There has been an influx of millet pasta and noodles on the market lately. While these can be healthier options, they do undergo a certain level of processing to increase their shelf life. According to Gauravi Vinay, a food consultant and nutritionist, this could kill some of the nutrients present in the wholegrain. So, the best way to add them to your diet is by cooking them from scratch at home and turning them into dosas, idlis, and dhoklas, she notes.
“Millets have an outer covering of phytates that contain anti-nutrients that interfere with the absorption of the good nutrients in the grains. Hence, the best way to treat millets is by rinsing and soaking them overnight before cooking. That’s why it’s ideal to make dosa or idli batters with millets. You could either make the batter entirely with millets or add a portion of millets to your regular batter,” Gauravi says.
Tips and tricks to cook millets
Here are some simple tips and tricks that will surely come in handy when you cook millet.
Figure out the basics. “For instance, the denseness of bajra makes it ideal for crunchy snacks like mathri or chakli, while ragi and chocolate is a match made in heaven,” says Natasha Gandhi, one of the top five contestants on MasterChef India 2019. She also runs a company that makes healthy desserts out of millets.
She recommends soaking millet before cooking. “They need to be soaked for at least four to six hours, just like ‘rajma’ or ‘chole’. This way, they are easier to digest,”she says. Also, don’t make ‘rotis’ with 100 percent ragi or bajra flour as they can be really heavy, she says. “Start by adding 25 percent millet flour to your regular wheat flour to make the dough. Slowly, increase the proportion,” advises Natasha.
Don’t over consume
Avoid millets for all meals, say both Natasha and Gauravi. “It hampers the iodine absorption in your body and could even lead to conditions like thyroid in the long run,” says Gaurav. Natasha adds, “Personally, I prefer not to have them for dinner. If you are consuming two wheat rotis on an average, it’s better to consume one millet roti since it’s heavier. ”
Buy them fresh
When you are shopping for millets, opt for sprouted and sun-dried flours. “That was the process back in the day. These days, such flour is hard to find. So if you can get them sun dried, go for it,” says Gauravi.
Many restaurants have also started presenting millets on their menu with an interesting twist, which also makes them appealing to children, says Nayantara Menon Bagla, chef and partner of a sustainable farm-to-table bistro, “Millets are a great replacement for carbs like rice and wheat. Boiled millets can also be added to salads,” says Pallavii Gupta, partner at a restaurant that serves vegetarian food. “We even use millets to make pizzas,” she adds.
Soft millet roti/chapathi
Ingredients
Any millet flour – ¾ cup
Water – ½ cup
Method
In a saucepan, heat water. Once it reaches a boil, add millet flour to it.
Give a good stir and cover with lid to let it rest in steam till it is warm enough
to be kneaded into a dough.
Take balls from the dough and shape into rotis.
Use parchment papers to avoid sticking or breaking when you make the rotis.
Cook it on medium flame and apply a splash of water before you flip the roti to
cook from the other side. Flip and cook from both sides.
Apply ghee and serve hot.
You can transform this into wraps, thin crust pizzas or even crackers.
— Natasha Gandhi, chef
Millet chocolate pudding
Ingredients
Barnyard millet boiled (tender) – 1 cup
Honey or maple syrup or date syrup – 2 tbsp
Coconut milk – ½ cup
Cocoa powder – 2 tbsp
Method
Boil the millet till it’s tender. This should take about 20 minutes. Drain and let
it dry.
In a high-speed blender or mixer — add all the ingredients. Blend till you
achieve a fine paste.
Pour this mixture into a bowl or a jar. Refrigerate. Serve chilled with fresh fruits
and some grated coconut.
— Nayantara Menon Bagla, chef
— Deepa Natarajan Lobo