When I decided to use millet in my cooking, my family was a bit upset. They couldn’t understand why I cooked with it and asked if they were birds instead of people or if they had some terrible sin to forgive. Instead, my gynecologist told me to eat without gluten. So it really wasn’t that strange.
In the past, this tiny cereal fed millions of Italians and it was a favorite dish. It is rich in protein, vitamins and minerals. It is a part of diets for those under stress, those who are becoming bald and those whose fingernails break. It is very energetic and contains silicon. Actually, it should be eaten regularly before having any of these problems.
Millet can be used in all kinds of recipes either for sweets or salty foods. It can also be used to thicken recipes. In the following, I also use sesame that is rich in calcium and linolenic acid that makes beautiful skin.
Ingredients for 4 persons:
300 gm. millet
460 gm. cooked chickpeas
20 gm. sesame seeds
1 teaspoon curry
olive oil
salt
Preparation:
Wash millet and drain. Toast it with a little olive oil and then double its volume with water. Cook at a low temperature until the water has been absorbed. Take it off the stove and add 1/2 teaspoon olive oil and a pinch of salt. Mix well. Continue cooking the millet. In the meantime, blend the chickpeas with a tablespoon of olive oil, salt and curry in the blender. Add some water as necessary so that the croquettes aren’t too dry. Add the millet and mix. Make small balls and roll in sesame.
They may be cooked in a little olive oil or in the oven at 180°C (350°F) for five minutes. They can be eaten with a green salad or other types of sauce.
Enjoy this old traditional Italian dish. You’ll feel like you are living hundreds of years ago.
