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Make it with millets

Last Updated 01 May 2018, 14:47 IST

For generations, my family’s main source of income has been agriculture. We have always followed organic farming and we don’t plan to switch to anything else either.

It’s actually my grandmother who was the driving force for this. She tried multiple techniques in order to make the harvest a successful one and we’ve been following those methods till today.

Millets are one of the main agricultural grains we grow on our farm. We have been consuming ragi and foxtail millet for as long as I remember.

My favourite is ragi balls with spinach curry. It was our staple diet.

And the best part of it all? You can store it for years!

My grandmother was an expert at using foxtail millet in various dishes. She used to make lemon rice, ‘khichdi’, ‘puliogere’, ‘bissi bele bath’ and even dosa and idli with the millet.

Thankfully, I haven’t lost interest in the grain till now. Today, I am the founder and director of Grain Stories, an organic food product company, and we grow about eight to 10 different types of millets.

Sadly, millets have become forgotten grains. Yes, it does take a bit of time to process it when compared to rice but it grows in any condition. You don’t need too much water either.

And the health benefits of this grain is amazing. I’m 40 years old now and as long as I can remember, I have only fallen sick twice or thrice when I was a child.

Since I have grown up having different types of millets all my life, I have a very healthy body.

Even today, whenever I cook, I prefer to either purchase it from a home farm or our terrace garden. It’s hard to find places that sell true organic products, so the best place is your own place.

The recipe shared today is a ‘Millet Salad’, something that anyone can make within a few minutes. It’s healthy, contains high nutrients, Vitamin B, calcium, iron, zinc and so on.

Try to add this to your diet and you will soon find changes in your body.

Recipe Millet Salad

Ingredients

  • Uncooked millet, 1 cup, rinsed and drained
  • Vegetable broth, 3 cups
  • Black-eyed peas, 1 1/2 cup, rinsed and drained
  • Green onions, 4 chopped
  • Fresh basil leaves, 3, thinly sliced
  • Extra-virgin olive oil, 1/4 cup
  • Balsamic vinegar, 2 tbsp
  • Fine sea salt, 1/2 tsp
  • Ground pepper, 1/4 tsp
  • Cherry tomatoes, ½ cup, halved
  • Red leaf lettuces, 6

Method

  • Toast millet in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and just golden brown for 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Remove skillet from heat and carefully add broth.
  • Return to heat and bring to a boil over medium-high heat then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until liquid is absorbed and millet is tender for 20 to 25 minutes.
  • Remove from the heat and set aside to let stand, covered, for 5 minutes.
  • Transfer millet to a large bowl, fluff with a fork and set aside to let cool.
  • Add black-eyed peas, green onions and basil to millet, toss gently.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, salt and pepper, then pour dressing over millet mixture and toss to coat.
  • Add tomatoes, then spoon salad over lettuce leaves and serve.
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(Published 01 May 2018, 12:00 IST)

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