millet is the new quinoa. try this millet + chickpea cake recipe

I’m sure you eat and cook with quinoa on the regular – but what about millet? Millet has an almost identical nutrition makeup at quinoa – containing all nine essential amino acids, fiber, and protein – but it does not enjoy the same level of popularity. The (bad) joke I always tell at my cooking classes is that millet’s publicist isn’t nearly as good as quinoa’s. Like quinoa, millet is a ‘pseudo-grain.’ It cooks like a grain, but is actually a seed making it a relatively good source of protein as well as a low-glycemic food.

Millet cooks at a 1:3 water ratio and cooks up creamier and less granule than quinoa or rice. It has a nutty taste that works well in savory or sweet dishes. The consistency is comparable to thick mashed potatoes, grits, or polenta. It has a naturally ‘sticky’ texture so it lends itself well to a making individual cakes to serve up as a vegetarian main or side dish. I also like using millet for creamy porridge recipes “>like this one. 

This is a pretty versatile recipe – feel free to substitute different beans (white, black, kidney, aduki) or greens (spinach, kale, chard). If you have fresh herbs lying around – throw them in the mix, too. I have baked or fried these cakes – so do whatever you prefer. They make great leftovers for convenient lunches or dinners.