Millet and Citrus Salad with Mango Dressing By Chef Moyosore Oluwa Odunfa-Akinbo
Millet is a special grain, indigenous to West Africa.
It’s high in fiber and very versatile. Yet, it seems to be relegated to very few elements of our cuisine. This millet salad showcases the versatility of millet and a variety of vegetables and fruits to make a delicious warm salad that’s vibrant and packed with nutrients. Feel free to make it your own by using any vegetables and fruit in season and at hand.
Ingredients:
- 150g dried millet- brown or red
- 50g onion- or one medium onion (white or red)
- 1 scotch bonnet chilli
- A small knob of ginger.
- 50g oyster mushrooms or mushrooms of your choice
- 100g carrot
- 50g mixed bell peppers
- 50g cucumber or 1 medium cucumber
- 30g lettuce or 5 large leaves
- 1 cob of fresh sweet corn
- 5g salt- a good pinch, to taste
- Spice blend of your choice: I like to use a combination of coriander, black pepper, white pepper, fennel and uziza seeds (piper guineense)
- A drizzle of olive oil or atili oil.
- 2 oranges
- To garish: pickles or Herbs of your choice: thyme, basil, efirin, etc
- For the dressing
- 100g mango or half of a large mango, skin peeled and flesh removed
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of chilli powder
- 10ml honey (optional)
Method:
Pick and rinse your millet thoroughly to make sure there are no stones or debris.
Soak the millet in water for at least 30 minutes or overnight. This makes for a quicker cook time.
Transfer your soaked millet into a pot and cover completely with water. Boil for about 20 minutes to one hour, or until soft and the grains start bursting. Strain out any remaining water and reserve it- you can use this water to cook rice, potatoes, etc.
Whilst your millet is cooking, chop your vegetables into a small dice: onion, scotch bonnet, bell peppers, and carrots. Grate your ginger, slice your mushrooms. Remove the corn from the cob. Using a vegetable peeler, slice your cucumber into long slices and roll into ribbons, dice up the
core. Rinse your lettuce.Peel your oranges and cut them into segments. Enjoy the core as a snack. You can also add any orange juice into the dressing. Pick and rinse your herbs. If using thyme, chop the thyme.
To make the salad dressing, combine all the ingredients in a blender and blitz until it forms a smooth purée.
In a medium saucepan, add the drizzle of oil and then saute the onion, scotch bonnet. ginger and thyme (if using) until fragrant- about 3 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and spices.
Add in your vegetables at two minute intervals in this order: mushrooms, sweet corn, carrot and then bell peppers, cook for a further 2 minutes.
Add your cooked millet into the pan and stir fry with the veggies for 3 minutes. Adjust the seasoning with salt and spices of your choice.
On a bed of lettuce, serve your salad into your desired plates and garnish with the cucumber rolls and diced cucumbers, orange segments and fresh herbs. Add a drizzle of the mango dressing. Enjoy!