Pumpkin Millet Bowl with Berbere & Chickpeas is easy to make yourself. And another vegan, colourful, delicious and nutritious vegetable bowl! Today with golden millet cooked in coconut milk with some turmeric. Pumpkin, chickpeas and shallots are baked with richly flavored aromatic Ethiopian Berber spice paste. The colorful and delicious bowl is topped with spinach and a cooling cucumber-coconut-lime dressing to balance out the spiciness.
What is millet?
Millet is a cereal grain that belongs to the Poaceae family, commonly known as sweet grasses. Millet is widespread and consumed in developing countries in Africa and Asia. Millet fruits are small, round, whole grains that are widely grown in Nigeria, India, and other Asian and African countries. It is considered an ancient grain and is used for human consumption as well as for cattle and bird feed. It has several advantages over other plants, including drought and pest resistance. Millet is able to survive in harsh environments and on less fertile soils.
Nutritional Value of Millet
Although millet looks like a seed, millet’s nutritional profile is similar to grains. Millet has gained popularity among us in the West because it’s gluten-free and high in protein, fiber, and antioxidants. Like most grains, millet is a starchy grain, which means – it’s high in carbohydrates. It also contains several vitamins and minerals.
180 g of cooked millet contains about:
- 208 calories
- 42 grams of carbohydrates
- 2.3 grams of dietary fiber
- 6 grams of protein
- 1.8 grams of fat
- 26% of the daily requirement of phosphorus
- 20% of the daily requirement of magnesium
- 6% of the daily requirement of iron
Millet provides more essential amino acids than most cereals. These compounds are the building blocks of protein. In addition, finger millet (Eleusine coracana), for example, has the highest calcium content of all cereal grains and provides 13% of the daily requirement per 100 g. We need calcium to ensure bone health, blood vessel and muscle contractions, and proper nerve function.
Ethiopian Berbere Spice
Berbere has its meaning in Ethiopian cuisine. This African spice blend is known for being fiery hot and full of flavor. Ethiopian Berbere is perfect for adding a hot kick to veggies, meat, grains and legumes. As berbere is not readily available in regular grocery stores, the recipe includes instructions on how to make your own berbere. It’s not that difficult and can be done in just 15 minutes. You can use whole spices or spice powder for this.
if you like our Pumpkin millet bowl with berbere, you might also be interested in these dishes:
- African Berbere plantain stew
- Oriental fried oatmeal with vegetables
- vegan power salad with quinoa
- Quinoa barley salad with dates vegan
- Hasselback squash from the oven
- Moroccan carrot and chickpea stew
Pumpkin Millet Bowl with Ethiopian Berbere
Equipment
Ingredients
for the baked berbere vegetables:
- 2 tbsp. Berbere spice*
- 2 tbsp. avocado oil* or any other tasteless oil
- 2 tbsp. water
- 1 Hokkaido pumpkin or kabocha, butternut squash
- 400 G Chickpeas* in a can
- 2-4 shallots
for the millet:
- 200 G Millet*
- 400 G coconut milk* not shaking
- 100 ml water
- 1 tbsp. coconut oil*
- ¼ tsp Turmeric*
- ¼ tsp kosher salt*
Drizzle sauce
- 100 G coconut cream remove from the coconut milk can
- 2 tbsp. lime juice
- zest of half a lime
- ¼ tsp Sea-salt* fine
- 1 tbsp. agave syrup
- 1 cucumber
- 1 fresh ginger* walnut size
- 1 small Bunch of coriander
- 1 small bunch of mint
anything else:
- 100 G baby spinach
- more lettuce or greens if necessary
Make Ethiopian Berbere spice yourself:
- 3 tbsp. paprika powder*
- 4-5 chili peppers* more to taste
- 2 tsp Cumin* whole or ground
- 1 tsp coriander whole* whole or ground
- 1 tsp Cardamom* whole or ground
- 1 tsp Turmeric*
- 1 tsp Sea-salt*
- 1 tsp fenugreek* whole or ground
- 1 tsp Black pepper* whole or ground
- 4 cloves* or ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 5 Pimento* or 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- ½ tsp Ginger*
- ¼ tsp Cinammon*
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Berbere Paste:
- Mix berbere with avocado oil (or vegetable oil) and water in a bowl and let soak for about 10 minutes.2 tbsp. Berbere spice*, 2 tbsp. avocado oil*, 2 tbsp. water
Cook coconut millet:
- Carefully open the can of coconut milk, skim off the coconut cream and set aside.400 G coconut milk*
- Bring the remaining coconut milk to a simmer with 100 ml water, turmeric powder and salt in a saucepan.
- Add the coconut oil and millet and simmer gently for 5 minutes, then remove from the heat and leave covered for about 25 minutes.200 G Millet*, 1 tbsp. coconut oil*
Prepare oven vegetables:
- Halve the pumpkin and remove the seeds with a spoon. Then cut into wedges or cubes.1 Hokkaido pumpkin
- Peel and halve the shallots. Quarter large specimens again.2-4 shallots
- Drain the chickpeas through a sieve and rinse with clear water.400 G Chickpeas*
- Spread the pumpkin, shallots and chickpeas on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Do not spread the Berbere paste too tightly on top. Season with salt and roast in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes.
Prepare dressing:
- Peel the cucumber, cut in half, deseed and coarsely grate.1 cucumber
- Peel and finely chop or grate the ginger.1 fresh ginger*
- Mix the reserved coconut cream with the lime juice and lime zest, salt, agave syrup, cucumber and ginger until smooth.
- Rinse the coriander and mint, shake dry and chop. Mix the chopped herbs into the sauce.1 small Bunch of coriander, 1 small bunch of mint
Arrange and serve:
- Add some spinach and millet to each salad bowl.
- Arrange the baked vegetables on top of the millet. Add some spinach and serve drizzled with the salad dressing.
Make Berbere yourself:
- In a pan, without adding fat, roast all the spices for 3-5 minutes over medium heat, tossing or stirring constantly.3 tbsp. paprika powder*, 2 tsp Cumin*, 1 tsp coriander whole*, 1 tsp Cardamom*, 1 tsp Turmeric*, 1 tsp Sea-salt*, 1 tsp fenugreek*, 1 tsp Black pepper*, 4 cloves*, 5 Pimento*, ½ tsp Ginger*, ¼ tsp Cinammon*, 4-5 chili peppers*
- When fragrant, add the ground spices and roast for 2 more minutes. Keep moving so nothing burns.
- If you used whole spices, grind them in a spice grinder or crush them in a mortar.
- Fill the Berbere into a sealed container and keep it for up to 6 months.
Nutrition
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