Millets are gluten free, rich in fiber, proteins, minerals and vitamins. Besides being gluten-free, millets have higher nutritional value than wheat, especially phosphorus and iron. Its fiber content also helps prevent constipation and may reduce the risk of developing bowel disorders. Millets are easy to digest, contain a high amount of lecithin and are excellent for strengthening the nervous system (source-Hindu).They contain complex carbohydrates which breaks down slowly and hence good for diabetic patients.These grains were used in olden days by our ancestors but totally forgotten today.Now a days I have started loving millets so much that I have switched to eating millets thrice a week, so you will be finding lot of millet recipes in this space.The good think about millet is that they can be substituted for rice and wheat in many recipes.I would like to share another interesting thing I read about millet. These crops grow in poorer soils and are highly resistant to pests and diseases. Hence they are usually grown without any chemical fertilizers or pesticides.So they are mostly organic by default. I started this blog not only to inspire others to cook but also to bring back our traditional food and also to create an awareness on health among people. It is time we bring back this forgotten grain in our diet.
Some popular millet varieties
Saamai – Little millet
Varagu -Kodo Millet
Thinai -Foxtail Millet
Kuthiravaali -Barnyard millet
Kezhvaragu-Finger millet
Kambu-Pearl millet
First we will start with the basics on-How to cook millets? before going to Millet recipes. Samai, varagu, kuthiravaali can be cooked in the same manner as below and can be used in the same manner as rice. Foxtail millet/Thinai alone needs to be soaked for one hour.Cooking method is the same as below.
Ingredients needed
Millets – samai or varagu or kuthiravaali or thinai – 1 cup
Water -3 cups
1. Clean millets and remove grits if any.
2.Wash and add 3 cups of water and switch on the heat.
3.When water starts boiling, reduce the heat to low, close it with a lid and cook for 10 minutes.
4.After 10 minutes, switch off the flame and let it sit for 20 minutes. The millets will get cooked fully in that resting time.
Fluff it with a fork and serve just as you serve rice with sambar, rasam or curd. Just replace rice with millets as shown below.
A very healthy Lunch menu with millets
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| Soya Beans Sambar-Cabbage Potato Curry-Curd- Millet (Barnyard millet-Kuthiravalli) |
You can reduce the water to 2 1/2 cup for 1 cup of millet for preparing variety rice but personally I prefer 3 cups of water for 1 cup of millets. Once it cools it becomes fluffy and is suitable for any variety rice also.
Note -You can pressure cook millets in the same way as you cook pressure cook rice. For 1 cup of millets, add 2 1/2 -2 3/4 cup of water depending upon your personal preference.
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View Comments (131)
Thank you padhu... I jus got all these in this month shopping as i simply wanted to use these in my fod intake but was wondering what to do with this? thanks a lot u started to write on Millets:) By the way am learning cooking only from your blog:)
Lovely and very informative post. I know only kambu,kezhvaragu and thinai and good to know about the other three millets too.
thanks for a healthy recepie padhu ,ippo than brown rice try panni iruken next will be a kuthiraivali
Can we cook these in the pressure cooker, if so pls tell me the number of whistles and water measurement. Thanks
Slight risk in doing in the PC. The grains are so small, they can shoot into the nozzle of the cooker and cause all the water to spray out through the weight that you place on the lid. Can be messy, not to mention, scary.
Have had this experience with dals that have skin - moong dal with green skin on one sde and urad dal with black skin. The skins detach and fly into the shaft.
Same principle can apply here.
For most grains/pulses/millets where there is a risk of blocking the nozzle, can be avoided by placing them in a vessel with lid on it.
Delicious and lovely looking millets. Very healthy as well.
Deepa
Wat an useful and informative post, i love thinai and using it very much.
very useful.how to differntiate between saamai and varagu?
Though they look alike, varagu will be noticeably bigger in size than samai
There are four varieties. The first is the whole grain, the one in which the outer skin is.There. this is only used for dosa, idli batter. The second is the unpolished which would look brownish yellow. Then there is semi polished and polished varieties. There is also boiled category in unpolished, semipolished, polished varieties. So the cooking time varies based on that. When you use unpolished or the whole grain, it takes longer time. But remember thinai will not be mushy (kozhayathu in tamil). Soak them longer before cooking to cook faster. I usually cook in mud pot as it is much faster and healthier.
Wow. Really? ? Very innovative.
Sorry, but i have not heard of these millets or may be they are known by some other names in north India. I am more than eager to include millets in my meals but how do i learn about them ?
Check Google for their Hindi names. All of them are available in every supermarket
Pearl Millet(Eng) - Kambu(Tamil) - Bajra(Hindi)
Finger Millet - Keppai,Ragi - Nachani, Mundua, Mandika, Marwah
Foxtail Millet - Thinai - Kangni, Kakum, Rala
Kodo Millet - Varagu - Koden, Kodra
Little Millet - Saamai - Kutki, Shavan
Barnyard Millet - Kuthiravali - Jhangora, Sanwa
Sorghum - Cholam - Jowar
Kamakshi Pande - Happy to know that you want to include millets in your diet. Even if one person changes, I feel happy and satisfied.I got the hindi names for you -Source millets India
Barnyard millet -Jhangora
Finger millet - Mandua
Foxtail Millet - Kangni
Kodo millet - Kodra
Little millet - Kutki
Pearl millet -Bajra
Sorghum - Jowar
kindly let me know what is jowar in tamil..
Jowar is cholam in Tamil.
Hi, I am very much interested using these millets in our daily food, can i have there names in kannada s in live in bangalore. one or two i found in one shop, but would like to buy everything and use it in kanji powder which we have it regurlarly, thank u so much for such good and informative post
Thanks for the info .cooking tips on kelvaragu and kambu.
Hey padhu
Can I use hulled millet formaking millet rice