Celebrate the International Year of Millets 2023 with the Forgotten Superfood of India

With its rich culinary heritage, India welcomes many staples, but millet stands as that uncelebrated hero. With the commemoration of the International Year of Millets 2023, it is time to honour and bring back the lost glory of this superfood to the limelight.

With its vast cultural significance, the roots of these super grains can be knitted to rituals and many festivals of various religions. Neglected in modern times, this super grain has an impeccable influence on traditional meals. However, it is now that the confluence of the super grain in the modern kitchen should be explored and celebrated.

Millets: Know Your New Staple Better

Millets can be coronated with the title of Nutritional Powerhouse.

With its umpteen nutritional profile, millet is a treasure trove containing antioxidants, iron, calcium, zinc, and vitamin B. These are rich in nutrients and offer various health benefits. It’s not only good for heart health but also helps in diabetes management and hypertension and controls weight gain as well.

Being gluten-free, it is an exceptional cereal for people with gluten intolerance or dietary restrictions. Due to its rich nutrition bank, ‘Sri Anna’, as the nutri-cereals is named, should be incorporated into the daily diet. According to IIMR, Millets are the new Future Crop.

Here are a few kinds of millet that can make way to our modern kitchen:

• Sorghum Millet (Jowar)
• Pearl Millet (Bajra)
• Finger Millet (Ragi)
• Proso Millet (Chena / Barri)
• Buckwheat Millet (Kuttu)

Mission Millets 2023: Fraying the Tapestry of Millets and its Cultural Significance

From the pages of traditional culinary legacy to the chapters of today’s modern meal, let’s discover the super grain and the magic it can spread. Apart from millets’ nutritional prowess, there is also a profound traditional significance that millets hold. Being an intrinsic part of many festivals and rituals in India, millets were an integral part of generations.

• Porridge– One of the most popular millet dishes of Arunachal Pradesh’s Monpa Tribe is Zan. It is a porridge which is cooked using finger millet powder and is very important for their festivals. You can even see various inferences of ritual songs entailing millets that has links to the agricultural cycle.
• Chapatis– Over a considerable duration in history, chapatis made from millets were celebrated. Rajasthani feasts were incomplete without the delectable ragi and bajra chapatis.
• Sweet Dish– According to the Bhartiya Calendar, the festivities all had millets as one of the prime staples. Earlier in traditional Indian history, the Bhartiya mothers would offer millet as Prasadam, an offering for God, cooked in milk and ghee.

Makar Sankranti, the oldest harvest festival, had millet dishes cooked with jaggery. These were mainly millet-based sweet dishes that were integral to the festivity.

Explore the Countless Culinary Possibility of Millets in the Modern Kitchen

With the resurgence of Millets and its goodness, contemporary cuisine has made its way for millets. From home cooks to chefs, everyone is talking about millet and their use in daily diet.

In today’s contemporary cooking, many easy-to-make dishes are appreciated, so here’s a list of food that will be easy to prepare and tasty to devour.

• Millets Smoothies– For the health-conscious Gen-Z, a millet smoothie with a dose of some fruit and milk is one of the heartiest starts to a day.
• Millet Snacks– Millets are incorporated to make healthy and tasty, fibre-rich dosas, idlis, and pilafs. Pearl millet can be used to make these pilafs.
• Puddings and Muffins– Because of the versatile nature of this super grain, millets can be easily made to fit seamlessly. Millet muffins are a sweet dish to binge on. It is tasty and a fantastic alternative for today’s youth who want to explore healthy and delicious food.
• Millet Salads– With croutons, salad dressing, choice of veggies and millets, a heart and delectable salad can be prepared for a workout meal.

For a Greener Tomorrow, Millets is one of the best Sustainable Choice

Harvesting millet is very easy. These supergrains do not require much water and are resistant to harsh climatic conditions. Millets are very eco-friendly and require very little investment compared to other crops. Thus, we can build a more sustainable agricultural ecosystem with millets.

Healthy India Mission with Millets: Embarking on a journey of rediscovering

In 2023, as we celebrate the International Year of Millets, the forgotten super grain will again be embraced not only for its nutritious excellence but also its deep-rooted cultural significance. A picture of a healthier and more vibrant India is possible through millet resurgence and its advocacy in festivals, rituals, and daily life.

In January 2023, in partnership with News18, the ITC Mission Millets Campaign was launched to “Help India Eat Better”, promoting the use of millet in our daily diet. The initiative strives to bring millet’s goodness and focuses on the overall well-being of the entire nation.

Mission Millets is not just a campaign; it’s a promise for a healthier India. Through this campaign, ITC aims to integrate the versatility of millet and the array of benefits it provides into our everyday lives. The resounding call to rediscover millets led to making the super grain a staple for Indian kitchens and enhancing the culinary heritage, heralding a new era in agricultural history.

To know more about the Mission Millets campaign by ITC and News18, visit https://betterwithmillets.com/

Note: This is a partnered post.