Healthy Millet Salad

This Healthy Millet Salad is made from Foxtail Millet, kidney beans, sprouts and mix vegetables. It is very healthy, very tasty and very filling. 

foxtail millet navane sprouts carrot capsicum cucumber beans healthy proteins thinai tabouleh

You go to the supermarket and are immediately drawn to the shelf that holds these exotic ingredients that you've only heard of but never eaten. It looks nice in it's classy looking packaging. You start remembering that recipe you saw on TV or that food photo that featured in the Magazine, wondering which of them should you cook. You glance at the price, and that wonderful dream of cooking with something exotic just evaporates. Smile replaced by shock. Deja vu, anyone?

foxtail millet navane sprouts carrot capsicum cucumber beans healthy proteins thinai tabouleh


I replay this scene everytime I go to stores like FoodHall or Godrej Nature's Basket. And sometimes I do it knowing that it will be an anti-climax. By now I know I will never buy Quinoa because of it's insane cost. Quinoa is being touted as THE superfood. High in protein, not high in calories, it's kind of  a win-win for those who can access it easily.

Quinoa is not Indian. Although, recently, some farmers are toying with the idea of growing Quinoa, it is still not popular enough to replace any of our ancient grains and seeds.

foxtail millet navane sprouts carrot capsicum cucumber beans healthy proteins thinai tabouleh


I use Millet instead. India has been the home of millet for centuries. Millets are just as rich as Quinoa. It is rich in fibre and magnesium. It has a low glycemic index and is a rich source of protein. And it is very light on your pocket. In short, millet is affordable super food that are easily available anywhere.

There are various types of Millet:

  • Pearl Millet or Bajra
  • Foxtail Millet or Navane
  • Finger Millet or Ragi
  • Sorghum Millet or Jowar
There are so many more, but these are the famous ones.

navane millet thinai foxtail sama rice

Let's  get back to this super tasty and healthy Foxtail Millet Salad. I've had it two days in a row and I just cannot have enough of it !!! 

This is a super simple salad. The dressing is made with just Olive oil, lime juice, honey, salt and pepper. Everything you already have at home, so there is no excuse to skip making it. Use any oil you like if you have run out of Olive Oil.

Now, usually, I say that there are things that are optional in a recipe. But in this one, the beans are definitely not optional. They are one the major building blocks of this salad. I really don't believe this salad will taste as good if you skip them. Also really needed are the fresh ingredients - tomatoes, cucumbers and mint. Everything else in the salad can either be skipped or replaced. You can substitute the coriander with parsley. Skip the sprouts if you don't have any. I personally like the light sweetness of the carrots in the salad and would recommend keeping it in there.

foxtail millet navane sprouts carrot capsicum cucumber beans healthy proteins thinai tabouleh


This salad was pretty filling due to all the protein in it and the slowly digesting millet. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. 

If you liked this, you may also like:

  • Kabuli Chana Chaat or Chickpea Salad - Street side style salad made with chickpeas, tomatoes, onions and spices. Hot and Tangy - explosive on your taste buds.
  • Radish Salad - Fresh salad made from finely chopped radish or daikon (mooli) and it's leaves.




foxtail millet navane sprouts carrot capsicum cucumber beans healthy proteins thinai taboulehHealthy Millet Salad


Healthy salad made with mixed vegetables, beans, sprouts and Foxtail Millet. 

Recipe Type:  Salad
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     30 minutes
Cook time:     30 minutes
Yield:                Serves 2

Ingredients:


1/4 cup Foxtail Millet or  Navane
1 cup cooked Red Kidney Beans or Rajma
1/4 cup Sprouts
2 ripe Tomatoes
1 small Cucumber
1/2 Carrot
1/2 Capsicum
Handful Coriander leaves
Handful Mint leaves
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 tsp Honey
2-3 tsp Lime Juice
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1/2 cup Water

Method:


Wash and soak the millet for 30 minutes.
Drain the millet and pressure cook it with 1/2 cup water until done. In a pressure cooker it takes around 1 whistle or 4-5 minutes after the pressure builds up.
If not using a pressure cooker, cook it the same way you would cook rice.
Allow the millet to cool to room temperature.
Finely chop the tomatoes, cucumber, carrot and capsicum and add to the millet.
Add the red kidney beans and the sprouts to the millet.
Roughly chop the coriander and mint leaves and add to the millet.
In a small bowl, mix olive oil, honey, lime juice, salt and pepper until completely blended.
Pour the dressing over the millet and vegetable mixture and mix well.
Serve at room temperature or chilled.


foxtail millet navane sprouts carrot capsicum cucumber beans healthy proteins thinai tabouleh


2 comments:

  1. I love salads, and keep trying new recipes. I knew of jowar, bajra, and ragi, but never heard of navane. Where is it grown? Are you using whole grains or dalia? Sorry, I am asking so many questions, as I really want to try it.

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    Replies
    1. Don't apologize for the question, I love questions :)
      Navane is a local Kannada name for Foxtail millet in Bangalore. In Hindi, it is called Kangni. It is sometimes also called Sama rice as it tastes a lot like rice. A lot of people replace rice with Navane for weight loss.
      If you don't find it, replace it with Dalia, it is the closest you can get to it. For more information, check this link out - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foxtail_millet

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