Miraculous millets

While millets are usually considered as food of the poor, they are rich in nutrients. Considered to be important food staples in Asia and Africa, the ‘smart food’ or ‘super food’ of the 21st century is also gaining popularity in the West. The central government has approved 2018 as National Year of Millets, and India had even forwarded a proposal to United Nations (UN) for declaring year 2018 as ‘International Year of Millets’ recently.

Millets digest well and release energy slowly into the bloodstream, which keeps the blood sugar levels stable. They also prevent diabetes and cancer, aid digestion and weight loss, detoxify the body, boost the immune system, reduce the severity of asthma and strengthen nerves and muscles, among other things. While it is believed that food that’s good for health often tastes bad, that’s not the case with millets. One can easily rustle up tasty recipes with foxtail, little, kodo, proso, barnyard, sorghum, pearl and finger millets.

Millets gobi manchurian
Ingredients
1 medium-sized cauliflower, cut in florets
100 gms of any millet powder
1 tbsp ginger and garlic paste
1 tbsp coriander (dhania) powder
10 ml of soya sauce
2 tbsp chopped garlic
2 tbsp chopped green chillies
1 medium-sized chopped onion
l20-30 ml oil
2 sprigs of spring onion
Red chilli, green chilli and tomato sauce as per taste
Salt to taste

Method:
In a bowl, add the cauliflower, ginger and garlic paste, salt, soya sauce and coriander powder. Mix well and keep aside.
Now, coat the cauliflower with the millet powder.
Heat oil in a pan. Add onion, garlic, green chillies and all the sauces.
Add a little water. Check the consistency and then add the cauliflower.
Add spring onion.
Your dish is ready.

Millets red chilli dosa
Ingredients
1 cup rice
1 cup urad dal
2 cups of any millet, boiled
300 gm onion
30 gm red chilli
10 gm tamarind
2 tbsp roasted chana dal
½ tbsp roasted urad dal
½ tbsp chana dal
Oil as required
Salt to taste

Method:
Wash and soak rice and urad dal for four hours. Grind them along with boiled millets. Add salt as per taste and keep the batter aside. It must have smooth consistency like any other dosa batter.
Powder the chana dal, roasted chana dal and roasted urad dal. Roast it and keep it aside.
Grind the red chillies, tamarind, salt and onions.
Heat oil in a pan and roast the red chilli paste until the smell of the onion vanishes.
Heat a pan and drizzle oil. Pour ladle full of batter and spread it to form thin dosas.
Spread the red chilli paste on it.
Add the dal powder as per taste on top of the dosa.
Flip the dosa to the other side for few seconds.
Your dish is ready.

Millets tandoori roti
Ingredients
1 cup of any millet, finely powdered
2 tbsp oil/butter
Rock salt to taste
Water as required

Method:
In a mixing bowl add millet powder, salt, oil/butter and mix. Pour in boiling water slowly to ensure the dough is not sticky or wet.
Knead the dough well and make balls.
Make rotis using a rolling pin.
Do not store the dough.
Serve rotis with any curry of your choice.
— Recipes courtesy: Millets Kitchen, Hyderabad