Nine of India’s top cuisiniers share their recipes with ingredients from local biodiversity in upcoming book
Panicum miliaceum: Proso millet
High in protein, this small-grained millet has a creamy texture when cooked. The cooked millet acts as a great binder and can easily substitute binders in recipes, such as tikkis. Proso millet is also ideal for recipes like curd rice and risotto.
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Setaria italica: Foxtail millet
This is one of the earliest millets to be cultivated and has a sweet, nutty flavour. It is considered one of the most digestible and non-allergenic grains.
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Panicum sumatrense: Kutki Millet
Also called little millet, it has very small seeds which are covered with an indigestible husk that needs to be removed before the grain can be consumed. The millet takes little time to cook and is said to absorb more water than any other millet during cooking.
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Eleusine Coracana: Finger Millet
Popularly known as ragi, this is the richest source of potassium among all millets. The grains are brown and the recipes prepared are visually appealing. The seeds do not have to be de-husked before use.
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Paspalum Scrobiculatum: Kodo Millet
One of the oldest known millets, kodo is said to have originated in India 3,000 years ago. This millet has a husk which has to be removed before it can be used. The small grains can absorb large quantities of water which make them useful during summers.
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Sorghum Bicolor: Sorghum
This is the largest-grained millet and most preparations involving it take a long time to cook. However, since the grain germinates well and its kernel can be popped, it is useful in preparing snacks.
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Urochloa Ramosa: Browntop Millet
This millet grows easily in all kinds of soils and gives a good yield even with minimum rain. The crop is resistant to pests and diseases and is ready to be harvested in three months.
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Echinochloa Frumentacea: Barnyard Millet
Also known as vari or sama, this millet is a good choice for the upma recipe because the size and consistency of the grain is somewhere between that of semolina and short grain rice, which are used traditionally to make upma. Vari swells easily on cooking and provides binding.
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Pennisetum Glaucum: Pearl Millet
Bajra, as it is popularly known, is high in fibre and free of gluten. It is the most cultivated millet in the world and can be a wheat substitute for people with gluten intolerance.
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