The Locavore Seasonal Millet Salad Bowl

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As part of the Millet Revival Project, we conduct offline events every few months. Cooking workshops that familiarise participants with ways to incorporate millets into their diet are always an important part of our events, and the one in Kochi was no different! One of the dishes demonstrated by our very own ChefTZac was this Locavore Millet Bowl—a refreshing, vibrant salad highlighting proso, kodo, foxtail, and little millet.
Foxtail millet 50 grams
Proso millet 50 grams
Kodo millet 50 grams
Little millet 50 grams
Red amaranth (Young, tender leaves, picked from stems) 1 cup
Cucumbers, diced ¼ cup
Pickled tendli (recipe below), medium diced ¼ cup
Oven-dried tomatoes, diced ¼ cup
Jackfruit seeds, boiled and sauteed ¼ cup
Charred corn kernels ¼ cup
Okra, medium diced and sautéed ¼ cup
Pomegranate seeds ¼ cup
Cilantro, finely chopped ¼ cup
Green chillies, finely chopped 2 tablespoons
Onions, finely chopped 2 tablespoons
Tendli ½ kilogram
White vinegar 750 ml
Water 250 ml
Sugar 350 grams
Black pepper 5
Garlic 10
Dry red chillies 5
Cinnamon 3 pieces
Star anise 7
Bay leaf 5
Salt 1½ tablespoons
Roasted tomatoes, pureed 1 cup
Vegetable oil ¼ cup
Vinegar 1 tablespoon
Fresh lime juice 1 tablespoon
Lemon zest 1 tablespoon
Black pepper powder 1 tablespoon
Salt to taste
Sugar to taste
Hung yoghurt, beaten smooth ½ kilogram
Green chili paste 1 tablespoon
Finely grated garlic 1 tablespoon
Salt to taste
Sugar to taste
1

For the Pickled Tendli

Prepare the pickling liquid by combining the white vinegar, water, sugar, black pepper, garlic, dry red chilli, cinnamon, star anise, bay leaf, and salt in a large pot.

2

Bring the mixture to a boil, ensuring the sugar and salt are completely dissolved.

3

Place the tendli in a suitable pickling jar or container.

4

Once the pickling liquid has boiled and the sugar and salt have dissolved, pour it over the tendli.

5

Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. Once cooled, ensure the tendli are fully submerged in the liquid. Seal the container.

6

Let the tendli steep in the liquid for 24 hours to absorb the flavours.

7

For the Millets

Soak the millets for 8 hours.

8

Boil the millets separately, one by one, until cooked but still firm.

9

Drain and let them cool.

10

For the Vegetables

Dice the cucumber and medium dice the pickled tendli.

11

Roast the sweet potatoes until tender.

12

Sauté the okra on high heat until crispy.

13

Boil and sauté the jackfruit seeds.

14

Char the corn kernels.

15

For the Dressing

Blend the roasted tomatoes into a puree.

16

Whisk in oil, vinegar, lime juice, lemon zest, black pepper, salt, and sugar according to taste.

17

For the Garlic Yoghurt

Combine the hung yoghurt with green chilli paste, grated garlic, salt, and sugar.

18

Adjust the seasoning to your taste.

19

For the Salad

In a large bowl, mix the boiled millets with the cucumber, pickled tendli, roasted sweet potatoes, oven-dried tomatoes, sautéed jackfruit seeds, charred corn kernels, sautéed okra, pomegranate seeds, cilantro, green chillies, and onions.

20

Toss with the dressing until evenly coated.

21

Now gently fold in the amaranth leaves.

22

Plate the salad and top each serving with a dollop of the seasoned yogurt.

23

Garnish with puffed millets.

Tips

The key to this salad tasting great is the balance and contrast of textures and flavours. Feel free to dial them up or down based on your preferences.

Variations

Switch out ingredients like the amaranth, okra, corn, and jackfruit seeds for other seasonal alternatives depending on when in the year you make the salad.

Thomas Zacharias, or ChefTZac, is a chef with nearly 15 years of professional cooking experience, and arguably a lot more if you count the early start he got in his grandmother’s kitchen in Kerala. The first phase of his career was centered around European cuisine, starting out as a line cook at Le Bernardin, New York City’s famed three Michelin star eatery in 2009. But in 2014, a culinary expedition across India made him rethink his entire approach to food. He went on to helm the kitchen at The Bombay Canteen as Chef Partner, finding inventive ways to showcase indigenous ingredients through contemporary regional Indian cuisine. In 2022, Chef Zac decided to bring together some of his passions—storytelling, working with local produce, and nurturing connections between people within the Indian food system—and founded The Locavore to do good through what he knows best: food.

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