Following a proposal by India, which wants to position itself as a global hub for millets, the year 2023 has been declared by the United Nations as the international year of millets.
Recently while addressing a public rally in Tumkur district, our prime minister Modi Ji said, People of Karnataka understand the importance of millets, so with respect, people call millets as ‘shree Dhaanya ‘ and from now the country is taking millets forward by respecting the sentiments of people of Karnataka, and from now onwards across the country millets will be known as ‘Shree Anna’. Shree Anna’ means the best among all the food grains.
‘Shree’ means divine grace and ‘Anna’ means food grain, especially rice, so Shree Anna means a food grain with divine grace.
Millets, also known as coarse food grains, in Hindi we call Mota anaj (मोटा अनाज) hold an important place in Indian thali because millets are not only tasty but are loaded with nutrition and have many amazing health benefits too.
Millets are divided into two categories: Husked grains and Naked grains
Husked grains: Foxtail millet (kangni) , little millet (kutki) and kodo millet, (kodra). These have an indigestible seed coat; before consumption, removing the husk from the grain is important. Traditionally, the farmers manually dehulled millets, which was a tedious process, but now farmers go for mechanical dehulling using advanced machinery.
Naked grains: Finger millet ( Ragi) Pearl millet ( bajra) and Sorghum (jowar) don’t have a hard indigestible husk; these millets can be consumed without any processing.
Superfood millets are one of the oldest crops known to humans and probably the first edible grain used for cooking. Millets are an integral part of our regional cuisine and are also considered a staple food worldwide. From generation to generation, humble millets have been an integral part of our diet, but still it is mostly ignored and forgotten.
In recent years millets have gained popularity because they are gluten-free with a low glycaemic index.
Which makes them a great food option for those with celiac disease or gluten intolerance. Millets are a good source of protein, fiber, antioxidants, key vitamins, and minerals source.
Few health benefits of millet
- Millets are gluten-free grain, the perfect diet option for people with celiac disease or gluten intolerance.
- Millets are a good source of soluble fiber, which produces a viscous substance in your gut which traps fats and helps to reduce cholesterol levels.
- The fiber content in millet helps in digestion by alleviating gas, bloating, cramping, and constipation.
- Millets are low in calories, which makes them excellent food products for weight loss.
- Millets are a low glycaemic index; regular consumption of millets lowers the risk of developing diabetes.
- Millets are a good source of protein that boosts immunity.
- Millets contain potassium which regulates blood pressure.
- The magnesium content in millet brings down the severity of asthma.
- The antioxidant properties in millets help your body to detox.
Side effects of millet
Superfood millets are versatile in nature, and you can have it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, but still plan your menu carefully because excessive consumption can slow down your digestion process, which may cause bloating, constipation. It may also cause iodine deficiency along with suppressing Thyroid activity.
Millets may lead to deficiencies
- Though millets are loaded with nutrients and are a healthy option for our daily diet but still It is not advised to avoid other food grains like rice or wheat because eating only millet is not healthy.
- Antinutrients in millets reduce or block your body’s absorption of certain other nutrients and may lead to deficiencies; for example- phytic acid interferes with iron, zinc, calcium, magnesium, and potassium.
- However, people following a balanced diet do not experience adverse effects.
- Try to practice grain diversity in your diet plan for wholesome nutrition.
How you can lower antinutrient content
- If you are using whole grain, then soak it in sufficient water for 12 to 14 hours, then drain the water and wash it properly before cooking.
- Sprouting and fermentation also reduce antinutrient content.
Health benefits of sprouted millets
- Millets are consumed in various forms but sprouted millets are highly recommended by the experts. Sprouting enhances the nutritive value and makes them more beneficial for our health.
- Sprouting increases nutrient bioavailability and by consuming sprouted millets your body can easily absorb all the key nutrients.
- Sprouting millets not only benefits your overall health, it also helps to increase energy levels, improve digestion and boost metabolism.
- Sprouting increases the amount of vitamins and minerals.
- Sprouting increases bioavailability of vitamins and minerals.
- Sprouted millets are an excellent source of fiber and are easy to digest.
- Sprouting helps in activation of enzymes that aids in digestion.
how to sprout millets
- Take one cup of millet (along with husk)of your choice and clean it
- wash thoroughly and soak in sufficient filtered water for 10 to 12 hours.
- Drain the water, wash again with filtered water and, transfer to a strainer, let the excess water drain off.
- Now put millets in a wide-mouthed glass jar, filling it to half the capacity, leaving space for air to circulate.
- Tie a clean piece of cloth on the mouth of the jar and keep it in a warm place for 12 to 14 hours.
- Once the sprouts are ready, remove the cloth.
- If you are not using it immediately, close the lid of the jar and store it in the refrigerator.
Few benefits of fermented foods
- Fermented foods contain beneficial bacteria called probiotics, which improve gut health. Fermented foods are healthier, nutritious, and easy to digest and boost the immune system and overall health.
- Fermentation helps break down and destroy antinutrients – such as phytates and lectins, which are found in seeds, nuts, grains, and legumes and interfere with nutrient absorption.
How to ferment millet
Here I am sharing my procedure of fermenting millet for dosa, idli, and appam. Take the millet of your choice.
Ingredients for fermenting
- 1 cup whole millet of your choice
- ½ cup urad dal
- 1 tbsp tur dal
- 1 tbsp chana dal
- ½ cup rice
- ½ tsp Fenugreek seeds
- Salt according to taste
Method
- wash and soak millet in sufficient water for 10 to 12 hours.
- wash urad dal, chana dal, tur dal, and rice and soak in sufficient water for 4 hours. Put Fenugreek seeds too.
- Once again, wash all the ingredients and grind them into a smooth batter.
- Transfer batter into a bowl, cover, and keep in a warm place for 10 to 12 hours for fermentation.
- Add salt after fermentation.
- With this batter, you can make idli and dosa.
Millets are environmentally friendly.
- Millets being a C4 group of cereals convert more carbon dioxide to oxygen.
- They can grow in less fertile soil.
- Millets, rain-fed crops, do not require standing water in the field and need less water to grow.
- They don’t need pesticides and are easily grown in adverse climatic conditions with marginal requirements.
Why are buckwheat, amaranth and quinoa known as alternative diet option
Buckwheat amaranth and quinoa are often compared with millets.
Buckwheat, amaranth and quinoa are a pseudo cereal meaning it has all the nutritional and cooking properties of a grain but these are actually seeds which are gluten free, have low glycemic index as compared to wheat and rice and are packed with nutrition. These seeds are not millets but because of their nutritional value, they are a healthy substitute for millets and are on the rise as an alternative diet option.
Culinary uses of millets
- There are various ways to include millet in your menu; you can make many sweet and savory dishes with it.
- You can make halwa, cake, cookies, laddu, churma, idli, dosa, dhokla, handvo, roti, Paratha, chilla etc.
- To thicken soups and gravies, you can use millet flour.
