hardly ever use just one grain to prepare porridge – usually it is a blend of two different grains. So, this time I decided to make chocolaty millet amaranth porridge with raw grated veggies. The chocolaty part of this porridge comes from carob and cacao, which is another blend I use very often. I think carob and cacao work perfectly together, one being sweet and the other bitter

Why should you soak the grains before making your morning porridge? Well, soaking enhances the mineral absorption by diminishing phytates and phytic acid in grains/seeds. Furthermore, soaking makes your grains much easier to digest, which means wellbeing through less or no bloating and/or gas. Besides, remember not to combine grains with fruits/berries and nuts, if you have a sensitive belly. I have found that my system (quite sensitive one I might say) works well with a small quantity of berries and fresh figs

Next – why millet amaranth porridge? I remember millet already from my childhood. I actually liked it already back then while many children didn’t. In my opinion millet is one of the best comfort foods you can find. Besides the yumminess, millet is also a good source of copper, manganese, phosphorus, and magnesium. However, people with hypothyroidism should be careful with millet as it may suppress thyroid function. (1)

And then comes amaranth, which I first discovered and bought in Barcelona. For a start, I tried to make muffins using my soak-and-blend method, but it didn’t work out so well. This was because amaranth seeds are so tiny and quite hard that they don’t blend as perfectly as millet and buckwheat. Nevertheless, they work amazingly in porridge.

Chocolaty Millet Amaranth Porridge with Beets

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

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Ingredients

• 15g (0.53oz) millet groats, uncooked
• 15g (0.53oz) amaranth seeds, uncooked
• 50g (1.8oz) plant milk
• About 170g (6oz) of water
• Spices: ⅛ tsp. ground cloves, ⅛ tsp. ground cardamom, ⅛ tsp. ground nutmeg, ½ tsp. cinnamon, ½ tsp. ginger powder
• 1 tbsp. carob powder + 1 tsp. cacao powder
• Stevia of xylitol to taste
• ¼ tsp. Himalayan salt
• Dash of black pepper
• 50g (1.8oz) raw beetroot, finely grated
• 50g (1.8oz) raw carrot, finely grated
• 50g (1.8oz) raw summer squash (zucchini), finely grated

Instructions

2. Soak millet and amaranth overnight. Rinse and drain.
3. Blend soaked millet and amaranth with plant milk and water. I use immerse blender. Pour the mixture into a small pot.
4. Bring to boil and simmer for 5 minutes whisking
   every now and then and adding water if/when necessary. Cover with lid
   and set aside.
5. Finely grate carrot, beet and summer squash.
6. Add all the spices, salt, sweetener and pepper
   to the porridge. Mix well and taste. It needs to be quite intense, as
   the veggies will smooth it out.
7. Mix in grated veggies. Keep mixing until all the
   ingredients are well incorporated. Taste and add salt/sweetener/spices
   if necessary.
8. Sprinkle on some chopped almonds or hazelnuts and berries of choice.

Tips on my millet amaranth porridge recipe:

• I use either non-GMO soy, almond, brown rice, hazelnut, or quinoa-brown rice milk without any artificial additives (sugar, syrups, preservatives).
• I use about 15 stevia drops to sweeten my porridge. You can also prepare your porridge with naturally sweet plant-based milk (brown rice, oat) omitting the water and you wouldn’t even need any sweetener.
• I use purple carrots to give the porridge an extra cool look.
• Should you prefer the summer squash a bit crunchier, leave it coarser than carrot.
• You absolutely don’t need to use all the spices listed above  – just use the ones you like in the desired quantity.