it, supposedly.  With some protein, you can bake it into more traditional breads.

I started pretty basic in the recipe, but added more components to give it more complexity.  One great ingredient to have around the house is chipotle chlilis.  Frequently you can find them canned en adobo in the Mexican section of the grocery.  I just frozen them and scoop out a chili when I want some.  One is enough to flavor a whole dish.  I really like the recaito, cumin, chipotle chili, and Mexican oregano blend in the dish.

You'll want to pay attention to the moisture level and the cooking of the millet.  My experience was that millet took about 30 minutes to cook.  It is a bit gummy and chewy until it is done.

Save the extra bean broth.  It is a great addition to stews and a good basis for cooking.  Add it along with broth to add additional flavor and nutrition.

Mexican oregano is great stuff.  It is like super-oregano, bursting with aroma and flavor.  Traditional oregano is a fine replacement.  Make sure to crumble it with your hands before addition to release the flavor.  The flavor components are oil-soluble, so it is good to added directly to the stir fry.

You can soak the beans overnight in salt water to speed the cooking.  You can probably get away with canned beans in place of the dried, but you will need to replace the bean broth with additional veggie broth.

Black Beans and Millet

 1/2 lb dried black beans
1 bay leaf
1 tsp Mexican oregano
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup millet
2 cups broth (veggie or chicken)
1 chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 chili (jalapeno or serrano), chopped
1/4 cup recaito
1 tsp ground cumin
1 chipotle chili

1) Cover beans with water to the depth of 2 inches (the length of a small eating spoon)
2) Add 1 bay leaf, 1/2 tsp Mexican oregano, and 1/4 tsp baking soda
3) Simmer covered until beans are cooked (~1h)
4) Drain, reserving broth.  Remove bay leaf.
5) Bring 1 cup millet and 2 cups broth to a boil, simmer ~30 minutes, until millet is mostly cooked.  Stir occasionally to prevent burning.

6) Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat
7) Fry garlic, onion, and 1/2 tsp oregano until the onion has softened, ~ 10 minutes.
8) Add recaito, chili, and cumin and fry 5 minutes
9) Add millet, beans, 1/2 cup of bean broth, and chipotle chili.
10) Simmer until cooked through.  Add additional bean broth to keep moist.
11) Splash with 1 Tbsp olive oil, add salt to taste (I added around 1/2 Tbsp), and serve.