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Healthy Home Economist / Archives / Recipes / Breakfast Recipes / Porridge / How to Cook Millet Porridge

How to Cook Millet Porridge

by Sarah Pope / Updated: Jan 9, 2023 / Affiliate Links ✔

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Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
  • Cooking Millet+−
    • Rinse
    • Soak
    • Bring to a Boil, then Simmer
  • How to Cook Millet Porridge
millet pearls soaking in a pot on a counter

How to cook millet traditionally by rinsing, soaking, and then simmering on the stovetop for the most nutritious and digestible breakfast cereal or gluten-free side dish.

Whole grain millet is one of the most popular gluten-free alternatives to wheat, especially for bread-making.

Although consuming in moderation is key because millet is a goitrogenic food, its mild, slightly nutty flavor and pleasing texture are wonderful to enjoy as morning porridge or as a side dish to a main meal.

Similar to overnight oats, a careful preparation process is important to ensure optimal digestibility and nutrition. Let’s overview each of these cooking steps before moving on to the easy recipe!

Cooking Millet

Like all grains, millet contains anti-nutrients such as phytic acid. These substances irritate the gastrointestinal tract and block nutrient absorption.

Unfortunately, manufacturers do not take this into consideration. For example, the directions on a package of millet emphasize speed of preparation over optimal digestibility. Hence, it is crucial not to follow these instructions.

Instead, follow the wisdom of traditional cultures to ensure the cooked pearl millet is as nutritious as possible. This involves following an easy, three-step preparation process.

Rinse

Note that whole-grain hulled millet also contains saponins.

These toxins have soap-like properties that are irritating to the gastrointestinal lining. For those with leaky gut syndrome, saponins can enter the bloodstream and trigger an autoimmune response. (1, 2)

Ridding millet of saponins requires a thorough rinse before the soaking process is started.

Soak

Thus, to get the most out of the ancient grain, millet should be soaked for at least 8 hours (and as long as 24 hours) before cooking. This mimics the careful preparation practiced by ancestral African cultures that depended on millet as a staple.

This step helps neutralizes these harmful substances to protect the gut and encourage the optimal metabolism of minerals.

Bring to a Boil, then Simmer

Once the soaking process is complete, millet pearls must be fully cooked to complete the deactivation of the antinutrients.

Note that consuming soaked millet that is uncooked is not a healthy practice. Resist the modern practice of powdering raw whole grains in a food processor and adding to smoothies and the like.

millet pearls soaking in a pot on a counter
4.67 from 6 votes
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How to Cook Millet Porridge

How to prepare millet by soaking before cooking for the most nutritious and digestible breakfast cereal or gluten-free side dish.

Course Breakfast, Side Dish
Cuisine african
Keyword gluten free
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Soaking 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 20 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 150 kcal
Author Sarah Pope

Ingredients

  • 1 cup whole grain millet preferably organic
  • 3 cups filtered water
  • 1 Tbl lemon juice about 1/4 large lemon
  • 1 pinch sea salt

Instructions

  1. Rinse millet thoroughly in a strainer with filtered water.

  2. Place millet in a medium saucepan.

  3. Pour in 2 cups filtered water and lemon juice and stir.

  4. Cover and leave on the counter for 8 hours or overnight.

  5. After soaking is complete, remove cover and stir in an additional cup of filtered water and a pinch of sea salt.

  6. Bring to a boil, stir, lower heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes or until millet pearls are tender.

  7. Add butter, cream and whole sweetener or fruit of choice and serve immediately.

  8. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Recipe Video

Nutrition Facts
How to Cook Millet Porridge
Amount Per Serving (0.25 cup)
Calories 150 Calories from Fat 18
% Daily Value*
Fat 2g3%
Carbohydrates 31g10%
Fiber 4g16%
Protein 5g10%
Calcium 2mg0%
Iron 1.32mg7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
millet pearls cooking in a pot on the stove

References

(1)  Millet Grains and Nutrition

(2)  10 Antinutrients to Get Out of Your Diet

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Category: Porridge
Sarah Pope

Sarah Pope MGA has been a Health and Nutrition Educator since 2002. She is a summa cum laude graduate in Economics from Furman University and holds a Master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

She is the author of three books: the bestseller Get Your Fats Straight, Traditional Remedies for Modern Families, and Living Green in an Artificial World.

Her four eBooks Good Diet…Bad Diet, Real Food Fermentation, Ketonomics, and Ancestrally Inspired Dairy-Free Recipes are available for complimentary download via Healthy Home Plus.

Her mission is dedicated to helping families effectively incorporate the principles of ancestral diets within the modern household. She is a sought after lecturer around the world for conferences, summits, and podcasts.

Sarah was awarded Activist of the Year in 2010 at the International Wise Traditions Conference, subsequently serving on the Board of Directors of the nutrition nonprofit the Weston A. Price Foundation for seven years.

Her work has been covered by numerous independent and major media including USA Today, ABC, and NBC among many others.

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Reader Interactions

Comments (9)

  1. Albertina

    Jan 19, 2021 at 6:55 am

    5 stars
    Thank you so much my Sarah for sharing this recipe! It is great and I loved to cook it! I will definitely try your other recipe probably this weekend!

    Reply
  2. Annette Slade

    Jan 14, 2021 at 9:57 pm

    5 stars
    Sprouted millet can be found at healthyflour.com

    Reply
  3. vanessa

    Jan 13, 2021 at 9:09 am

    5 stars
    I’ve been fermenting my breakfast grains on the counter for about a week and this has helped tremendously with digestion. I mix up a combination of grains with some dried fruit add water to cover and a tablespoon of starter. When I’m ready i boil 1/4 cup of milk , take of the heat and add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of my grains , add a little butter and sweetener.

    Reply
  4. Christina

    Jan 13, 2021 at 7:09 am

    The recipe sounds great. Thank you for sharing the proper way to cook millet.
    Do you discard the soak water and replace it with fresh filtered water for the actual cooking? Thanks

    Reply
    • Sarah Pope MGA

      Jan 13, 2021 at 8:46 am

      No need to do this as the millet has already been rinsed. Do it if you like.

  5. Elyse

    Jan 13, 2021 at 12:22 am

    4 stars
    Millet mush (as we call the porridge) is one of our favorite breakfast items. I found a source that sells sprouted organic millet. Can I use this without overnight soaking? Does sprouting sufficiently remove the anti-nutrients so that overnight soaking would not be needed?
    Thanks for sharing the wealth of helpful information!

    Reply
    • Sarah Pope MGA

      Jan 13, 2021 at 8:48 am

      Yes, if the millet is sprouted, you don’t need to soak. Where do you get sprouted millet? I’ve never seen it anywhere. That is very exciting!

      You DO still need to rinse the sprouted millet before cooking though.

  6. Dee

    Jan 12, 2021 at 10:42 pm

    Will you pls add directions for an overnight slow cooker?

    Reply
  7. kami

    Jan 11, 2021 at 9:08 am

    good job. nice

    Reply

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