5 Easy Millet Recipes That Will Keep You Warm & Healthy This Winter

On a bone-chillingly cold day, nothing is better than a piping hot, soul-warming meal. This winter, ditch the restaurants and opt for home-cooked food, with these millet recipes that will keep you warm and fit from the inside.

For our entire collection of millet-based food products, click here. For delicious, nutritious winter recipes, read further.

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1. Pearl Millet Khichdi (Serves 2)

Pearl millet or Bajra is a Kharif crop harvested between September to November, which makes it the perfect seasonal grain to be included in your diet. Here’s how to make a one-pot khichdi with this millet.

Ingredients:

• 130 gram (⅔ cup) pearl millet grains
• 65 gm (⅓ cup) moong dal
• 2 cups spinach (washed and finely chopped)
• 2 medium-sized potatoes (peeled and chopped into four parts)
• 1 medium carrot (chopped)
• 1 large tomato (cut into four)
• 4 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
• 2-3 chillies (slit)
• 2 teaspoons bilona ghee
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 tablespoon coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• Salt to taste

Directions:

• Soak the millet overnight for at least 12 hours. You can pressure cook the grains if restricted for time.
• When they are soaked enough, wash moong dal, drain the water in your house plants and keep the dal aside.
• Heat ghee in a pressure cooker, and temper it with cumin seeds, garlic, and chillies.
• Add the vegetables (all except the spinach) stir well. Add the turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala, salt and mix well again.
• Now drain the millet water in your garden and add the millets to the pressure cooker. Follow with the moong dal.
• Add 4.5 cups of water to this mixture, stir well. Lock the lid of the pressure cooker and cook for 3 whistles.
• When the pressure subsides, open the lid and mix in the chopped spinach. Lock the lid again and let the leafy vegetable cook in the residual heat.
• Open after 10 minutes, serve hot.

2. Pearl Millet Raab (Serves 2)

A warm drink for those cold winter days, Bajra Raab is tasty, healthy and perfect for people with a sweet tooth!

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons pearl millet flour
• 1 tablespoon jaggery (grated)
• 2 teaspoon bilona ghee
• 1 teaspoon ajwain seeds
• 1 teaspoon dry ginger powder
• 1 tablespoon chopped nuts
• Salt to taste

Directions:

• Heat ghee in a saucepan, and temper it with ajwain seeds.
• When they start spluttering, add the bajra flour and roast it for 2-3 minutes.
• Once you can smell the aroma, add the jaggery, ginger powder, some salt and 2 cups of water. Mix well until the jaggery dissolves and ensure no lumps are formed.
• Bring the mixture to boil and let it simmer for about 5 minutes after the water starts boiling.
• Pour in a cup, sprinkle chopped dry fruits as a topping, serve warm.

3. Ragi soup (Serves 4)

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Soup is a winter staple. This season, make sure that it is also healthy and preservative-free. You can check out our range of organic instant soups by clicking on this link.

For the ragi (finger millet) soup recipe, read on:

Ingredients:

• 100 gm (½ cup) finger millet flour
• 1 medium-sized radish (finely chopped)
• 1 medium-sized carrot (finely chopped)
• 1 stick lemongrass
• 8-9 fresh basil leaves
• 4-5 lemon leaves (finely chopped)
• 2 tablespoons bilona ghee
• Turmeric to taste
• Himalayan Pink Salt to taste
• Ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

• Heat ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan, add the finger millet and roast until you get the distinct aroma.
• Add a pinch of turmeric, salt and 3 cups of water. Let the mixture come to boil.
• Now add all the chopped vegetables. When they soak in the water, and the mixture thickens, add the lemon leaves.
• Let it cook for about 7-8 minutes.
• Add the basil leaves and ground black pepper. Pour in a bowl and serve hot.

4. Ragi laddu (20 pieces)

Your body needs as many nutrients as you can give it in the cold months. The Ragi laddu is your perfect snack to munch on during tea breaks or breakfast. Here’s how to make it.

Ingredients:

• 200 gm (1 cup) ragi (finger millet)
• 50 gm (¼ cup) raisins
• 50 gm (½ cup) jaggery
• 2 tablespoon bilona ghee
• 2 tablespoon edible acacia gum
• 2 pods cardamom

Directions:

• In a pan, dry roast the millets until you can smell the aroma. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
• Add 2 tablespoons ghee and the acacia gum to the pan. The gum becomes puffy and powdery in texture when heated. Remove this gum and set aside to drain.
• Roast the raisins in the same pan, taking the help of the remaining ghee in it. When the raisins puff up, set them aside too.
• Mix the finger millet, crushed jaggery, puffed gum and cardamom pods and add the mixture in a spice mill. Crush it into a fine powder.
• Do this in small quantities.
• Next, add the raisins and repeat.
• Get the millet mixture into a plate, add the raisins and mix well.
• Grease your palms with some ghee, take small portions of the laddu mix and press them into a round shape.
• The laddus last for up to 3 weeks and are best eaten with a cup of warm milk.

5. Stuffed foxtail millet idlis (32 pieces)

Who doesn’t like a plate of steaming hot idlis? This winter, begin your day with these millet idlis that will keep you going!

Ingredients:

• 400 gm foxtail millet rava (or you can use 1 cup foxtail millet and 1 cup rice)
• 200 gm skinned urad dal
• Finely chopped carrots, peas and other such vegetables of your choice
• 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• ½ teaspoon each of ginger, mustard seeds, chana dal and chillies

Directions:

For the batter-

• Soak the urad dal and fenugreek seeds together for about 3 hours. In a separate bowl, soak the millet rava.
• Drain the water from the urad dal mixture in your house plants. Grind it into a fine paste in a mixer-grinder.
• Drain and squeeze all the water from the millet rava and grind it into a fine paste.
• Mix the urad dal and millet paste. Add salt and mix well.
• Place this mixture in a large container with a lid. Let it rest overnight (it will expand to nearly twice its size in the 8-10 hours of fermentation).

To make the idlis:

• Grease the idli moulds with vegetable oil and pour the batter into each. The batter must be less than half the capacity. Top with the chopped veggies.
• Pressure cook the idlis until you see a steady flow of steam through the cooker chimney. A full flame cook will take about 10-12 minutes.
• Once the idlis are cooked, scoop them with a spoon and remove them on a plate or container. Repeat the procedure until the batter is completely used up.
• Serve hot with chutneys and/or sambar.

You may also like: Can’t Have Gluten? Here’s How You Can Still Eat Roti, Pizza, Cake & More!

(Edited by Gayatri Mishra)

Recipe sources:

Saffron Trail.
My Weekend Kitchen.
The Indian Express.
Mildly Indian.
Saffron Trail.

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