Millet knödels with red wine lentil 

I think I have already mentioned (if only once!) About my unflagging love for millet. It’s a gluten-free source of carbohydrates, B vitamins, iron and copper … But what I value most is its incredibly versatile nature. I make thick creamy mayonnaise from millet, I bake lemon cheesecakes, I cook gnocchis, and even make dumplings-knödels filled with herbs seasoned red wine lentils. This is one of those recipes that I promised to throw in several times already. On Instagram I have added more than once photos of these beautifully round millet knödels compositions, always responding that “soon I will write a recipe” and share it here. So this is the day. Cook your millet & fold the knödels!

Millet knödels with red wine lentil 

gluten free; 18-20 pieces (4 dinner servings)

  • 1 cup millet
  • 3 glasses of water
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 full cup potato starch (~ 200g)

Red wine lentil

  • 4 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • 1 medium-sized white onion
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 pieces of allspice
  • 1/2 tsp marjoram
  • 1/2 tsp rosemary
  • 1/2 tsp thyme
  • 1/3 tsp ground nutmeg
  • a lot of black pepper
  • 1 cup red lentil
  • 1 and 1/2 cups of water
  • 1/2 cup dry red wine
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • salt

1. Rinse the millet in a strainer under running water, cook it in three portions of water for about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

2. Prepare the filling: peel the onion and chop it finely. In a big pan, heat the oil and add onion. Add bay leaves, allspice and a pinch of salt.

3. Fry the onion over medium heat for 4-5 minutes. In the meantime, prepare the spice mixture. Add herbs and a lot of black pepper to the fried onion. Cook for one more minute, then add lentil and water.

4. Cover with a lid and let it boil for 8-9 minutes. After this time, add red wine, tomatoes, soy sauce, and sugar. Mix everything together and cook on low heat for one last minute.

5. Try it. Season with salt and pepper if necessary. Set aside to cool: over time, lentils will soften and thicken a bit.

6. Going back to the millet: blend the cooled groats for 2-3 minutes with a blender until most of it is smooth. Add salt & potato starch. Mix everything thoroughly using spoon or spatula.

7. When the stuffing thickens and it is at room temperature, it’s time to make the knödels. Prepare a bowl of lukewarm water: gently moist your hands before folding each knödel. Thanks to this, millet will not stick to your hands and you won’t need any additional flour.

8. Grab a small handful of millet, form a thin (1cm) circle on your palm, add a spoonful of the filling on it and wrap it up (look at the photos below, they may be helpful).

9. It’s the best to cook the knödels immediately.  Cook them in lightly salted water until they come to the surface (3-4 min) 

10. Serve with your favorite salad, fermented pickles or sauce. They also taste good on the next day, fried in a pan.

Still hungry?