Foxtail Millet Brinji

Brinji Rice is a tasty flavorful food made using rice ,veggies, spices,mint and coriander !. Today I tried this recipe using foxtail millet ( Thinai/ Kangni) instead of white rice . It tasted yummy ! Please do try and leave your comments !

Preparation Time:  25 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 2

INGREDIENTS:

FOR MASALA PASTE:

Cinnamon - 1 inch sized

Clove - 4 no.

Cardamom - 2 no.s

Fennel seeds - 1 teaspoon

Coriander leaves - handful

Mint leaves - handful

Water - as required

OTHER INGREDIENTS:

Foxtail Millet - 3/4 cup

Water - 1 cup

Coconut milk ( thin) - 3/4 cup

Carrot - 1/2 no. chopped little big in size

Potato- 1/2 chopped little big in size

Beans - 4 to 5 no.s chopped little big in size

Green peas - 1/8 th cup 

Tomato - 1/2 no. chopped fine

Onion - 1/2 cup sliced

Ginger, garlic , green chilli paste - 1 tablespoon( I used 1/2 chilli, 4 pods of garlic and 1 inch ginger)

SEASONING:

Ghee - 2 tablespoon

Cardamom - 2 pods

Star anise - 1

Bay leaf - 4 no.s

METHOD:

1. Dry roast foxtail millet, for 2 to 3 minutes, until they are hot to touch. 

2. In a mixer, add the items mentioned in the "MASALA PASTE" section and add less water and grind it into a smooth paste. 

3. Now, in a pressure cooker, add 2 table spoon of ghee. Add the items mentioned in the "SEASONING" section.

4. Now add sliced onion, ginger , garlic and green chilli paste. If you want less spice, then just make ginger and garlic paste and add sliced green chilies as such. Grinding green chilli with ginger and garlic will add more spiciness to the dish. 

5. Now add tomatoes and fry till they turn soft. Also add the other vegetables ( carrot, peas,potato and beans) and fry for 2 to 3 minutes .

6. Now add the masala paste , which you prepared in step 2. Saute for 1 to 2 minutes, till the raw smell of  masala paste is gone.

7. Now add 1 cup of water, 3/4 cup of thin coconut milk. Also add required salt.

8. Now add foxtail millet. When it starts to boil, cover the lid. Keep the flame in medium. Let it cook in medium flame for 3 whistles. Then switch off the stove. Let the pressure settle by itself.

9. Allow it to cool down completely. Serve with carrot onion raita or any side dish of your choice !.

NOTES:

1. If you feel the foxtail millet , needs to be cooked more, after the brinji cools down completely, keep it in microwave oven for 2 minutes before serving. 

2. For coconut milk, I used coconut cream powder dissolved in water. You can also use fresh coconut milk. 

3. The same method can be used for kodo millet brinji also .