2 cups millet
4 cups water
1 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 large or 2 medium onions, chopped
4 to 5 small cloves garlic, minced
2 to 3 pieces dried kelp
5 to 6 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
5 to 6 tablespoons olive oil
1 big pinch of dried basil
freshly ground black pepper
pinch of sweetener (optional)
This is a unique blend of ingredients that is probably of acquired taste and, well, perhaps not everybody will enjoy it. I find it a satisfying meal or side dish, very healthful, and ridiculously cheap and quick to assemble. Dried kelp can be found inexpensively at Asian food markets or perhaps health food stores, in large, green whole pieces- that is, not kelp protein/powder/flakes, but unbroken sheathes of the stuff. Look for ones without sulfites added, which usually isn't very hard. Don't worry about a whitish powder around the stuff, that's just how kelp is.
1) Soak the kelp in a large bowl of hot water to rehydrate. This should take about 15 minutes. It will at least double in size.
2) In small pot place the millet without water and toast on medium heat for up to ten minutes, allowing the millet to become aromatic but not blackened. Once toasted, add water and salt. Simmer until millet is fluffy, tender and has absorbed most of the water. Drain leftover water.
3) As the millet cooks, sautee onion in oil for about 4 minutes. Add garlic, and cook until onion is somewhat translucent, about 6 minutes. Once the millet is cooked, combine it with onion and garlic.
4) Take your rehydrated kelp from the bowl and rinse the grit off the pieces. Squeeze any excess water from them and wipe with towel. Cut into inch-long, 1/4-inch wide pieces with scissors. Combine with millet and mix.
5) Add the rest of the ingredients to the mixture and stir. Although most of the measurements are correct, I generally tend to add around a quarter cup olive oil and a great deal of soy sauce. Feel free to cut each ingredient's portion in half, because two cups millet makes a lot.
Source of recipe: This is a half-invented recipe that I adapted from this website http://www.bckelp.com/SeaweedKelpRecipes.html [1]. Scroll down to the "Rice and Kelp Salad". Feel free to try this recipe as it's shown on the site, which seems to have many other marvelous kelp recipes.
Links:
[1] http://www.bckelp.com/SeaweedKelpRecipes.html