It is said many times over that 'a nourishing breakfast sets the tone for a productive day'. Incorporating millets into your morning meal is a brilliant plan.
Taruna Deepak's Chena Millets Ka Daliya is gluten-free and healthy. "Millets are a great choice for breakfast as it keeps one filled and satisfied without it being over whelming on the tummy," says the food blogger.
In her recipe, the millets are first cooked in water and then milk is added to give it a rich creamy texture.
"Since millets have no particular taste of their own, any aromatics that you add, like cardamom and cinnamon, will go well with it. To add fibre, minerals and vitamins to your meal, serve it with an assorted fruits of your choice along with nuts," she adds.
For more innovative recipes from Taruna's kitchen please have a look here.
IMAGE: Taruna's porridge has been served with strawberry compote, since strawberries were in season then, but use a seasonal fruit of your choosing.
Photograph: Kind courtesy Taruna Deepak/Instagram
Millets Ka Daliya
Serves: 2
Ingredients
- ½ cup chena or proso or broomcorn millet
- 2½ cup water
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tbsp sweetener of your choice, like honey, sugar, coconut sugar or jaggery
- ¼ tsp green elaichi or cardamom powder
- Pinch dalcheeni or cinnamon powder
- Slivered almonds, to garnish
- Fruits of your choice, like banana, strawberry, apple, pear, cherries, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp chia seeds, soaked in a small bowl of water for an hour, it can be had unsoaked as well
- Fresh pudina or mint leaves, to garnish
Method
- Lightly toast the millets in a saucepan over low heat.
It will begin to turn golden and pop a little.
Take off heat and keep aside to cool.
Once cool, transfer half of it into a blender/mixer and coarsely grind.
- In the same saucepan, over medium heat, add the coarsely ground millets along with the remaining toasted millets and the water.
Keep stirring frequently, till the millets absorb all the water.
Add the milk and keep stirring until the millets are cooked well and it's a creamy mixture.
Add the cinnamon powder and the cardamom powder and mix.
Take off heat.
- Alternatively, pressure cook the millets and follow the steps below to do so.
Heat 2 cups of water over medium heat in an uncovered pressure cooker.
Add the ground millets plus the toasted millets and bring the water to a boil.
Cover, reduce the heat and pressure cook over low heat for 4 to 6 minutes, about 1 whistle.
Take off heat and let the pressure release on its own.
Open up the cooker and add the milk, return to heat and cook until the porridge turns creamy.
Add the cinnamon powder and the cardamom powder, mix and take off heat.
- Once the millets are thoroughly cooked -- either in the pressure cooker or the saucepan -- stir in the sweetener of your choice.
Add the almond slivers, raw/soaked chia seeds without the water and the cut fruits.
Garnish with mint leavesf and serve warm.
Taruna's Note: The porridge thickens a bit as it cools, so adjust the amount of water and milk accordingly.
The daliya stays well overnight so it can be made a day in advance.
Taruna Deepak lives in Mumbai and is the creator of the food blog Easyfoodsmith.