You may have heard of this gluten-free grain, but do you know what to do with it? Studded with dried apricots and pistachios, this Mediterranean Millet Recipe is easy to make and loaded with flavor. Prepare it in your Instant Pot or on the stove in under 30 minutes!
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What is millet?
Have you tried millet? It's delicious cold or hot in all sorts of Mediterranean-inspired dishes.
For example, I love it in Greek Millet Salad or Grain Salad with oranges and carrots. And it's wonderful in pilafs and casseroles.
Like quinoa, millet is an ancient grain. It's naturally gluten-free and easy to digest. Plus it's high in fiber, magnesium, iron, and other vitamins and minerals.
Once you try it, I think you'll enjoy this versatile grain as much as I do!
What you need
You only need 6 ingredients (plus salt and pepper) to make this pilaf. The main ingredient, millet, can be found in packages or in the bulk bin section of most markets. Bob's Red Mill is a popular brand to look for.
And a little goes a long way, making it very cost effective. For this recipe, you'll only need one cup of millet to serve 4 people. I like to keep some on hand to use not only in recipes, but also in place or rice or quinoa for a simple side.
Storage Tip
Store uncooked millet in an airtight container on a cool, dry pantry shelf for up to 6 months or in the refrigerator or freezer for up to a year!
In addition, you'll need dried apricots, pistachios, a lemon, olive oil, and fresh parsley. You'll notice in the photos that the dried apricots I used are a little brown rather than bright orange. This is because they were packaged without the preservative sulfur dioxide, normally used to preserve the apricot's color when drying.
And for the lemon, try to choose organic if you can since we'll be using both the zest and juice. However, lemons are not typically on the Dirty Dozen list.
How to make this recipe
The only cooking involved in this recipe is preparing the millet. You can do this by using an Instant Pot electric pressure cooker or the stove top. Both methods take about the same time, but with the Instant Pot, you have the convenience of turning it on and walking away.
Once the grain is cooked, simply add the chopped dried apricots, shelled pistachios, lemon juice and zest, a little olive oil, and some fresh chopped parsley.
Fold everything in to combine the ingredients. Then give it a taste and add salt and pepper as needed. It doesn't get much easier!
Recipe tips
Don't forget to zest the lemon before squeezing the juice. This is very important since it's quite difficult to do it in the reverse order. Trust me, I've tried.
Any leftovers can be covered and refrigerated for up to a week. Enjoy reheated or at room temperature.
This pilaf is delicious served with a salad or vegetables. Try it with Oven Roasted Chickpeas, Roasted Vegetables, or Grilled Eggplant Salad.
More gluten-free grain recipes
If you enjoy this recipe, check out some of these other favorites:
And for even more recipes, join the Vegan Mediterranean Diet Recipes Facebook group for support, inspiration, and fun.
If you love this recipe, please give it 5 stars! ★★★★★
📋 Recipe
Mediterranean Millet Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup millet
- 1 ¾ cup water
- ¼ cup dried apricots, (about 8) roughly chopped
- ¼ cup shelled pistachios, roughly chopped
- 1 lemon, zest and juice (See Notes)
- 1 ½ Tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Instant Pot method:
- Place the millet and water in the Instant Pot and close the lid. Using the pressure cooker function on high, set the timer for 10 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally. Once the pressure has released, remove the lid.
Stove top method:
- Bring 2 cups water to boil in a small pot. Add the millet. Return to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain off any remaining water.
To make the pilaf:
- Add the apricots, pistachios, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, and parsley to the cooked millet. Gently fold the ingredients together to combine. Taste and add salt and pepper, as needed.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimation only.
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This recipe was originally published 1/24/2019. It was updated to add stove top instructions and improve reader experience.
Edye
I had never made millet before. Now it’s my favorite “new” grain.
This recipe was easy, nutritious, and delicious!
Amy Katz
Thanks so much, Edye! Not a lot of people know about millet, but it's such a versatile grain!
Janet
I've been wondering what to do with my bag of millet and this sounds GREAT!