Lentil and Millet Pizza: protein-rich, gluten-free, vegan
Preparation: 5 mins
Soaking: 6-24h
Baking: approx. 25 mins
Difficulty: easy
Yields: 3 pizzas
Cost: low
If you want to go straight to the recipe click here
Lentil and Millet Pizza: Why I recommend it
The benefits of lentil and millet pizza are numerous. So make yourself comfortable, it is:
- delicious;
- super easy to make,
- even though it’s organic, incredibly cheap;
- healthy
- low in allergens and so gluten-free;
- rich in protein and essential minerals, yet contains no animal products;
- satisfies so much without overloading and
if it comes from local and responsible agricultural practices, then Lentil & Millet Pizza can also have a low environmental impact, so it is definitely ethical and sustainable.
Gluten-free: so only for people with celiac disease?
I confess that I developed this recipe especially for my friend Daniela, a brilliant web designer, who has a gluten-free and 100% sustainable diet but she is (in her words) hopeless when it comes to prepare leavened baked goods.
Since she deserves a monument for what she has done for restyling CHE Food Revolution website, but I do not have the artistic talent, I wanted to gift her something maybe less prestigious, but certainly more enjoyable: a pizza crust that is easy (the dough does not even need to be kneaded!), delicious, and gluten-free.
However, lentil & millet pizza is not only suitable for people with celiac disease, since it is tasty, healthy and cheap; it is therefore recommended for practically everyone*: vegans, vegetarians, omnivores, celiacs, lactose-intolerant, people with gluten sensitivity or irritable bowel (as long as you choose hulled lentils); those on a diet or always looking for protein.
(*:Lentils are high in purine, so they are not an ideal option for people with gout or uremia).
What does lentil and millet pizza taste like?
Of course it is a bit different from traditional pizza, but I assure you it does not taste like lentils or millet!
Unless you want to eat it plain, without any toppings, as a kind of "white pizza without salt and oil".
To avoid disappointment and potential food waste, I want to be as clear as possible: do not expect a texture similar to that of Neapolitan pizza, fluffy and a bit chewy; nevertheless, believe me, this specific formulation of this GF lentil and millet pizza comes closest to the concept (and texture) of pizza as we know it, rich in gluten.
More specifically, I could put this lentil and millet pizza crust in the low and crispy category, like pizzas you find normally in Rome.
It is also important to keep in mind that the lentil and millet pizza has no ambition to replace the classic pizza: choosing to make it does not mean doing away with the original forever (except for those who are allergic to gluten): one weekend you can happily go to a pizzeria, the next you can make it yourself, and the next you can enjoy lentil pizza. That seems totally fair and democratic to me.
Nutritional profile of Lentil and Millet Pizza
You know my attraction to poor, traditional and functional foods like millet.
So the use of millet is not just a choice of taste.
IF YOU WANT TO DISCOVER ALL THE BENEFITS OF MILLET
This choice was motivated not only by the need to improve the texture and obtain a crust and firmness closer to that of a "real pizza" (i.e. with wheat flour), but also by the need to improve the amino acid profile and increase their bioavailability, together with the minerals present.
Lentils are exceptionally rich in protein, about 24g, but like all legumes, they do not have a complete amino acid profile: they lack sulphur-containing amino acids such as methionine and cysteine.
For this reason, it should be combined with cereals, which are rich in them, and rice is usually considered the best candidate to fulfill this role.
However, in the realm of cereals, there is one that is richer in methionine and cysteine (also called "limiting amino acids"), and whose treasures do not stop with them! We are talking about millet, which is definitely more abundant than rice in several respects(1):
Proteins (11.6g vs. 6.4g);
Calcium (42mg vs. 2mg);
Iron (2.8mg vs. 0.6mg);
Zinc (1.7mg vs. 0.9mg); and
Phosphorus (285mg vs. 56mg).
In addition, according to 2020 research, the combination of lentil and millet also helps to improve the bioavailability of the amino acid lysine, which is essential for several physiological functions, including the formation of antibodies, hormones and enzymes, as well as proteins such as collagen, which is essential for the ideal condition of bones, cartilage, tendons and skin(2).
Therefore, although not in optimal amounts (I had addressed the perfect amounts in the lemon millet cake recipe), the addition of millet is still very helpful in better balancing the essential amino acids in our fabulous lentil and millet pizza(3).
Ingredients for a delicious lentils & millet pizza
180g red lentils
90g hulled millet (alternatively you can use quinoa, but for sustainability reasons it is better to use quinoa grown in your country / continent)
100ml vegetable broth or water
2 tablespoons evo oil
1 pinch of thyme (or oregano)
Half a clove of grated garlic
1 level teaspoon baking soda + 1 tablespoon vinegar (or 1 teaspoon baking powder)
For topping (for Daniela a vegan marinara version, without anchovies)
6 tablespoons or more tomato sauce
1 tablespoon capers, desalted and chopped
1 tablespoon sun-dried tomatoes, desalted and chopped
Chopped garlic (optional)
Basil or thyme
1 drizzle of raw evo oil on pizzas just before serving
Optional extras: vegan or cow’s cheese; broccoli and mushrooms; onions and potatoes, or whatever you normally like to put on your pizza.
Directions for easy Lentil & Millet Pizza crust
Lentil and millet pizza is very easy to make, but just like a good regular (wheat and yeast) pizza, it requires a long fermentation (although this one is going to be wild and does not require yeast), which consists of soaking lentils and millet in water for at least 6 hours.
Step 1. Wash the millet and lentils well until the water is clear, then soak them in a deep container with plenty of water. Change the water at least 3 times in 24 hours.
Step 2. When you are ready to make the GF pizza, drain and rinse the lentils and millet one last time and add them to the blender jug along with the water (100ml).
Step 3. Preheat the oven to 230°C and soak the capers and sun-dried tomatoes (if you are using them) in lukewarm water to reduce their salt concentration.
Step 4. Blend the mixture for a few minutes on high speed until smooth.
Step 5. Add the garlic, thyme or oregano, oil and a pinch of salt and blend again.
Step 6. Line a baking sheet with a natural parchment paper and grease it with your hands.
Step 7. Add the vinegar and baking soda mixture or baking powder to the dough stirring gently with a spoon, just before pouring it in the baking sheet.
Step 8. Now let’s form our pizzas; with this dosage you will get 3 round pizzas or 3 pinsa-like, elongated pizzas or why not 1 round 1 elongated.
I remind you that if you choose the elongated shapes, you can bake all 3 together in one pan, saving time and energy.
In this case, you can also make mini round pizzas or any other shape you like (for example, kids go crazy for my little fish lentil pizzas), always in the same pan.
Using a ladle, divide the dough into 3 equal parts, taking care to leave enough space between the pizza crusts and the edges of the pan: the lentil pizza does not grow as much as a normal pizza, so it is best to leave some room when turning it.
For the round shape, take a third of the dough with a ladle and place it in the center of the pan, spreading it out slowly until it reaches a diameter of about 20cm.
Step 9. Bake for 15 mins in the lower rack. Meanwhile, stone the olives and chop the veggies.
Step 10. At the end of the 15 minutes, remove the pan and, being careful not to break the bottom, remove it from the parchment and flip it over. If the paper is well greased, you should have no problem, but be careful because the crust is very hot and still soft.
Step 11. Bake the GF pizza crust again, this time on the rack just above the bottom rack, and bake for another 5 minutes.
Step 12. Remove the pan from the oven, flip again the pizza crust over and pour the tomato puree, then the minced garlic, olive, capers and tomato mixture, oregano and bake the pizza crust again for another 5 minutes, but this time on the highest rack of the oven.
Step 13. When the time is up, remove the GF pizza crust from the oven, add a drizzle of olive oil plus your extra toppings and serve hot.
Smart combos
So, since this beautiful and delicious lentil and millet pizza is rich in protein, minerals, fiber and complex carbohydrates, let’s enrich it with some healthy fats and vitamins, especially vitamin C. I would suggest a nice fennel salad with oranges and olives, or a rich purslane and figs salad, or a delicious guacamole sauce.
By the way, I always recommend using seasonal fruits and vegetables; and to help you choose, I have a wonderful gift for you: the Seasonal Fruit and Vegetable Calendar. You can download it for free from our newsletter page: you can find it here.
Enjoy the lentil and millet pizza and have a good revolution!
Bibliography
1)Gowda NAN, Siliveru K, Prasad PVV, Bhatt Y, Netravati BP, Gurikar C. Modern processing of indian millets: A perspective on changes in nutritional properties. Foods. (2022) 11:499
2) Anitha S, Govindaraj M, Kane-Potaka J. Balanced amino acid and higher micronutrients in millets complements legumes for improved human dietary nutrition. Cereal Chem. 2019; 97: 74–84.
3) Fakiha A, Tul-Noor Z, Paoletti A, et al. Bioavailable Lysine, Assessed in Healthy Young Men Using Indicator Amino Acid Oxidation, is Greater when Cooked Millet and Stewed Canadian Lentils are Combined. J Nutr. 2020;150(10):2729-2737
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Summary
Recipe Name
Lentil and Millet Pizza: protein-rich, gluten-free, vegan
Author NameBaşak Bartu
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Based on 18 Review(s)
This was actually a lot more than I thought it would be so much better than expected. Delicious.!!
Dear Ramona,
I am truly glad you appreciated my recipe, and thank you very much for letting me know
Have a tasty Revolution and a wonderful day
Başak