Millets of Mewar restoring glory of forgotten grains

India and other countries in the world are celebrating 2023 as the year of millets. Long before the United Nations at its 75th General Assembly session in 2021 had announced the plans for the global celebrations, Surendra Gandharva had realised the importance of the highly-nutritious small-seeded grasses, grown as cereal grains.

In 2011, Surendra, along with his friend Manoj Prajapati, set up a restaurant in Udaipur, naming it Millets of Mewar.

Located in the south-central region of Rajasthan known as Mewar, the eatery is wholly meant for millet-based dishes. Considered an excellent source of fibre, vitamins and minerals, the millet meals are extremely popular in the region, and equally popular is the restaurant.

For Surendra and Manoj, there is a higher purpose though for running the restaurant. 

“I was always conscious about what I eat. But I soon realised that millets had gone out of fashion. We needed to do something to bring them back on people’s plates,” Surendra said. 

Surendra discovered the value of millets while travelling across Adivasi regions. Members of the tribal community had lived on millets for centuries and as he listened to them, he was shocked to learn how these ancient grains, once a staple in Indian diets, had been largely forgotten and replaced by modern crops like wheat and rice. 

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This was a wake-up call for the health-conscious Surendra. 

Changing food patterns, one plate at a time

Driven by the desire to revive these nutritious grains and change the prevailing food patterns, Surendra and his friend embarked on a mission to reintroduce millets into the culinary landscape. Millets of Mewar was born a few years later.

The restaurant uses a variety of millets in its dishes, including finger millet, pearl millet, foxtail millet, and sorghum. The restaurant, they believe, contributes significantly to raising awareness about the importance of millet. 

“Millets were considered to be food only for the poor or fodder for animals,” Surendra lamented. 

Since its opening, Millets of Mewar has done its bit in popularising millets. Its dishes are healthy and delicious. It retains the authentic flavours of various regional cuisines while substituting wheat and rice with millet.

Some years ago, India Today magazine ranked it as the country’s sixth healthiest restaurant. The recognition has followed hard work and a fair degree of innovation. Cuisines from the Middle East, Italy and other continental dishes are stuffed with different varieties of millet. 

The local dal bati churma and Punjabi dishes are all made of millet. Millets of Mewar also has its own variety of millet veg biryani.

“Why should only rice have hegemony over biryani?” pointed out Surendra. “We retain the taste of biryani while cooking it with millets,” he added. “This restaurant is my small effort towards changing our food pattern,” Surendra explained. 

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Educating and nourishing through millet

During the pandemic, the restaurant served over 90000 customers and used around 10000 kilograms of millets. 

Irrespective of whether its patrons are health conscious or simply seeking a unique restaurant adventure, Millets of Mewar has grown to be a major attraction in Udaipur. It promises to tantalise the taste buds besides nourishing one’s body.

Providing an airy space under the open sky, dining at the restaurant is an unforgettable experience. When it started, it was mostly foreign tourists who came in, but with its fame spreading, even locals have now begun to frequent the place. 

Currently, 40 per cent of its patrons are local residents.

“It’s a restaurant that creates great food,” said David, a regular customer. “It is not only a restaurant, but a community. I hope it continues its amazing work of educating, trying more recipes and bringing people together for a good cause,” says Chaity Bhatt, another local patron, who has been going to the restaurant for over five years.

To popularise millet, the restaurant also offers cooking lessons, having already coached some 10,000 people from around the world. The restaurant was also invited by students of Princeton University in the US to conduct online classes.

Meanwhile, Surendra is busy adding more dishes to the restaurant’s menu. With every new addition, Millets of Mewar shines brighter on the culinary map for millets.

Also Read | Photo essay: When millets go mainstream to bring a revolution

The lead image shows pancakes made of sorghum millet (Photo by Millets of Mewar)