Mains

Millet Rice

Posted on by Vijaya Venkatesh
Cooks in: 10 Minutes Serves: 2 People

Many of my friends find it difficult to cook perfect millet rice. They face problems like under cooked, over cooked or cooked but the rice becoming dry after sometime. So wanted to share the basic millet rice recipe. Millets like Kodo, Little, Barnyard and Foxtail are used for making rice.

Ingredients:

  • 1 Cup Kodo/Little/Barnyard/Foxtail Millet (Varagu/ Samai/ Kudhiraivali/Thinai)
  • 2 Cups Water

Directions:

  1. Wash the millet thoroughly. Soak for 30 minutes. Drain.
  2. In a 2 Ltr Pressure Cooker, add 2 cups of water and millet.
  3. Cook for 3 whistles.
  4. Open after pressure settles down.
  5. Fluff up after 10 minutes with a fork.
  6. Perfectly cooked soft non mushy rice ready.

Note:
  1. If you are using polished variety, soaking for 10 minutes will do.

42 Comments

  1. Hi!
    Thanks for sharing the recipe.
    If we want to cook the millet in another container inside a pressure cooker, do we put in the same amount of water (2:1) in that container that we place inside the cooker?

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  3. Hello. Thank you for this simple no fail recipe. Just wanted to check how this would work if we doubled the recipe. Will the number of whistles still be the same?
    Thank you.

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    1. Hi Isai,
      Unpolished grains will be full in colour whereas polished ones will be white. When you buy from the shop, ask for unpolished/semipolished grains.

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  10. I followed your above recipe of water proportion, timing etc exactly. The only difference was I made a mixture of millets(Kodo, barnyard and foxtail). The rice was cooked well but there was lot of water spewing from the weight valve. How can this be minimised or eliminated.

    1. Hello sir,
      You can use an inner vessel to cook the millet. Instead of cooking it directly in the cooker, pour some water, place a vessel with millet and required water. Cook for 3 whistles. There won’t be spewing.

  11. Hi Vijaya.. Your blog looks great. eager to try your recipes. I would like to pressure cook millets as guided in your blog. But i am a bit scared that the millets are tiny and block the pressure holes in the cooker. Please advice.. awaiting your response.

    1. Hi Divya,
      Thanks so much for your visit. You can use an inner vessel as we do normally for rice to cook millets. Go for 4 to 5 whistles.

  12. Mam,
    Is it necessary to use only two litre cooker to make rice. I have only a 5 litre pan. Can I make the rice in a vessel which is kept in the cooker.

    1. Hi Meera,
      If you have only 5 ltr pan, then cook millet using a small vessel keeping it inside your pan. This will work for you.

  13. Hi Vijaya, lovely site you have. I have a query. I have red whole ragi grain at home (sent by my sister) , other than using it for for making idli or make sprouts for idlis , i am wondering if we can use it to cook like rice? i googled at various sites but couldn’t find any info on it. thanks a lot, aarthy

    1. Hi Aarthy,
      I suggest you make flour out if ragi . It can be used to make porridge, morkali, dosa, khandvi , halwa etc. I have shared the recipes of the dishes mentioned above. Thanks for your visit.

      1. thank you very much for your reply Vijaya. Do i need to roast the grain, cool it and grind it to make a flour ? thanks

          1. Hi Vijaya, i live overseas, i dont think we have flour mills here. i guess i have to finish remaining ragi grain for makig idli or dosa
            thanks for your reply. much appreciated.

  14. For 1/2 cup foxtail millet, will 1.5 cups water work, keeping rest of the things same? 1 cup millet is too much for one meal when cooking for a single person…any help would be appreciated.

    1. Hi Anup,
      For 1/2 cup of millet, 1 cup water will be enough for a grainy texture. If you want mushy consistency, add 1/4 cup more. Thanks for your visit.

      1. Thanks for the prompt reply! Appreciate it. And you have a fantastic site! I love your opos book too, purchased it a while back.

  15. Amazing.. I am slowly learning opos and the millet rice is just too perfect. Thank you for your hard work and research.

    1. Hi Vakula,
      Thanks so much for your visit. Please try the recipes one by one and share your experience.

  16. Hi Vijaya,
    Made the millet rice, came out very well! Thank you for the recipe

    1. Hi Veena,
      Glad to know that your millet rice came out well. Thanks for sharing your experience.

  17. Hi Vijaya,

    Should we cook for 3 whistles in high or medium flame and in which burner. Sorry i think this is opos effect

  18. Mam cooked Kodo Millet. Followed ur instructions to the T. Perfectly cooked grainy Milket rice ready. Saved it for trying you Peanut millet rice. ????
    Thank u so much.

    1. Hi Bhavya,
      Thanks for trying and happy to know that you got perfectly cooked foxtail millet rice. Do try other recipes posted here and share your experience.

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