Millet Porridge with Milk
Millet turns bitter not because it is old but because the fat in its husk oxidises quickly — and that husk is exactly what hot water washes away before cooking. The rest is simple: water first, milk second, and ten covered minutes at the end so the grain finishes itself.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Rest
- 10 min
- Total
- 50 min
- Servings
- 4
- Level
- Easy
- Per serving
- 330 kcal
Ingredients
Makes: 4 bowls
Shopping list
The ingredients for the servings you chose — copy them or send them to a messenger. Tick what you already have at home: only the rest goes on the list.
Method
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Step 1: Rinse the millet
Rinse it in cold water, rubbing the grains between your fingers, until the water runs clear — usually five or six changes. That cloudy water is the oxidised fat that tastes bitter.
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Step 2: Scald it
Cover the rinsed millet with boiling water for one minute, then drain. This finishes off the bitterness; without it even well-rinsed grain leaves a tang.
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Step 3: Cook it in water
Add the 300 ml of cold water, bring to the boil and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, until the water has almost all been taken up.
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Step 4: Add the milk
Pour in hot milk with the salt and sugar. Hot milk keeps the pot cooking; cold milk drops the temperature and the porridge turns gluey.
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Step 5: Finish gently
Cook for 15–20 minutes, stirring every three or four, until the grains burst open and the porridge is as thick as heavy cream. It will thicken further as it rests.
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Step 6: Let it rest
Take it off the heat, drop in the butter, cover with a lid and a towel and leave for 10 minutes. The grain draws in the last of the liquid and softens all the way through.
Tips & variations
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Tip
Bright yellow millet is fresh; pale or greyish grain has been sitting and will taste bitter even after scalding. Keep it in the fridge — the fat oxidises far more slowly there.
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Tip
For a looser porridge use 700 ml of milk, for a firmer one 500 ml. It goes on thickening for ten minutes off the heat, so aim slightly thinner than you want it.
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Variation
With pumpkin: add 200 g of diced pumpkin along with the milk — it collapses into the porridge and brings sweetness and colour.
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Storage
Two days in the fridge. Reheat with a spoonful of milk per bowl, or it breaks back into dry grain.
Nutrition
| 1 serving | Whole dish 4 servings | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 330 kcal | 1,320 kcal |
| Protein | 11 g | 44 g |
| Fat | 11 g | 44 g |
| Carbohydrates | 46 g | 184 g |
Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.
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