In the past two years I have cut out most grains as part of the Plant Paradox way of eating. Grains can cause inflammation in the body. For myself I have noticed my joints feel much better without grains in my system. One of the grains that gets the green light in the lectin-free way of eating is millet. It has a delicate and neutral flavor, a little nutty and buttery and a fluffy consistency once cooked, almost mash potato-like. It is pretty high in protein and a decent source for zinc, folic acid and iron. It’s one of the earliest cultivated grains and is technically a seed and not a grain. I always like toasting my millet in a hot pan for a few minutes before I transfer it to a pot to cook. I love it as a sweet porridge or savory with a vegetable coconut curry but these millet cakes have been a favorite for a very long time. They are great as an appetizer with the Fresh Herb Yogurt sauce drizzled on top and garnished with some sprouts or as a heartier main dish served with a big salad and roasted broccoli and a lovely bowl of soup. The fresh herb yogurt sauce lends a robust herby tang to the delicate cakes. These are a must.

Serves 6 / Prep time 25 minutes / Cook time 45 minutes / Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Gather

1 cup/ about 237 grams millet, rinsed and drained well

1 medium carrot, peeled and finely chopped or grated on medium holes

1 cup/about 237 grams greens (beet tops, spinach or Swiss chard fine chopped

1 scallion (green and white parts), finely chopped

1 teaspoon/ about 3 grams garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon/ about 5 grams salt

6 sprigs flat leaf parsley

2 tablespoons/ about 28 grams olive oil

1 small yellow onion or 1/2  large onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves minced

2 tablespoons/ about 28 grams ground flax seeds OR 2 eggs

1/4 cup/ 31 grams millet flour

Avocado oil

Make

In a medium frying pan, toast the millet over a medium flame, stirring frequently, about 4-5 minutes until the millet is aromatic and slightly browned.

Transfer the millet to a medium saucepan and add 2 cups water. Bring to a boil on high heat and then lower flame and cover the pan with a lid and simmer. Cook until the water has evaporated about 20 minutes. Set aside and allow it to cool.

While the millet is cooling, heat up two tablespoons olive oil in a medium size frying over a medium flame and add the onion. Cook for 6-7 minutes until translucent and soft, stirring constantly. Do not allow to brown. Add minced garlic and stir for 1-2 minutes until well incorporated. Remove from heat.

In a large bowl combine the cooled millet carrots, greens, scallions, garlic powder, salt, parsley and onion mixture and stir until well blended. If using the flax seeds, in a small bowl combine 6 tablespoons water with the flax meal, stir until well combined. Allow to sit 2-3 minutes and then stir the mixture in with the millet. 

Or, if you are using the eggs, crack them over the bowl and stir them in.

Stir the millet flour into the mixture until combined.

Pour just enough avocado oil into a large skillet to cover the bottom of the pan and heat the oil over medium heat. Wait for oil to be hot. Using a medium cookie scooper, working in batches, scoop millet mixture into balls and place in the pan, immediately flatten into patties with a spatula. You can probably have 5-6 patties in the pan at one time. Be mindful of the oil possibly splattering. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, till they are golden brown on each side. Check by lifting up a side with the spatula. As the the patties are finished place them onto a large plate with  paper towels, so the towel can absorb the extra oil. Add additional oil to the pan as needed and continue making patties until finished.

Fresh Herb Yogurt Sauce

1/2 bunch fresh cilantro leaves, stemmed

6-8 dill sprigs, stemmed

1/2 bunch flat leaf parsley leaves, stemmed

2 scallions, white parts only, roughly chopped

1/2 lemon, juiced

1/4 cup Coconut aminos

2 tablespoons Ume plum vinegar

2 cups plain almond yogurt (or sheep yogurt if you are wanting dairy)

1/3 cup olive oil

Ground black pepper to taste

Make the sauce while the millet is cooking and place it into the fridge until ready to serve with the millet cakes.

Place first 8 ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Then add the olive oil until emulsified and creamy. Transfer the sauce to a container and stir in pepper. Place in fridge. Keeps in the fridge up to 5 days.

Place millet cakes on a bed of fresh greens and drizzle the sauce generously onto the millet cakes. Garnish with fresh herbs or sprouts.

Notes:
The millet mixture can be made up to one day ahead. Sometimes the mixture gets a little fluid, be sure to drain the liquid off before cooking up the patties.

Would be fun to make a larger patty and make more of a veggie burger on a cauliflower bun, available at health food stores in the freezer section.

Recipe developed by Anna Getty of Amalgam Kitchen.

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