The night before…
In a small saucepan (or electric rice cooker, as I did) combine the rice, millet, water, cinnamon stick, cardamom and bay leaves; allow grains/spices to soak for at least 20 minutes before cooking. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, being careful mixture does not boil over.
Cook until grains are tender, about 25 minutes. Pick out whole spices and discard. Cool and transfer cooked grains to an airtight container and refrigerate overnight.
The next morning, preheat the oven to 350F. Butter a 2 quart round ceramic baking dish or a deep pie plate. Set aside.
In a small pan, melt butter over medium heat until beginning to brown. Add cashews, shaking pan or stirring occasionally, being careful not to burn them. Remove pan from heat and add the brown sugar and toss to combine. Set aside.
In a large bowl, gently break up the cooked grains with a spoon (or your hands, in my case). Fold in the oats, and cranberries to evenly incorporate.
In a separate bowl, combine mashed bananas, half-and-half, eggs, brown sugar, spices, salt and vanilla, mashing the bananas and overall combining it really well. Pour liquid mixture into grains and stir. Transfer to prepared baking dish.
Top with toasted brown butter cashews. Bake for 40-45 minutes until top is golden and puffed up.
Serve immediately, with a dollop of plain yogurt, if desired. Enjoy!