Looking for a Healthy Diet? Checkout these Indian Millet Recipes for 2021

Looking for a Healthy Diet? Checkout these Indian Millet Recipes for 2021

Health is the top-most priority for all people, especially during days of the pandemic. If you also want to add an extra health dose to your daily recipe, check out these handpicked options made from delightful Indian millets.

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Millets are Nutritious and You Can Have Them Every Day

When we give in to the lure of junk food we lose out on the necessary nutrition that we must have daily. Often the food we eat is carb-heavy and has loads of fat . Making dietary changes to stay healthy is an essential choice we all have to make. Millets are a great option, and if we add them to our daily meals , it can offer a vast variety of necessary nutrients for our body. Millets do not contain gluten and are a great source of magnesium, manganese, copper and potassium. They also improve our immunity and reduce hunger, and we are not left with the urge to gorge on unhealthy food. Millets also helps us to lose weight and being nutritious, we even live longer.

Benefits of having Millets

High Nutritional Value

Millets are high in nutrition with abundance in minerals that are needed to lead a balanced life. it contributes to having a balanced diet that helps us to improve our fitness levels and also prevents us from having unhealthy food by keeping hunger satiated. Millets also have lesser calories and are necessary for us to have higher energy levels.

Help in Weight Loss

Since millets are low in calories but have abundant nutrients, they help obese people in their weight loss regimen. It is an excellent food for those who are very conscious about their health. It helps us to stay energized without putting on additional calories, which leads to other harmful diseases. Being hungry quickly is one of the reasons we gain weight. It is where millets help as we are satiated for a longer time.

Enhance Immunity

If our immunity decreases, we will be susceptible to fall ill. Proteins enhance our immunity, and millets are known to be a great source of the proteins that are needed by us. If you add millets to your diet, you will find yourself healthier and with a better immune system. A better immune system can thwart diseases better.

Prevent Diseases

Millets have anti-oxidants and remove the harmful free radicals that cause several diseases like cancer and other heart ailments. It also has a low glycemic index that prevents us from diabetes too. Being rich in magnesium, millets reduce our blood pressure levels and keep it within control. They also offer protection against cancer and keeps the bones healthy.

Help Digestion

The millets are rich in fibre that improves our digestive system and smoothens the bowel movements. It reduces the chances of constipation, bloating, etc. and also keeps the vital organs like kidney, liver etc. healthier.

Best Millet Recipes in 2020

Millet Stir Fry with Vegetables

Millets are tasty and refreshing, and when you add vegetables, the nutrition content increases manifold. Millets usually have an earthy flavour and are ideal for traditional recipes. Stir-fried vegetables with millets is a light, refreshing meal to be had as snacks in the afternoon.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup little millet 1 cup chopped mixed vegetables (as per your choice)
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 spoon cumin powder
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 green chilli slit in half
  • 1 inch ginger, grated
  • 1 spoon coriander powder
  • 1 spoon turmeric powder
  • 1 spoon oil
  • Red pepper, as needed
  • Salt, as needed

Procedure:

  • First, wash the millets using a sieve and soak it for 10 mins.
  • Heat oil and when it is hot, add ginger, garlic and green chilli. Sauté for a minute.
  • Add the vegetables, chopped onions and all the spices. Mix them well and cook for 2 minutes.
  • Take the drained millets and add to the pan. Add 2 cups of water and cook on medium-high.
  • Reduce the heat and cook covered, with a little opening. Cook until the water is absorbed and thoroughly cook the millets. 

Little Millet Upma

Upma is a preferred breakfast item and is gluten-free, that makes it a healthy option as a breakfast item. Millets are also rich in fibre, calcium and protein, which makes it a nutritious choice for all of us. The millet upma is ideal for breakfast, and here is the recipe.

Ingredients

  • ½ cup Little millet
  • ½ cup vegetables (as per your wishes)
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 spoon lime juice
  • 2 spoon grated coconut (optional)
  • 2 spoon coriander leaves, chopped
  • 1 cup water
  • Salt – as needed

  • For tempering:

  • 2 green chillies, finely chopped
  • ½ spoon jeera
  • 1 spoon grated ginger (optional)
  • 2 spoons coconut oil
  • Few curry leaves
  • ½ spoon mustard
  • A pinch of asafoetida

Procedure:

  • First, you must wash the Little Millet and keep it soaked in water for 15 minutes.
  • Take a pan and add oil. Then add the green chillies, mustard seeds, hing, jeera, curry leaves, ginger(optional) and fry them till the mustard splutters.
  • Add the onions and sauté for two minutes until the onion turns slightly brown.
  • Then, add the chopped vegetables along with some salt and sauté for 2-3 minutes until the vegetables turn softer.
  • Add a cup of water and boil.
  • Drain the water and add little millet along with some of the salt and mix well.
  • Cover the lid and cook for around 10 minutes on medium-low flame.
  • Garnish with the grated coconut and coriander leaves. Also, add the lime juice.

Mixed Millet Bhel Puri

Bhel Puri is a well-known afternoon snack that is loved by most of us. However, very few of us have tasted it with millets. The millets bhel puri is a delicious snack that can be easily prepared at home.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups puffed rice flakes
  • 1 cup ragi flakes
  • 1 cup mix millet flakes
  • 2 Tomatoes, finely chopped
  • 4 potatoes, boiled and cut into small pieces
  • ½ cup peanuts, roasted
  • 2 onions, finely chopped
  • 2 spoons green chillies
  • ½ cup amaranth & brown rice namkeen
  • 3 spoons moringa leaves powder
  • 3 spoons black sesame
  • 2 spoons chaat masala
  • 4 spoons lime juice
  • A handful of fresh coriander
  • 3 spoons green chutney

Procedure:

  • First, take a bowl and add the ragi flakes, millets, and puffed rice flakes.
  • Next, add the roasted peanuts along with brown rice namkeen and amaranth.
  • Also, sprinkle the black sesame and chat masala in it.
  • Now, add the tomatoes, boiled potatoes, and onions, along with the green chillies and lime juice and mix well.
  • Finally, add green chutney and the moringa powder and mix all the ingredients.
  • You may garnish with a few coriander leaves.  

Mini Bajra Uttapam

All of us had uttapam and love it very much. But very few of us would know that it can be made using millets too. The batter is made from bajra, rice and urad dal. The mixture must be soaked for almost six hours and ground together.

Ingredients

    For the Bajra uttapam:

  • 1 cup whole white urad dal
  • ½ cup Idli Rice
  • ½ cup Bajra seeds
  • 1 spoon Salt
  • 1 spoon Methi Seeds

  • For the topping:

  • 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 green chilli, finely chopped
  • 1 spoon Cumin powder
  • Pudina leaves, finely chopped

Procedure:

    The batter -

  • Wash the methi seeds and urad dal and soak it together in a bowl while immersed in water.
  • Next, wash the bajra seeds and idli rice together and soak them in a bowl, also immersed in water.
  • You must keep all of them soaked for almost 6 hours.
  • After six hours, transfer the urad dal and methi seeds to a mixer after draining the water and grind to make a smooth batter.
  • Transfer the drained bajra and idli rice mixture into the mixer and grind well to make a smooth batter.
  • Combine the batter and mix well and allow it to ferment overnight.

  • The toppings -

  • Combine the capsicum, onions, mint leaves green chillies, cumin powder and salt for a thorough mix.
  • Pre-heat the tawa on medium-high heat and spread some of the batter in a circular motion and ensure it is like a thick pancake.
  • Spread some of the toppings on the uttapam and press it to ensure it sticks onto the uttapam.
  • Put some ghee all around the uttapam and flip it after a couple of minutes to cook the other side.
  • There will be a golden brown colour on both sides when you can remove it.  

Bajra Tartlets With Fruit Custard

Fruit custard is extremely nutritious and is recommended to be had every day. When you mix the goodness of bajra, it becomes tastier. Patrons can also enrich it with some cheese.

Ingredients

    For tartlets -

  • ½ cup wheat flour
  • ½ cup bajra flour
  • 75 grams cold butter (cut into cubes)
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 spoon caster sugar
  • A pinch of salt

  • For filling -

  • 500 ml milk
  • 1 kiwi, sliced
  • 1 spoon honey
  • 1 mango (cut into cubes)
  • 3 spoons custard powder
  • ¼ cup sugar

Procedure:

  • You have to preheat the oven at 100 degree Celsius. Also, keep some of the 8 tartlet moulds greased with some oil and keep aside.
  • Mix the wheat flour, bajra flour, salt and sugar together.
  • Add the butter cubes and mix everything so that the mixture feels like breadcrumbs.
  • Next, you add the egg yolk along with some cold water to form a dough. Cover it with a film and refrigerate for half an hour.
  • Make 8 small balls from the dough, form discs and place them into the tartlet moulds. You must ensure that the dough covers the mould entirely.
  • You have to prick the base of the dough with a fork. Bake in the oven at 150 degree C for almost 15 minutes until they are golden and crisp.
  • Warm some milk and take ¼ cup of it in a bowl and add the custard powder. Stir well and pour it into a pan and it will thicken.
  • Add the sugar and continue stirring so that the custard is dense.
  • Remove from the flame and add the mangoes. Next, pour the custard into the tartlets and leave it so that it will set.  

Ragi Wheat Dosa

Ragi is a nourishing food item and can be used to make the delicious dosas that we love to have. It helps you to detox and improve your mood and making it is relatively easy too.

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup wheat powder
  • 1 cup ragi powder
  • 1 onion, sliced very fine
  • 1 sprig curry leaf
  • 1 green chilli, finely chopped
  • 1 spoon cumin seeds
  • Salt, as required
  • Buttermilk, as required

Procedure:

  • Take a large bowl and add the ingredients one by one.
  • Add the buttermilk diluted with some water. Mix well and have a smooth consistency for the batter.
  • Take the dosa pan and pour some of the batter in a round shape.
  • Sprinkle oil around and on the dosa and cook it.
  • Flip it on the other side and cook it.  

Ragi/Finger Millet Vermicelli Upma

Ragi is a nutritious option to have and is also loves by people in various parts of the country. It can also be used to make a delicious upma that we will discuss now.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups Ragi vermicelli
  • ½ spoon gram dal
  • 10 Beans
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 Carrot
  • ¼ cup fresh green peas
  • Few Curry Leaves
  • 3 green chillies
  • ½ spoon grated ginger
  • ½ spoon mustard seeds
  • ¼ cup roasted peanuts
  • ¼ spoon asafoetida
  • 2 spoons fresh coriander
  • 2 spoons Oil

Procedure:

  • Cut the vegetables into small pieces and slit the chillies along its length.
  • You have to soak the ragi vermicelli in water for three minutes. Drain the water and keep it aside.
  • Turn on the oven and put it on Sauté mode.
  • Pour some and heat it and add the gram dal and the mustard. When they splutter, add the hing, green chillies and curry leaves for some time.
  • Add the onions and sauté for some time.
  • Add the vegetables along with the ginger. Continue to cook for some time after adding around 2 spoons of water.
  • Next, you have to add the ragi vermicelli along with some salt as needed.
  • Close the lid of the pan and press the manual mode and set the timer for 5 minutes.
  • Take the peanuts and roast them. Then grind them to a powder and add them.
  • Remove the upma after five minutes and keep it warm.  

Baked Ragi Chakli

Chaklis are an excellent option for snacks and usually had with tea in the afternoon. The baked chakli is made from ragi that makes it a healthy alternative for you.

Ingredients

  • 150 grams besan flour
  • 250 grams ragi flour
  • 5 grams chili
  • 5 grams ginger
  • 2 grams garlic paste
  • 20 ml oil
  • Salt, as needed

Procedure:

  • The ingredients must be taken and kneaded together while adding water along with water as needed.
  • When it is semi-soft, make two equal sizes.
  • Take the dough into a chakli machine and make the design as your wish.
  • Put the chaklis in a preheated oven with the temperature at 360°f for around 20 minutes.

Ragi Chocolate Milkshake

Millets are sustainable and gluten-free that makes it a nourishing as well as an energising option that you can have every day. But did you know that it can be used to prepare a milkshake too!

Ingredients

  • 2 cups of milk which is boiled, cooled and chilled
  • 2 tablespoons of finger millet/ ragi flour
  • 1 spoon vanilla essence
  • 1 spoon cocoa powder
  • Sugar to taste
  • 1 cup of water

Procedure:

  • Take the cocoa, ragi powder and some water in a pan and mix them well.
  • Heat the pan and cook it when at a low flame.
  • You must keep stirring to prevent any lumps. The consistency must be thick.
  • Cool it and pour them into a mixer along with the vanilla essence, milk and required sugar.
  • Blend it well and add some ice before serving.
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From our editorial team

Try these Delicious Millet Recipes and Make Every Meal Healthy in 2020

These were some lip-smacking Millet recipes which will surely make for a healthy and scrumptious meal. With so many benefits of millets, what's stopping you from trying these recipes?