In our series on millets for weight loss, we discussed health benefits of various kind of millets. From ragi to bajra, and from sorghum to foxtail millet, each cereal crop is packed with nutrition. Millets can be consumed in the form of rice, khichdi or Pongal, upma, and with wheat flour.
1. As Rice
Just pressure cook or pan cook 1 glass of millet with 3 cups of water. When water evaporates, take it off the flame and let it stay. It will cook some more in the remnant heat and fluff up, looking just like rice.
2. Khichdi or Pongal
Replacing rice with millets does not alter the taste greatly, but it certainly makes a huge difference in the nutrition consumption.
3. As Upma
Millets are available in different forms, including semolina version. One can go for ragi upma, little millet upma etc.
4. Millets with wheat flour
You can mix millet flour with wheat flour.
Now that you know millet can be consumed in various forms, we bring you some interesting millet-based recipes:
Recipe 1: Foxtail Millet Salad
Ingredients:
• 110g Foxtail millet, cooked
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh mint
• 4 spring onions, including the green parts, chopped
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
• 1 chopped tomato
• 1 cup chopped cucumber
• 1 raw mango, peeled, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• ½ lemon juice
• Salt according to taste
• Pepper - a dash or two
Cooking Method
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix together. Have it with grilled chicken, fish or cottage cheese.
Recipe 2: Barnyard Payasam
Ingredients:
• Barnyard millet – 150 g
• Sugar/ jaggery – 250 g
• Cow Milk/ coconut milk – 250 ml
• Saffron – 4-5 threads
• Dry fruits (cashew, almond and pista) – 50 g
• Ghee – 1 Tbsp
Cooking Method:
• Cook barnyard millet, saffron and milk on a slow heat and mash.
• Add sweetening and stir gently to cook payasam.
• Heat ghee (clarified butter) in a pan add all dry fruits and roast until golden in colour and add to the cooked payasam.
• It can be served hot or cold.
Recipe 3: Spinach Millet Pulav
Ingredients:
• 3 cup Water
• 1 cup Foxtail millet
• 2-3 jeera
• 1 basil leaf fresh
• 1 bay leaf
• 3-4 Black pepper
• 1 tsp of Ghee (clarified butter)
• Chickpeas ½ cup
• 1 inch cinnamon
• 1 tsp Lemon juice
• ½ cup Onions
• 1 cup spinach chopped
• Salt to taste
Cooking Method:
• Wash the millet and soak it in water for 1 hr.
• Soak chickpeas overnight and boil them with a pinch of salt.
• Heat Ghee in a pan.
• Roast all the spices and onion in ghee.
• Drain water from millet and add it in the pan along with salt, lemon juice, boiled chickpeas and water.
• Add spinach and basil leaves after 5 minutes.
Recipe 4: Faraali Dosa
Ingredients:
• 1/2 cup barnyard millet
• 1/2 cup amaranth seed flour
• 1/2 cup sour buttermilk
• 1 tbsp ginger-green chilli paste
• rock salt to taste
Cooking Method:
• Clean, wash and soak barnyard millet in enough water in a deep bowl for at least 2 hours. Drain the water and grind it to form a smooth paste.
• Add amaranth seed (cholai) flour, buttermilk, garlic-ginger-green chilli paste and rock salt and mix well. Let it ferment for overnight
• Heat a non-stick tava, pour a ladleful of the batter on it and spread it in a circular motion to make a thin dosa.
• Smear a little oil along the sides, cook till both the sides of the dosa turn golden brown in color and fold over to make a semi-circle.
• Serve with coconut / peanut- garlic curd chutney
(Bipasha Das is a certified health coach and nutritionist. She runs a diet and wellness clinic ‘Sugati’. She has been awarded Most Recommended Nutritionist of the Year 2018-19 by Brands Impact. She has worked with top hospitals, and is a life member of the Indian Dietetic Association and on the panels of renowned corporate houses like Ericsson, GE Power. Bipasha is working with Municipal Corporation of Delhi - Public Health Department( South Zone) as a consultant, and creating awareness programmes on Women and Children Health, Health for Public Health Workers, Office Sedentary Workers etc.
*Answers are based on general queries. Please contact a professional for any personal treatment.)
