2023, the year of millets: Usher in the new year by eating healthy

(Clockwise from left) Ragi mudde with aloo-tomato gravy, ragi roti with choice of gravy, ragi paratha with dahi, and millet porridge at the centre, at Metropolitan Hotel, New Delhi. (Photo courtesy chef Swapnadeep Mukherjee, Metropolitan Hotel, New Delhi)

Millets are having their moment in the sun. The ancient grain, grown and consumed in the Indian subcontinent for over 5,000 years, is suddenly finding itself at the center of the table. With the UN declaring 2023 as the "Year of Millets", leading chefs and restaurateurs, too, are embracing the indigenous and healthful grain to craft innovative dishes and inventive menus.

From millet khichdi to millet dosa, poha, utthappam, rotis, parathas, kheer, breads, cakes, risotto and more, versatile millets are being showcased in an eclectic range of dishes. Festive Christmas and New Year hampers consisting of millet-based popcorn, chips, cookies, chikkis, laddoos and cupcakes, too, are selling like hot cakes.

Chefs and restaurateurs say the versatility of millets enables the grain to be incorporated in all types of cuisines with minimal fuss. From Italian to Indian and continental as well as soups, shorbas, salads and desserts  all can be enriched with the addition of the nutrient-dense grain.

The Metropolitan Hotel, New Delhi, for instance, has incorporated millets in its breakfast menus. “We offer a special millet breakfast buffet at our coffee shop Zing that includes a wide variety of idlis, dosas, pongal and utthapam rustled up from jowar, ragi and bajra, and other varieties of millets. We source these from traditional Indian farmers. At our Indian cuisine restaurant Chutney, we also offer millet rotis and parathas. Unlike wheat paratha, those made from millet are lighter on the stomach and easy to digest too,” says head chef Swapnadeep Mukherjee.

According to Alessandro Sandrolini, executive chef, Hyatt Regency Delhi, the pandemic has ushered in tectonic changes in customers’ eating habits propelling them towards a sustainable lifestyle and better food choices. “The trend of clean eating and sensible snacking has accelerated during the pandemic, which is a very good thing. Keeping pace with our guests’ demand, we’re incorporating millets in many types of dishes, including pastas and pizzas replacing them with the less healthier grains. At our Italian cuisine restaurant La Piazza, we offer a warm salad of millet and vegetables, served with a spicy tomato sauce which has been well received. We hope to add to our millets’ repertoire in the new year.”

Nitish Kumar, executive chef, Radisson Blu MBD Hotel, Noida, says that in a bid to raise awareness about healthy food, the hotel has been doing a slew of millet-based promotions. “We’re using several types of millets — foxtail, barnyard, brown top, kodo, little millet and finger millet — in a range of dishes and cuisines which have fetched a great response from our guests.”

The hotel recently did a set menu titled “A Brunch with Forgotten Millets” at their coffee shop S18 offering 15-20 types of vegetarian and non-vegetarian millet dishes. These included a colourful salad — with a trio of millets (foxtail, kodo and barnyard) — mixed with red radish and avocado; a casserole with eggs, millets and veggies as well as kodo kheer. “In the coming year, we plan to offer lots more curated millet dishes, including nachni and ragi breads which are gluten-free and much healthier,” he added.

According to nutritionists, millets have been part of traditional and rural Indian diets for centuries. However, over the years, they took a backseat due to the predominance of a wheat- and rice-based diet which is far less nutritious and healthy. “Grannies have always cooked and advocated millets as the go-to grain. It is tasty, healthy, easy to digest and addresses health issues like diabetes and cholesterol while aiding weight loss. They can also be incorporated  in a range of cuisines. What’s not to love?” asks nutritionist and wellness expert Geeta Sharma.

Millets, adds Sharma, brim with high nutrition, protein, and are full of macro and micronutrients, vitamins, minerals and amino acids. “The grain is rich in dietary fibre, both soluble and insoluble known as a “prebiotic,” which supports good bacteria and gut flora in the digestive tract. Unlike other cereals, millets also require little water and ground fertility which makes them a sustainable and Earth-friendly crop. With people shifting towards gluten-free food, millets have gained further traction,” she says.