Millet mantras: Your guide to a healthy platter
Here's a quick go-to guide for all that you need to know about millets, from what these super-grains look like to why they are important for us and even how to cook them.
Millets are occupying the unmissable front spot at grocery store shelves. Fancy restaurants have tweaked their menu to give millets pride of place. None other than Indian prime minister Narendra Modi has been talking highly of millets, and has been instrumental in getting the United Nations to declare 2023 as the International Year of Millets. Yet, how well do you know your millets?
And if you cannot set the bajra apart from jowar, or for that matter, even name five millets, well, you are definitely not the only one.
So here’s a lowdown on the packed-with-nutrition grains that must figure on your shopping list. Yes, millets are grains — like wheat or rice. But they contain much higher amounts of fibre and essential minerals than other cereal grains. Reason enough to read further, no?
Know your millets
There are several types of millets that have traditionally been consumed in different parts of India. The major ones are:
Bajra (pearl millet)
These tiny drops of brown or grey grains are rich in magnesium, potassium and calcium. Popular in Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab, bajra flour is used to make roti while the grains are boiled and tempered along with lentils to prepare khichdi. The millet is also a part of meals in Maharashtra and Gujarat. In Karnataka, it is called sajje while Tamilians know it as kambu. Besides roti, bajra grains can be used to make porridge, poha or upma. To cook bajra, boil 1 cup of bajra in 2 cups of water, and simmer for about 20 minutes until it softens. You can also soak the grains in water for about an hour for faster cooking. Bajra flour can be worked easily to roll rotis if hot water is used to knead the dough so that the starch becomes sticky. Since these rotis are brittle and hard, they are best consumed hot (Photo from Pixabay)
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Jowar (sorghum)
Commonly found in kitchens in rural Maharashtra and Karnataka, jowar is a yellowish grain that is rich in protein and fibre. Like bajra, it is used to make roti as well as porridge-like dishes like khichdi or upma. Jowar is a hard grain, and soaking it for 6-8 hours before cooking reduces the time it takes to soften. Boil soaked jowar seeds and water in 1:4 ratio and simmer for about 30 minutes until it gets tender. Dry seeds may take as much as an hour of simmering time to get soft. To prepare jowar rotis, knead the flour using hot water and immediately roll them out. They are best eaten as soon as they are taken off the fire (Photo from Pixabay)
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Ragi (finger millet)
Ragi is known for being an excellent source of calcium. You can mix ragi flour with regular wheat flour to make chapattis. Ragi atta cooks in hot water in about 10 minutes. It has to be whisked continuously to prevent the formation of lumps. It can then be consumed with sweet or savoury additions as porridge. In Karnataka, the slurry is thickened with ghee and rolled into thick balls called mudde that are relished with curry or sambar as breakfast. Ragi flour can also be added to idli and dosa batter. This millet is especially considered beneficial when consumed in the morning (Photo from Wikimedia Commons)
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Foxtail
Known in India as Kangni, Kang and kakum, foxtail is grown largely in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. It is cooked like rice and can be turned into delicacies such as pulao, lemon rice and kheer. Foxtail flour is used to make rotis and paratha. Or you can prepare a batter and shallow fry them as dosa or cheela (Photo from Wikimedia Commons)
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Kodo
Also called kodra, kodo millet grains can be cooked like rice. It can be used as a healthier alternative to rice. As flour, it is used to make rotis and dosa, and can even be relished as halwa or pancakes (Photo from Wikimedia Commons)
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Sanwa (barnyard millet)
These small white grains look like broken rice, and are popularly consumed as ‘fasting’ food. Also called jhangora, sama or samak, they are cooked like upma with groundnuts, pulao or as couscous salad (Photo by Shutterstock)
Chena (proso millet)
These tiny pale-yellow seeds have a nutty flavour that make them a versatile addition to any dish. Boil them in water with a little salt for about 20 minutes, drain out the excess water and they are good to go. Sprinkle over salads, stir them in soups or vegetables, or simmer as part of stews. Proso millet flour can be used to make chapati, dosa or cheelas too (Photo from Wikimedia Commons)
Pseudo millets
Kuttu (buckwheat) and chaulai (amaranth) are two pseudo millets (called so because they are not part of the Poaceae botanical family), that are widely consumed as ‘fasting’ food. While kuttu flour is used to make poori and rotis, amaranth, also known as rajgir or ramdana is mixed with jaggery and nuts to prepare laddus (Photo from Pixabay)
Why you should go for millets
As per the Indian Institute of Millets Research, millets have loads of health benefits. They are anti-acidic, gluten-free and rich in niacin (vitamin B3). They detoxify body, boost immunity, help lower cholesterol, prevent breast cancer and type-2 diabetes, and are effective in reducing blood pressure. Those at risk of heart diseases, respiratory conditions such as asthma or gastrointestinal issues like ulcers and digestive problems are also advised to include millets in their diet.
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The lead image at the top shows a mix of grains (Photo from Pixabay)
