We are now six months into the UN International Year of Millets and there has been a lot of information propagating the cultivation and consumption of the many existing varieties the world over. Their health quotient being high, millets have attracted the attention of people globally and recipes on social media abound.
The APEDA website informs us that India is the largest producer of millets in the world and the main varieties produced are BAJRA, JOWAR and RAGI. Their cultivation requires less water than rice and maybe even wheat making these ‘coarse grains’ (‘mota anaaj’) or ‘ancient grains’ a more viable ecological alternative. “ Millets can grow on arid lands with minimal inputs and are resilient to changes in climate” says the FAO website.
These three varieties are much used traditionally in our country but for many families these are forgotten foods. Fortunately there is a renewed interest in traditional recipes and many can be found on social media sites by just doing a search on ‘millet recipes’. Interestingly, the simplest ones may be more rustic but the healthiest. And delicious too. Rajasthani ‘Raabdi’ is a new discovery for me and first shared by our Editor, Rachna Tiwari. In a book I am reading , Jawaharlal Nehru’s niece mentions her breakfast in Allahabad was a hot bajre-ki-roti with a dollop of white butter and some jaggery on the side. Those were times when less was more.
New recipes tend to fuse several culinary trends for more complex textures and flavors but these are perhaps best left to commercial enterprises! To maintain one’s interest and taste for millets, in my opinion it’s best to stay with our traditional recipes which are not fussy but instead basic -so fairly easy to prepare – and wholesome too. They are gluten-free, have a low glycemic index and are high in calcium, zinc and iron. Millets may also help in weight loss.
The APEDA website is a good resource for recipes both Indian and international.
