Millet which used to be a feed for cheap brown porridge, has become a new recipe superfood, driving up its imports into Kenya.
Because of their rich nutritional benefits, millets are considered nutraceuticals or nutritional pharmaceuticals. This is because they are completely gluten-free super grains that lower the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and blood pressure as well as giving an immunity and antioxidant boost to your body.
Despite the amount of locally produced millet increasing by 41 per cent from 62,996 MT in 2022 to 96,067 MT in 2023, according to AFA’s 2024 yearbook, millet imports still rose by 1,456 MT due to increased domestic demand.
Millet is also referred to as millets because there are varieties of millet. The most common millets in Kenya are finger millet grown in Baringo, Kisii, Nyamira, Bomet, and Busia counties, and pearl millet grown in Kitui, Tharaka Nithi, Meru, Embu, Machakos, and Makueni counties.
From being a boring grain that was used to make brown porridge, millet’s demand is increasing as enterprising home chefs create a new and exciting world of millet recipes.
- Finger millet chapatis
Also known as ragi roti, millet chapatis are nutritious and easy to make. A cup of water is added to a pan which is boiled with half a teaspoon of salt.
Once it is boiled, add ground millet or millet flour and mix it in the millet completely. Leave the mixture for two to three minutes and transfer the pearl millet dough. With wet hands and wetting the millet dough to avoid getting burned, kneed the dough like you would a regular wheat chapati until it does not stick to a surface.
Millet is a great wheat replacement because it has more insoluble fibers that are not easily digested. This keeps you fuller for longer encouraging weight loss.
A teaspoon of oil is added to the dough and continue kneading. Just as when making chapati with wheat dough, the millet dough is cut into equal parts which are rolled into balls.
The chapati rolls are also kneaded to avoid cracks forming before being rolled again. Wheat flour is sprinkled and coated over the millet ball before gently pressing it down while flipping it over.
Using a rolling pin, roll the millet dough into a round chapati until it is thick enough and dust off the chapati.
It is then placed on a hot cast iron and flipped over once bubbles begin forming on the top of the millet chapati.
Press the chapati when it starts to puff and flip it again. Add half a teaspoon of oil to the millet chapati and take it off the pan thirty seconds to a minute later.
Millet chapatis can be eaten as a main meal or for breakfast with any accompaniment that goes with regular wheat chapati.
- Pearl millet and green gram soup
Nothing beats a steamy bowl of hot soup in Kenya’s current cold weather.
Cook cumin, one bayleaf, cinammon and two cloves in hot oil added to a pressure cooker. This is followed by garlic and ginger paste, mixing and adding a finely chopped onion.
After two minutes after the onions have softened add two finely chopped tomatoes This is followed by adding ten half-inch chopped French beans, one big carrot and half a cup of green peas.
Previously soaked pearl millet is added into the vegetable mix followed by half a cup of green grams or ndengu.
For spices, half a teaspoon of turmeric powder, one teaspoon of gharam masala, a teaspoon of coriander and cumin seed powder, half a teaspoon of chilli powder.
About half a liter of water is added until it submerges the vegetables and the pressure cooker is closed to cook for at least five whistles.
The pressure cooker should be left to cool for 15-20 minutes before opening.
- Finger millet sugar balls
Millet is also a flexible grain that can be used to make sweet snacks not just heavy savoury meals.
Add three small cups of finger millet flour (ground finger millet) to a wok or any round-bottomed cooking pan. This flour is roasted for about six minutes on low heat.
Seperately, add a cup of sugar and three cardamom pods to a grinder.
Once the finger millet starts to give off a roasted aroma, add about one cup of ghee to it. This is all mixed together to come up with a dark lumpy paste while still on low heat. Once it is fully mixed together shu down the heat and add the ground sugar and cardamom and mix again.
Once the mixture is fully cooled squeeze it into small sweet balls that goes down well with some cold milk.
- Finger millet smoothie
Millet can also be quickly spurn into healthy but tasty smoothies.
One bar-syle mug of this smoothie is made by adding two tablespoons of finger millet flour to a cup and completely mixing this with hot water until there are no millet flour lumps. This is added to one cup of boiling water in which a cinnamon stick is also added and mixed.
Separately, add chopped almond and apple slices, chia seeds and or falx seeds, two unseeded dates and the finger millet flour paste you have prepared into a blender.
Once it is blended, this can be chilled and served plain or with a garnish of sliced almonds.
According to Nisa Homey of Skinny Recipes, a healthy recipe chef, all millets grains should be soaked for six to seven hours before cooking. “Millet has a high phytic acid content, which might cause digestive issues such as constipation and bloat,” she explained. Soaking also reduces the millet’s cooking time by four to seven minutes.
Also referred to as an anti-nutrient, it is important to soak millet to remove phytic acid from it because phytic acid sometimes binds to minerals such as calcium, iron, and zinc preventing the body from absorbing them.