How To Cook Millets?
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To maintain good health, what becomes imperative is to plan our diet. Yes, this means you have to cut down on all the fast food and replace them with healthy substitutes. Millet is one such healthy substitute that must feature in your diet. But don’t be sad, in this blog alongside listing the benefits of millets, we will be also listing ways, that is, how to cook millets, with some exciting recipes. Check out FAQs on tips for cooking millet.
The famous English Proverb “Health is Wealth” has perhaps made the most sense with the onset of this Pandemic. Of the many things that the Pandemic has made us realize is definitely the importance of maintaining good health. It is only when we are healthy, we can be productive and ensure our holistic well-being.
So let’s get started!
About Millets
Before we dive into the ways of preparing millets along with a few of its exciting recipes, let us first know a bit about this cereal.
Millets are a group of coarse grains indigenously grown in the central and southern parts of the country. They have high nutritional benefits and are packed with protein, fibre and vitamins- which gives you all the reasons on why you should eat them! Millets is an umbrella term for a host of different varieties of cereals –ragi, jowar, bajra, sonwa, barr, chenna etc. etc. Amongst these various kinds, the most popular form of millet is bajra followed by ragi and jowar.
How to cook Millets:
It is definitely now known to us that millets are the best for your health. However, one of the reasons why people are not so fond of including millets in their diet is because they don’t seem pleasing to our taste buds. Sure they look like birdseed, but when cooked the right way they can be extremely delicious.
Tips for cooking Millets
Cooking Millets can be a little tricky but once you know the right technique, you will love the dishes prepared as they will become your comfort food. So, here are a few tips to cook Millets:
- If the Millets cool down, it will become difficult for you to chew or swallow. Hence it is advised to sprinkle some water before reheating them.
- If you are cooking Millets in the microwave, you must use a microwave-safe bowl and cover it with a lid on partial terms.
- Whether cooking the Millets in a pan or microwave, it takes 20-25 minutes.
- It is very important to wash the Millets properly before cooking to get rid of any dirt.
- It is suggested to pre-soak the Millets sometime before the preparation, approximately 15-20 minutes.
- While cooking the Millets in a pressure cooker, add 1 ¾ cups of water along with salt as per your taste.
Still don’t believe us? Well, we will be now listing three different millet recipes, which will change your perception of millets.
Jowar upma
Take the jowar and wash it several times in water, until it turns clear. For this, you might need to rub the jowar between your palms. Add fresh water and soak them overnight. This helps to digest the fibre and increase its bioavailability.
- Next morning, drain the water completely out of the jowar. Take jowar in a cooker and add fresh water and turmeric. Pressure cook them for 3 whistles. (2 whistles on medium flame and 1 whistle on low flame respectively.) After the pressure goes off, fluff them up.
- Heat oil in a pan and add cumin and mustard. Saute them evenly. When they begin to splutter, add urad dal and fry them until golden.
- Now add onion, chilli and ginger. Saute them until they are soft.
- To this add the vegetables of your choice. Cover the lid and let them cook till they are soft. Afterwards, add some salt and turmeric.
- Finally, add the fluffed Jowar and some grated coconut for flavour. Cook for 2-3 mins.
- Sprinkle some lemon juice and coriander to complete it. Serve hot with some papad!
Check out the basic jowar millet recipes.
Savoury millet pancakes
- Wash different varieties of millets-sorghum, kodo and pearl millet. Soak them overnight
- Next day, put the different varieties of millets in a grinder. Add some water and grind the grains-till it turns into a smooth and thick batter.
- To this batter, add salt and ferment for 6-8 hours.
- After 6-8 hours, add spices-ginger, jeera, green chillies, curry leaves, onion and coriander leaves. Mix them well into the batter.
- Heat the pan by adding some oil. Pour 2-3 ladles of the batter. Cover with a lid and cook on low heat for 8-10 mins.
- Keep on flipping the pancakes till it’s well-cooked.
Millet porridge
- Take the desired quantity of millet and roast them well in a saucepan. Make sure you only roast them till they start crackling.
- Now add some almond milk (4cups), ¼ cup of coconut sugar, 1tsp vanilla extract, ½ tsp almond extract, ½ tsp cinnamon and ½ tsp salt. Finally, add some nuts to it.
- Mix them well to ensure there are no lumps. Cover the lid and cook it for around 20 mins. Keep stirring occasionally.
- Once cooked well, pour it in a bowl. Serve hot with some fresh fruits or nuts.
All these recipes definitely sound delicious right! They surely are. So definitely try them out and incorporate them into your diet. It is only when we eat well, we will be healthy, wealthy, and wise!
