Millet is a indigenous African ingredient that is lost on our plates. This risotto recipe from Chef Mokgadi Itsweng elevates this ingredient to its rightful place on our plates. Most shops sell foxtail millet which makes it readily available.

* Read more about Chef Mokgadi’s mission to African Grains to Our Menus in the latest issue of SA Chef Magazine. Read it here

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

500g mixed mushrooms, chopped.

1 onion, chopped.

2 garlic cloves finely grated.

1 cup millet grain

3 cups vegetable stock

1 handful fresh parsley

1 handful fresh oregano

1 handful fresh thyme

½ cup parmesan cheese or plant based cream cheese.

METHOD:

1. Heat oil and butter in a deep saucepan and fry the mushrooms until browned. Remove from the pan and put inside a bowl, add half the fresh herbs and set aside.
2. In the same pan you fried the mushrooms in, add onion and garlic. Cook for 3minutes on medium heat, then add the millet grain. Fry the millet in the onion mixture for 5minutes, stirring constantly to make sure the grain doesn’t stick to the pan.
3. Add the vegetable stock and cover the pan with a lid and cook at medium to low heat for 20minutes, stirring constantly.
4. After 30 minutes of cooking, the millet should be soft, add a bit of water if the millet is slightly dry, then add most of the herbed mushrooms, cheese and simmer for a further 5minutes, stirring continuously, then stir through the rest of the herbs.
5.  Serve warm topped with more cheese and the remainder of the fried mushrooms.