The millet way of life

This is the year of millets, quite literally. From the FAO and UN recognising 2023 as the International Year of Millets to the grains dominating the menu of the G20 world leaders’ dinner, they are all the rage right now.

Also read: From Paatram to Kahwa, here are the dishes served at the inaugural G20 Summit world leaders’ dinner

The recent months have proved that these nutritional grains are not as boring as people thought them to be. Bringing this to the forefront is the recently opened second outlet of Millet Maagic Meals in Anna Nagar which features an extensive new multicuisine menu, catering to people of all ages.

Adhieswari Suresh got the idea for the pure vegetarian eatery once she started experimenting with the tiny grains back in 2015. “When it comes to millets, people mainly think about Ragi and Bajra but there are many other varieties too. In 2015, I started cooking with millets and noticed a great change in my body. Later, I started a cooking class and many students recommended that I start an eatery which led to our first outlet in Alwarpet back in 2018.”

From Millet Fried Rice to Millet Pizzas, the 40-seater diner had a lot to offer and we dropped in for a taste. We started our culinary journey with Thattai topped with Indian-style salsa, a refreshing South Indian take on nachos. The baked Thattai was crispy and graced our taste buds with a burst of spices like chilli powder, pepper and more, well balanced by the sour and peppery salsa.

Next, we moved on to Millet Karuvepilai Podi Idli made of Kodo millet and tossed in spicy curry leaf powder. The Mini Idlis were good and we didn’t taste any difference when compared to regular ones. Along with it, we tried a Beetroot Murukku which won us over with its crispiness and a hint of coconut.

The following dish, the Paneer Pizza had a mixed millet base with toppings of bell peppers, Indian-style spicy paneer and of course, cheese. Although the topping hit the spot, the base was hard and didn’t satisfy us in terms of mouthfeel, it felt like a soggy crouton. The star of our meal was the Samai Mysore Masala Dosai, stuffed with mashed potatoes over a layer of red chilli paste. It satisfied us and went well with the mild sambhar full of brinjals and pumpkins.

Also read: Making sense of millets

Coming to conclusion, if you are looking for some healthy dining options with no compromise in taste, we recommend you to check out Millet Maagic Meals and relish the magic of millets.

At 2nd Avenue, Anna Nagar. INR 750 for two