Grains are the heart of what we eat, a fundamental part of our daily meals, especially in the diverse landscape of Indian cuisine.

Think of grains as nature’s powerhouses! They come in a variety of types, each with its own unique taste and texture. Grains are like nature's fuel, packed with things that keep our bodies strong, like fiber for digestion, iron for blood, and protein for growth.

There are a variety of grains, including some that you use daily. Examples of grains include millets, wheat, rice, barley, corn, oats, bulgur, sorghum, amaranth, and quinoa. Today we will start with the most promising of the lot: the humble millet!

Say Hello to Millets!

Did you know that millets are believed to be one of the oldest grains cultivated by humans?

Cultivated in India for over 5000 years, millets are whole grains that are a nutritional powerhouse. For many ancient Indian civilizations, millets were the staple food.

In fact, just six decades ago, millets comprised about 40% of the cultivated grains in India (surpassing even rice and wheat). When the Green Revolution occurred, millets lost their prominence in an effort to increase the cultivation of wheat and rice. Millets were unfortunately labeled the “poor man’s food.” They faded away into obscurity until recently, when people started recognizing and promoting the goodness of these ancient grains.

Today, millets are regaining their prominence and popularity globally and in India, with India being the largest producer of this group of grains. While the Indian Government declared the year 2018 as the “National Year of Millets” to promote their cultivation and consumption, the United Nations designated 2023 as the “International Year of Millets.”

Why Are Millets So Popular in India?

Here are the top 4 reasons why millets are a popular choice for us Indians:

• Nutritionally dense: They’re packed with protein, antioxidants, and nutrients.
• Faster cultivation: They’re easy and quick to grow (they mature in half the time it takes for rice/wheat)
• Drought-tolerant: They can grow easily in environments with very little water.
• Low maintenance: They require no fertilizer and are pest and disease resistant.

The Great Health Benefits of Millets

Ragi or Nancha (Finger Millet)

Nutritional Benefits

• One of the most popular millets used to make baby food (ragi porridge or kanji are usually one of the first foods.
• Rich in calcium, iron, phosphorus, fiber, and thiamine. Calcium in ragi is 10 times higher than that in wheat or rice.
• Sprouting ragi improves the quality of nutrients and makes it easier to digest.

How to Use

• Use it to make dosa, idli or pancakes.

Ragi or Nancha (Finger Millet)

Bajra (Pearl Millets)

Nutritional Benefits

• One of the most popular millets used to make baby food (ragi porridge or kanji are usually one of the first foods.
• Rich in calcium, iron, phosphorus, fiber, and thiamine. Calcium in ragi is 10 times higher than that in wheat or rice.
• Sprouting ragi improves the quality of nutrients and makes it easier to digest.

How to Use

• Use it to make dosa, idli or pancakes.

Bajra

Different Types of Millets

	Local name	English name	Image	Nutritional benefits	How to use
1.	Ragi or nachani	Finger millet		One of the most popular millets used to make baby food (ragi porridge or kanji are usually one of the first foods.  Rich in calcium, iron, phosphorus, fiber, and thiamine. Calcium in ragi is 10 times higher than that in wheat or rice.  Sprouting ragi improves the quality of nutrients and makes it easier to digest.	Use it to make dosa, idli, or pancakes.
2.	Bajra	Pearl millet		Richest source of iron compared to all other millets!  Has more iron, fat, calcium, and phosphorus, when compared to rice. High in protein, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber.	Use it to make porridge, rotis, bhakri, and khichdi.
3.	Jowar	Sorghum		High in protein, fiber, and antioxidants	Make jowar-ragi porridge (sweetened with dates/banana), jowar appe, muthiya, roti, or bhakri
4.	Kangni or kakum	Foxtail millet		Rich in protein, fiber, and minerals like iron and calcium, which help strengthen the baby’s nervous system.	Use it to make porridge, khichdi, upma, or dosa.
5.	Samai or kutki	Little millet		Excellent source of fiber, protein, and minerals like iron and magnesium.  Cooks faster than the other millets (due to short grain size).	Use as a substitute for rice in any recipe that traditionally uses rice. Make payasam/kheer (sweetened with fruits/dates), upma, and dosa.
6.	Kodo or kodra	Kodo millet		Contains more of “lecithin,” an amino acid that helps in strengthening the neurological system. Packed with protein, fiber, antioxidants, B Vitamins (niacin, B6, folic acid), and minerals (calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, zinc).	Use it to make khichdi, upma, idli, and pongal.
7.	Sanwa	Barnyard millet		Rich in calcium, phosphorus, and iron. Good fiber content	Use it to make upma, pongal, kheer, chilla, pulao, etc.
8.	Chena or barri	Proso millet		Has the highest phosphorus content amongst all millet varieties! Phosphorus is necessary for a strong immune system. Contains high lecithin content, which supports nervous system function.	Use it to make idli, dosa, upma, etc.

Choking, Gagging, or Allergies

Millets are not a choking hazard, but as is the case with any kind of food, we want to ensure our babies are sitting upright during meal times and are supervised by an adult.

There can be gagging initially when introducing millets especially if cooked in the rice-like texture, but that’s normal and this reflex eases out as the baby gets used to the food.

Millets are not a common allergen; however, allergies can occur for any food as people react differently to it. So, it’s best to keep a close eye on your baby during and after mealtimes, and consult your doctor if you have concerns.

3 Expert Tips for Cooking with Millets

1) Toast it: A secret tip to extract more flavor from millets is to lightly toast the seeds before using them (if the grains are unpolished or unprocessed).

2) Make it chewy: For a rice- or quinoa-like consistency (a bit chewy), use 2 cups of water for 1 cup of millet.

3) Make it creamy: For a porridge-like consistency (creamy), use 3 cups of water for 1 cup of millet

Incorporating Millets in Your Family Diet

Millets are great for children and adults, so don’t hesitate next time you decide to replace the usual dal or rice with any of these powerhouse millets!

Here are some quick, easy millet-based recipes:

1) Millet porridge: Millet porridges can be made using fruits. Try making porridge using ragi, rice, moong dal, and jowar. Add some fresh fruits and some milk and you have a well-balanced meal for your baby or even a nutritious breakfast for the whole family!

2) Millet Chapati, paratha, bhakri, koki: An easy way to incorporate millets into your family diet is by using a combination of flours while making chapati or paratha. E.g., use 50% whole wheat flour and 50% millet-based flour like ragi/jowar/bajra.

3) Millet chilla, pancake, crepe: Replace maida or wheat flour while making pancakes. Instead, use ragi/bajra/kodo flour to make delicious and nutritious pancakes that the whole family will devour.

4) Millet idli, dosa, uttapam, appe: Idli is a great food for babies, kids, and adults, and almost all millet varieties can be used to make them. So next time try substituting rice with ragi, kodo, little millet, foxtail millet, or proso millet – to add more variety and texture to your family’s diet.

5) Millet fried rice, pulao, khichdi: Millet varieties like foxtail millet or little millet are easy substitutes for rice. Since they’re so versatile, you can use them to make anything from khichdi to fried rice or pulao.

6) Popped Millet: Did you know that you can pop millet like popcorn? However, a word of caution: popped millet is not recommended for babies (choking risk), but feel free to serve popped millet to older children and adults in the family.

7) Millet Cake: Cakes made with millet flours can be as delicious as the ones made with maida. And what’s more, millet-based cakes will have so much more nutrition! How about baking your baby’s first birthday cake using ragi, foxtail, or jowar?

MILLETS: Age-Wise Recipes & Tips