Confused about millets? 4 easy ways to cook them for a nutritious boost

With wellness trends shifting towards ancient grains, millets are making a significant comeback. From celebrities to nutritionists, everyone seems to be buzzing about these tiny nutritional powerhouses. However, despite being packed with fibre, protein, and essential minerals, many people still hesitate to try them due to uncertainty about how to cook them. Let’s break down how to make cooking with millet simple and enjoyable!

Millet Khichdi: Let’s start with some comfort food. Try swapping rice for foxtail millet in your khichdi. It cooks up quickly, soaks up flavours beautifully, and goes perfectly with moong dal and seasonal veggies. A touch of ghee and cumin can give it a nice digestive boost.

Millet Upma: For a gluten-free twist on upma, use little millet or barnyard millet instead of semolina. Sauté it with mustard seeds, curry leaves, green chillies, and peanuts for that delightful crunch and flavour.

Millet Pulao: You can cook kodo or pearl millet just like rice to whip up a vegetable-packed pulao. Soaking the grains for a few hours not only cuts down on cooking time but also improves the texture.

Millet Pancakes or Chillas: Ragi or finger millet flour can easily be turned into quick breakfast chillas. Just mix it with yoghurt, chopped onions, coriander, and your favourite spices. Pan-fry them and serve with chutney or yoghurt for a tasty treat.

Millets are also resilient crops that thrive in changing climates, making them a sustainable food choice, another reason for their growing popularity. In fact, the United Nations has declared 2023 the International Year of Millets, highlighting the global interest in their benefits.

Once seen as "coarse grains," millets are now taking center stage on gourmet menus and Instagram meal preps. With a bit of preparation and creativity, they’re not only easy to cook but also incredibly versatile!