With its gluten-free and
low-cholesterol status, ancient millet is bouncing back on the food scene and
how!
The next
great grain', `the new quinoa', `food of 2015'... this and much more is being
envis aged about millet, an ancient whole grain. Millets are some of the oldest
cultivated crops and have been used as food or feed. There are a variety of
millets available in India that have been traditionally used as staples but,
unfortunately, their usage has been progressively decreasing over time. This
has happened despite the fact that they have the highest protein and iron
content out of all the grains, are gluten-free, very easy to digest and
extremely high on fibre!
“Millets are super grains, and were used extensively
but have been removed from our staple diets as a result of urbanisation and
large scale production and availability of cereals like wheat, rice and corn.
Considering that millets are packed with nutrition and require minimum
agricultural support for growth, it is high time we revived this superfood,“
feels Man jari Chandra, Therapeutic Nutritionist, Max Hospitals.
NUTRITION DENSE
It is surprising that in an age where
celiac disease and diabetes are huge, most people are oblivious to the goodness
of this grain.
“Millets are highly nutritious,
non-gluti nous and non-acid forming. They are soothing for the digestive system
and non allergenic,“ says health food consultant Hi manshu Kapoor. For
vegetarians who miss out on animal protein in their diet, this grain makes
perfect sense since all mil lets -ragi, jowar, bajra and kang ni -are
protein-dense. Further, ragi (finger millet) is the richest in calcium, about
10 times that of rice or wheat. This isn't all.“Millets have lots of fibre and
low simple sugars. As a result they have a relatively low glycemic index and
help maintain blood sugar levels. They release very little sugar compared to
wheat and rice and can be a great alternative for dia betics,“ adds Chandra.
ANCIENT WONDER
In earlier days, millets were consumed
every day, at least in one meal, but the kind of millet eaten was based on the
season and the harvest. From an Ayurvedic perspective, millet is considered
sweet, dry and light. This makes it a special grain. “It is due to these properties
that millet is treated as a `food medicine' to tackle toxins, diabetes, excess
weight and edema. Soak it overnight and then cook with a little oil and some
cooling spices like fennel and coriander to extract the best out of this grain.
This way they suit all three doshas,“ adds Kapoor.
COMFORT FOOD
Millets are cooked in various ways and can
easily replace wheat and rice in many recipes. Ragi, jowar, bajra and jhangora
can be kneaded into a dough with water, some onions and coriander and rolled
into a roti. Most millets can be cooked like broken wheat or oats into a
sumptuous and healthy porridge for breakfast.Many millets, especially finger
millet and sorghum, can replace rice and suji in recipes like idli, dosa, upma,
kheer or payasam. “Packed with proteins, vitamins and minerals, millets can be
a super food for babies who can eat only small portions. Porridge made with
millet flour, milk, nuts and jaggery can be a complete food for infants and
small children.
