Q1.
I. Millets are a varied group of small-seeded grasses. They have more fibre and minerals than other cereals. Millets have been a part of the Indian cuisine for years. They have been rediscovered worldwide as superfoods. 1. Read the information on Pearl Millet given below. 2. Work in groups of four and do the following activities. (i) Find out if millets are a part of your cuisine. (ii) Find recipes with millets and compile them into a booklet. (iii) Create a recipe of your choice.
Answer
What the book's fact-card on Pearl Millet actually tells you (read the printed page for the full table):
| Item | Detail from the book |
|---|---|
| Botanical name | Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br. |
| Common name | Bajra |
| Vernacular names | Spiked millet or Pearl millet (English); Bajra (Bengali, Hindi, Oriya, Punjabi, Urdu); Bajree (Rajasthani, Gujarati, Marathi); Sajje (Kannada); Kambu (Tamil); Sajja (Telugu) |
| Cultivation areas | Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana |
| Nutrition per 100 g | Energy 347 kcal; Protein 10.9 g; Fat 5.43 g; Carbohydrate 61.8 g; Ca 27.4 mg; Fe 6.4 mg; Folic acid 36.1 µg |
| Why it stands out | Highest niacin content among all cereals; rich in protein and dietary fibre; the highest drought tolerance of all millets; the sixth major cereal by area and production, and the most widely cultivated cereal in India after rice and wheat |
| Health benefits | Reduces cholesterol; promotes bone health; helps in treating stomach ulcers; promotes heart health; aids weight loss |
| Uses | Khichdi, Roti, Upma, Idli, Khakhra, Parathas |
(i) Are millets part of your cuisine? Ask at home which of these you already eat — and under what name. Most Indian families eat at least one.
| Millet | Hindi / regional name | Eaten as |
|---|---|---|
| Pearl millet | bajra, sajje, kambu | bajra roti with gur, khichdi, khakhra |
| Sorghum | jowar, cholam, jonna | bhakri, roti, popped jowar |
| Finger millet | ragi, nachni, kezhvaragu | ragi mudde, ragi malt, dosa |
| Foxtail millet | kangni, thinai, korralu | upma, pongal |
| Little millet | kutki, samai | kheer, khichdi |
| Barnyard millet | sanwa, jhangora | fasting dishes, kheer |
(ii) The booklet. Divide the group of four: one collects recipes from families, one from the school library or reliable websites, one types or writes them to a single format (name of dish — millet used — ingredients — method — who gave the recipe), and one designs the cover and index. A common format is what turns a pile of recipes into a booklet.
(iii) Sample recipe of my own — Ragi Banana Pancakes (serves 2):
Ingredients: 1 cup ragi flour, 1 ripe banana, 1 cup curd, 2 tbsp jaggery powder, ¼ tsp cardamom powder, a pinch of salt, ghee for the pan.
Method: Mash the banana. Whisk in the curd, jaggery, cardamom and salt. Fold in the ragi flour to make a thick pouring batter and rest it for ten minutes. Heat a tawa, smear it with ghee, pour a ladle of batter and spread it lightly. Cook on medium heat until bubbles appear, flip, and cook the other side. Serve hot with honey or curd.
Why ragi: it is one of the richest plant sources of calcium, which is exactly what growing bones need.
Ingredients: 1 cup ragi flour, 1 ripe banana, 1 cup curd, 2 tbsp jaggery powder, ¼ tsp cardamom powder, a pinch of salt, ghee for the pan.
Method: Mash the banana. Whisk in the curd, jaggery, cardamom and salt. Fold in the ragi flour to make a thick pouring batter and rest it for ten minutes. Heat a tawa, smear it with ghee, pour a ladle of batter and spread it lightly. Cook on medium heat until bubbles appear, flip, and cook the other side. Serve hot with honey or curd.
Why ragi: it is one of the richest plant sources of calcium, which is exactly what growing bones need.
Why millets are back: They need far less water than rice, ripen quickly, and grow on poor soil in low rainfall — bajra 'has the highest drought tolerance potential of all millets'. In a country worrying about groundwater, a grain that thrives where rice cannot is not nostalgia but good sense. That is why 2023 was observed as the International Year of Millets, on India's proposal.