Millet Daddhojanam

Millets in US has long been synonymous to being bird food or cattle feed even though they have been a part of human diet for thousands of years in other parts of the world. Millets seem to be back owing to the craze going on nowadays for the healthy, ancient grains. The most commonly available millet in (selective) American stores has to be proso millet. This yellow hued millet looks like tiny seed and needs no prior soaking before cooking. This can be easily cooked in a pan on stove top in about 15 minutes or can be pressure cooked. It tastes rather bland on it's own and can be eaten just like rice. Or it can replace rice in many rice based recipes, especially from the Indian cuisine. 

One of the American grocery stores in my neighborhood sells proso millet for around $1.50 per pound, which is economical compared to my local Whole Foods Market or the Indian grocers. I therefore stock up more proso millet variety than the other ones. The same millet replaces rice in today's daddhojanam / mosaranna / thaayir saadam aka the famous south Indian style yogurt rice recipe. Proso millet can be replaced by barnyard / foxtail / kodo / little millet. Use freshly made yogurt, preferably full fat one if not counting calories. Do not use yogurt which has gone sour. If packing / planning to eat later then replace some quantity of the yogurt with boiled and cooled milk. It is especially essential during summers when the yogurt can go sour in a few hours at room temperature.

Yogurt rice happens to be a perfect foil for the spicy Indian food or the tropical hot climate of the nation since yogurt is a natural coolant.  Lightly spiced and tempered with mustard seeds, roasted split chickpeas (chana dal), aromatic curry leaves and garnished with coriander, this dish makes an inviting meal. A gluten-free dish perfect for a south Indian style festival / picnic or brunch item. This also serves as a light, healthy meal on it's own and serves two adults.

Ingredients: 
3/4 cup millet
1 and 3/4 cups yogurt
Salt to taste
1 tbsp. oil
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. roasted, split chickpeas / chana dal
1 tsp. split, skinned black gram / urad dal
1/2 tsp. grated ginger
A sprig of curry leaves
1 green chillie, chopped fine / 1 red chillie, broken into two or three pieces
1 tbsp. minced cilantro to garnish

Directions:
1. Rinse millet in two exchanges of water. Pressure cook for 3 whistles, adding 1 and 1/2 cups water. Let the cooked millet cool.
2.  Mix the cooked millet, yogurt and salt. Add more yogurt if needed. Replace some of the yogurt with milk (or pack extra milk) if the dish is going to be left at room temperature for hours, especially during hot climate.
3. Heat a small pan and add ginger, roasted, split chickpeas, black gram, mustard seeds, chillies and curry leaves in that order. When the dals turn red, remove the pan and add it to the millet - yogurt mixture and mix well.
4. Garnish with cilantro and serve as it is or with some pickle.

This post is an entry for Blogging Marathon #98 under 'Cooking for two' theme.



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