Yes, you can sub it for rice in just about any recipe you can think of. And, just like rice, everybody has their preferred method of cooking it. A good way to start, and then adjust per your preferences is to bring equal parts of millet and water to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer on low for 15 minutes. Turn off heat, fluff, recover and leave to sit for an additional 10 minutes.

Sometimes, I like to toast the millet, or half of it, in an iron frypan (no oil) over a med-high heat, stirring almost constantly until it turns a shade or two darker and a toasted-nut aroma rises. Then remove from pan and allow to cool a bit...cook as usual. Be careful, as it can go from toasty to burnt quite suddenly.

Millet makes a very good porridge, if you like hot cereals, or an addition to hot cereals you already enjoy.

I have used millet in many ways when I had to cook for a friend who was gluten intolerant.

Like rachelellen said, in just about any recipe, including bread and pizza.

dcarch

I used to cook it years ago and enjoyed it as a pilaf. I liked the mild flavor a whole lot more than quinoa. I'm particularly sensitive to the weird smell it emits during cooking. But I never noticed anything strange about millet.

I discovered millet when I went on a macrobiotic diet in the 80's. It was a grain eaten on a regular basis as a cereal, in soups, stuffing, breads, polenta and vegetable dishes. It wasn't just "bird seed" anymore. Along with amaranth, it's a grain I can easily grow in my garden. It has the most complete protein and more iron than the other true cereal grains.

When millet is cooked with a little liquid it makes a light, dry, fluffy pilaf. Increase the liquid and the millet is no longer granular, but cooks up like mashed potatoes or polenta. Adding millet to cold (versus boiling) liquids, and increasing the liquid measurement, gives a soft and creamy texture.

When milled into flour it goes rancid very quickly, so I suggest milling the whole seed in your coffee/spice mill in small batches, as needed, and avoid purchasing millet flour - fresh is best. It takes 3/4-cup millet to make 1-cup of millet flour.

It also expands more than other grains. One cup of raw millet turns into four cups of cooked grain.

I generally use a method where I toast the millet for about 4 minutes (or until it is aromatic and the first grain pops), remove from the heat and wash the millet in a bowl of cold water. Scrub the grain between my palms for a few seconds, drain in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse under running water for 1 minute, or until the water runs clear. The extra steps of toasting and washing are well worth the taste.

-Grainlady

Thanks all! And grainlady......you are a wealth of information! Is that where the name grainlady came from - your macrobiotic days?

Teresa