How do you turn something as humble yet marvelous as tomatoes into a satiating, filling meal? You turn them into spicy millet stuffed tomatoes. Tender and lip-smackingly hot, the flavors detonate from the very first mouthful.
1/2cupMilletI used mixed millets - Kodo, Foxtail, Barnyard and Little millets
1Onion, finely diced
4clovesGarlic, finely diced
10Olives, finely diced
1tbsp Sambal Olek adjust to your taste
1tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
2tbsp Olive Oil plus extra for drizzling on top
Basil, chopped finelyhandful
Salt and pepper to taste
Topping
2tbspPanko breadcrumbs
1-2tspPinenuts
1tbspOlive oil
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180 C.
Prepare tomatoes: Thinly slice the bottom of each tomato so they can stand without toppling over. Then cut the tops off the tomatoes and scoop out tomato juices, and flesh. Be careful not to pierce the bottom of the tomatoes. Turn them upside down on a plate to drain.
Chop the tomato flesh and save the tomato juice for use later in the recipe.
Filling
Rinse and cook the millet in water, 1:2 ratio. This takes about 15-20 minutes. Fluff it up with a fork, once it is ready. Keep aside.
Saute the onions, chopped tomato flesh, and garlic in olive oil for about 5 minutes, till slightly softened. Add the cooked millet, stir in the olives, sambal olek and salt & pepper to taste. Let it all cook for another 5 minutes. Take it off the heat. Mix in the red wine vinegar and chopped basil. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Spoon the millet mixture into the hollowed tomatoes, filling them to the brim. Top with the panko mixture.
Drizzle over a little olive oil and the reserved tomato juice. Cover loosely with aluminum foil to prevent over-browning. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes, at 180C. Remove the foil for the last 10 minutes to get that crunchy, crispy topping. Serve warm. Enjoy!
Topping
Combine panko breadcrumbs, pinenuts, and olive oil in a small bowl. Use for topping the tomatoes.
Notes
Adjust for spiciness levels - add more if you prefer extra heat!