Anything that tastes as good as a bhakri (a roti made of bajri or pearl millet flour), shouldn't be so hard to make without divine intervention or a lifetime of experience. I've tried, and have ended up with results that look as frayed as my nerves by the end of the week . As for the texture and taste, let us just say that I now see new possibilities in biological warfare. But this dish uses the grain in an unbelievably simple way. Ingredients 200 ml pearl millet (soaked for at least a couple of hours and strained) A diced onion 2 cloves of garlic, smashed (not as in drunk, because that would be a different recipe) 1 tbs olive oil 100 ml chopped carrots A sprig of rosemary Half a dried red chilli snipped into flakes with scissors (you can use a knife or a hatchet if you so prefer I normally would have used one of those little packets of chilli flakes that come with pizzas, but couldn't find any) Parsley (optional) Salt to taste Half a stock cube (optional) Lots of hot water
Method Sauté the onion and garlic in the oil till transparent. Add the millet and carrots and stir around for a few minutes till everything looks glossy. (Note to self: figure out photoshop so that pictures don't look like the inside of a mouth shot halfway through a meal). Pour in enough hot water to cover the grains. Throw in the chilli flakes and rosemary. The stock cube goes in at this stage if you're using it. When the water gets absorbed, add more. Keep doing this until the finger millet is tender. (This version took almost an hour and 4 top ups). Taste. Add more salt if necessary. Garnish with parsley. Aftertaste The millet grains were tender but hadn't lost their shape. The taste was nice too, a little butter might have made it creamier, but I liked the clean flavours too. I thought the carrots were a tad overcooked in this version. The next time I make this, I will add them halfway through the cooking process.
If you are looking for a gourmet food site, this is the perfect time to hit the 'back' button and go back to google or whichever search engine you were using. You see, the title of this blog was not a spelling error. I did mean kitsch. The things you will find on my site will be as different from gourmet cuisine as fried eggs are from caviar. Having got the disclaimer out of the way, here's what you can find. Fun things related to cooking (fun for me anyway). Recipes that I've created, modified or adapted. Only the good ones will get to this blog. Not the recipe for the breakfast cereal that a cousin once likened to potting soil. Or the family lunch spread that has at least one family member ordering in every time she visits around mealtimes. Not even the creation that my 6 year old once called 'a little less yummy' (yeah yeah, she's just biding time before she becomes an adult and a diplomat).
If you've got this far, you're a star and have won the right to be on one of those TV shows that invite you to live with crocodiles or aliens. Welcome aboard!