Millet Mania

Have you seen packets of millets like sorghum, barnyard, foxtail, etc online or in supermarkets and are unsure how to use them? Are you wondering what's the recent buzz about millets all about? 
Loaded with nutrition, light on the stomach, easy to cultivate, and organic availability makes millet an attractive alternative to wheat and rice. Once referred to as coarse grains, millets are now witnessing a resurgence among the health-conscious. And for a good reason!!

These humble grains are among the oldest foods and dominated the Indian diet before being elbowed out by ‘refined grains’ like rice, wheat, and fancy imports like quinoa – all nutritionally and environmentally inferior substitutes to the mighty millet.

Millets may be tiny grains but they pack quite a punch: they are rich in macro and micronutrients, and very easy to digest. Their low glycemic index means people with diabetes can enjoy them.

Well-suited to poor soils and dry land and chemical-free cultivation, millets are the closest we have come to finding a climate-resilient miracle grain that benefits farmers and consumers alike.

There are many varieties of millets: jowar, bajra, and ragi are the most popular and consumed across the country. Minor millets such as foxtail, proso, and barnyard are also slowly re-appearing in many health stores.

Just like rice and semolina, millets are quick and simple to cook and lend themselves to a whole variety of preparations – from dosas and kheer to cupcakes and biryani!

A millet loyalist, I'm trying to incorporate these wonder grains as an integral part of our daily diet.

Moving from flours to whole grains has been quite a learning curve and is an ongoing one at that but definitely worth all the hits and trials.

I love to experiment with these powerhouse of nutrition cause these experiments yield nothing short of magic with every innovation or a new recipe I try!

Will try to share a few in my subsequent posts.