We love a functional food ~ one of my absolute favourites at the moment is MILLET!

There are many different types of millet. Pictured here is a mix of common millet and red millet. For the purpose of this post, I want to focus on red millet (Eleusine coracana L.), as it is more nutrient-dense and slightly less discussed in the health space within the western world.

Red millet has many synonyms, including finger millet and ragi. You can easily find it at Indian grocers. This gluten-free grain is a powerhouse in terms of its nutritional content and climate resistance. It has adapted to grow in depleted, dry soils while still producing a nutrient-dense product.

Of all grains, red millet contains the highest amount of calcium (344 mg per 100 g), making it perfect for those with a low-calcium diet (hello, dairy-free queens and kings!), pre-teens about to go through a bone growth spurt, post-menopausal women whose calcium absorption decreases, and those with osteopenia or osteoporosis.

It is also a great source of potassium (408 mg per 100 g) and magnesium (137 mg per 100 g), as well as a moderate source of iron (3.9 mg per 100 g) and protein (7.3 g per 100 g).

Some studies suggest red millet's ability to lower blood glucose and cholesterol, making it beneficial for individuals with diabetes or cardiovascular disease.

Its high dietary fibre content supports the microbiome, acting as a prebiotic for beneficial microbes. A diversity of fibres in the diet is favourable, as it encourages a diversity of microbes in the gut microbiome.

When preparing red millet (and all dried grains or legumes, for that matter), it's important to consider its phytic acid content. Phytic acid is a natural compound found in seeds, grains, nuts, and legumes. For plants, it serves as a nutrient store during dormancy and germination while also acting as a defense mechanism against predators like insects.

However, in humans, phytic acid is considered an "antinutrient" because it binds to essential minerals like iron, zinc, calcium, and magnesium, reducing their absorption in the gut.

Fortunately, phytic acid can be reduced by soaking or sprouting the grain before cooking. The phytic acid is leached into the soaking and cooking water throughout this process.

How to cook red millet ~

1. Soak overnight in water with a dash of vinegar (to further reduce phytic acid).

2. Discard the soaking water and rinse well using a fine sieve.

3. Add millet and fresh water to a pan (use at least 3x the amount of water compared to millet).

4. Cook for 20 minutes, or until the millet breaks down easily between your fingers.

5. Drain any excess water and rinse again to remove residual phytic acid.

Use this grain as a replacement for rice or couscous, or as the carbohydrate component in any meal. There are many Indian recipes that feature red millet (they refer to the grain as ragi), including porridge, soups, dahls. You can find a plethora of dosa or bread recipes using ragi flour.

DIOs:

10.18805/ajdfr.DR-933

10.1016/B978-0-12-410540-9.00001-6