5 Easy Millet Recipes to Power up Your Office Lunch

Who doesn’t look forward to lunchtime at the office? More than the food, it is about sitting at the table with friends, sharing tiffins and talking about everything under the sun. There’s always the curiosity of who has brought what; may be exchange our lunch boxes (Yes, I still do that) and of course, the general sharing of recipes. And nowadays, to my surprise, I have been tasting many millet based dishes from the tiffin boxes around me.

Healthy and filling, whip up these delicious recipes and be the star of the lunch table!

Check out our collection of millet-based snacks, sweets and ready-mixes. Click here to make a healthy choice!

1. Stir fry with vegetables

Give a tasty spin to your regular lunch and turn up at your workplace with a bowl of millet with a generous serving of stir-fried veggies. You can prepare this dish in half an hour and wow your colleagues every time you bring it!

Ingredients:

• 240 ml of little millet
• 1 cup chopped vegetables (your choice of bell peppers, peas, carrots, french beans, baby corn etc)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 green chilli (chopped and deseeded)
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1-inch ginger, grated
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• Salt to taste
• Coriander leaves (to garnish)

Method:

• Wash and soak the millets. Keep aside for 10-15 minutes while you prepare the vegetables.
• Heat a wok and add vegetable oil. Add garlic, ginger and green chilli. Saute.
• Add the chopped onion and all the vegetables. Saute for a few seconds before adding all the spices, one by one.
• Mix well and let it cook for 2 minutes.
• When the vegetables are cooked, drain the water from the millet and add to the cooking pot. Mix well.
• Add 2 cups of water to the mixture. Cook on a medium-high flame until the water boils.
• Cover the pan, reduce the heat. Leave a tiny opening for steam to pass.
• Let the vegetables and millet absorb all the water.
• When the stir-vegetable is ready, garnish with coriander. Done!

2. Millet pasta:

This one is by my friend, Gayatri Mishra, and a hot favourite at the table whenever she brings it to the table. Try it out and let us know if your colleagues loved it as much as we do.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup millet pasta (click on this link to get it)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 cup chopped vegetables (carrot, capsicum, baby corn, corn, mushroom- If adding mushroom, clean and cook them separately and keep aside)
• ¼ cup cheese, grated
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tablespoon oil
• Black pepper to taste
• Red chilli flakes to taste
• Oregano
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Boil the pasta with a pinch of salt and a tsp of oil, drain and keep aside.
• In a skillet, take 2 tsp of oil, add garlic and stir. Do not let it brown.
• Add in onion and sauté. Once it turns translucent, add the other veggies. Add salt, and about half a cup of water. Don’t drown them. Cover and cook
• Check in about 7-10 mins. Take a fork and poke the carrots and beans to check if they are cooked through.
• Once they are cooked, and the water has evaporated, add the pasta. Mix well.
• Lower the flame and add the grated cheese. Mix so that it melts well and covers the pasta and veggies
• Add pepper, red chilli flakes, oregano.
• Taste and add more salt or the above, if needed.
• This pasta tastes equally good hot or cold!

3. Curd Rice:

Add a healthier twist to the traditional and evergreen curd rice. This is one lunch dish that will never get boring. A comfort food for many like me, this curd rice recipe will leave you asking for more.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup broken pearl millet
• 1 cup curd
• ¼ carrot, grated
• ¼ cucumber, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon raw mango, finely chopped
• 1 green chilli, finely chopped
• ¼ inch ginger, grated
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
• Curry leaves to taste
• Chopped coriander, to taste
• Salt, to taste

Method:

• Rinse the pearl millet, add to a pressure cooker. Add adequate water and cook up to 4 whistles. Turn off the stove.
• When the pressure releases, open the cooker and turn on the flame again. Keep stirring the millet until it becomes thick. Transfer to a mixing dish, let it cool.
• When the millet cools, add the curd and mix well. Follow by adding the vegetables and salt. Mix again. Keep aside.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, green chilli, curry leaves and ginger. Temper.
• When it splutters, add the tempering to the curd rice. Mix well.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve cool.

4. Lemon millet:

A heavy dish, but not too much. Spicy, mmm, not really. This meal is perfect for all those who like to keep their diet balanced.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup Kodo millet
• 1 ½ tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon Bengal gram
• 1 tablespoon skinned black gram
• ¼ cup peanuts
• 1 green chilli, chopped and deseeded
• 1 lemon
• 1 red chilli, broken
• 1 teaspoon ginger, grated
• Curry leaves, to taste
• ½ teaspoon mustard
• A pinch of turmeric
• A pinch of asafoetida
• Salt, to taste

Method:

• Wash, and soak the millet. Sprinkle some salt while they soak.
• Drain and cook it in water till the water evaporates and the millet is well done.
• Keep it aside to cool.
• Meanwhile, heat a pan and add vegetable oil to it. Temper it with mustard seeds. When it splutters, add the Bengal gram, black gram, peanuts and green and red chillies.
• As the dal turns golden in colour, add curry leaves and ginger.
• Once the curry leaves turn crispy, turn off the heat and add turmeric and asafoetida.
• Now add the cooled millets. Mix well.
• Squeeze the lemon. Mix again.
• Serve hot!

5. Millet Pulao:

Yet another amazing and easy-to-make dish, this pulao will keep your health in check. Try this for your next office potluck!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pearl millet
• ½ cup curd
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 cup of chopped carrots, peas, beans and other such vegetables
• 2 tablespoons mint and coriander leaves, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon ghee
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 green chilli, chopped & deseeded
• 1 teaspoon chopped ginger
• 1 tablespoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Heat the ghee in a pot and add cumin, bay leaf and green chillies to it. When it starts spluttering, add the garlic and ginger. Cook for a few seconds.
• Now add the chopped onions and other vegetables. Mix well.
• Sprinkle the garam masala, turmeric and mix so the spice spreads evenly.
• Add the curd. Stir well before adding the millets. Add two cups of water and season the mixture with salt.
• Cover the pot and cook on a low-medium flame for about 15 minutes.
• Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot.

Also Read: 5 Millet Street Food Recipes You Must Try for Guilt-Free Snacking

(Edited by Saiqua Sultan)

Recipe sources:

My Weekend Kitchen

Sharmis Passions

Indian Healthy Recipes

Yellow Thyme

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