Monday, January 26, 2009

Millet Fried Rice

I got this recipe from "Super Natural Cooking" by Heidi Swanson, it's one worth checking out of the library, beautiful photography too. She also has a great food blog, http://www.101cookbooks.com/index.html if you haven't already discovered it. For a more kid friendly version stop before adding the soy sauce and serve them a less flavorful dish. For kids kids that don't like foods all mixed up it's easy to pull out small portions of the individual pieces, their plate can have a pile of millet, a pile of scrambled eggs, a pile of tofu, and a piles of veggies. I've typed the recipe for the most part as it is in her book but just so you know, I don't clarify butter, I scramble an egg however it scrambles, I chop carrots the same way every time no matter the recipe, I don't wipe out the pan between steps, etc. and it still comes out good.
Here's what's for dinner tonight. . .

Millet Fried Rice

1 1/2 cups millet, rinsed
4 1/2 cups water
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 carrot
2 Tablespoons clarified butter
2 Tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 eggs, beaten
8 ounces firm tofu, cut into cubes
3/4 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
2 cloves garlic
1 bunch green onions, sliced
1 Tablespoon shoyu sauce (soy sauce)

Combine millet, water and salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, them lower the heat to an active, bubbling simmer and cook, covered, until the millet is fluffy and splitting. Test it after 20 or 25 minutes, and once it's tender but not mushy, drain off any extra water (there shouldn't be much , if any) and set aside to cool.

To prepare the carrots, use a vegetable peeler to make a pile of long shavings. Then use a chef's knife to cut into thin matchsticks. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter and 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. When it is nice and hot, pour in the eggs and swirl the pan to create a thin layer of egg evenly distributed across the pan. Cook this omelet for about 45 seconds, or until it sets up. Fold the eggs over on themselves and cook for another 30 seconds or so before transferring it to a plate or cutting board. Let it cool a bit, then slice into strips.

Scrape or wipe any remaining egg out of the skillet, return it to meduim-high heat and without adding any oil, drop the tofu into the pan. Cook for 4 or 5 minutes, tossing from time to time. Remove the tofu from the pan, set aside, scrape out any bits from the bottom of the skillet.

Arrange the remaining ingredients near the stove. Place the skillet over high heat, add remaining 1 tablespoon butter and oil. Stir in ginger and garlic and cook for about 15 seconds. Stir in green onions and carrots for 30 seconds. Stir in millet, cooked tofu and shoyu, cook for 30 seconds then fold in egg. Taste for seasoning and serve with a bit of sesame oil or more shoyu.

1 comment:

  1. Made this last night......it had great flavor. I also added some peas (the one green thing my kids enjoy eating right now). I didn't do the best job of cooking the millet, and by the end it all looked more like an egg scramble of sorts rather than a fried rice. The millet just came out in clumps. I think i wasn't attentive enough and let it cook too long. But the flavor was very good......i would certainly make it again.

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