Recipes from Bajra

Pearl Millet

Scientific name: Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.

Hindi name: Bajra; Telugu name: Sajjalu

Pearl millet plant was probably domesticated as a food crop some 4000 to 5000 years ago along the southern margins of the central highlands of the Sahara. It has since become widely distributed across the semiarid tropics of Africa and Asia.

Pearl millet has traditionally been an important grain, forage, and stover crop primarily in the arid and subtropical regions of many developing countries. Pearl millet is well adapted to growing areas characterized by drought, low soil fertility, and high temperature. Because of its tolerance to difficult growing conditions, it can be grown in areas where other cereal crops, such as maize or wheat, would not survive.

This millet possess phytochemicals that lower cholesterol. It also contains foliate, magnesium, copper, zinc and vitamins E and B-complex. It has high energy content compared to other millets. It is also rich in calcium and unsaturated fats which are good for health.

Pearl millet Onion Muthias

Ingredients: Pearl millet - 1 cup, onions chopped, turmeric, chilli powder, coriander, cumin seeds, ginger-green chilli paste, baking soda, salt and oil – as required.

Preparation Method:

• Combine all ingredients and mix well and knead into a semi-soft dough.
• Apply a little oil and shape into cylindrical and cut into slices.
• Heat the remaining oil in a nonstick pan and add the mustard seeds.
• Shallow fry the pieces in oil and season with cumin seeds.
• Serve hot garnished with coriander.

Pearl Millet Upma

Ingredients: Pearl millet rawa - 1 cup, chopped onions, green chillies, carrot, beans, potato ginger, mustard seeds, blackgram dal, bengal gram dal, curry leaves, water and oil – as required.

Preparation Method:

• Roast pearl millet rawa till it turns brown.
• Season with chopped onions, green chillies, veggies, finely black gram dal, chana dal, curry leaves mustard seeds, curry leaves and green chillies.
• Add carrots, beans, and potato saute for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add water and add roasted rawa cook well till it becomes soft and serve hot.

Pearl Millet Roti

Ingredients: Pearl millet flour - 1 cup, water - as required.

Preparation Method:

• Add hot water to the sieved pearl millet flour. Knead into smooth soft dough.
• Make round ball and spread it into round shape on polythene sheet by rolling stick or by hand pressing with palm.
• Bake the roti properly on both the sides of a pre heated tawa.
• Serve hot with any curry or dal.

Pearl Millet Pakodi

Ingredients: Chopped onion, green chilli; pearl millet flour – 1 cup, bengal gram flour – 1/2 cup; chilli powder and salt –as required.

Preparation Method:

• Mix pearl millet sorghum flour, bengal gram flour, choppedonion, green chilli, chilli powder, salt and water with medium batter consistency.
• Fry the batter in oil with the required shapes.
• Excess oil is removed in a tissue.
• This is served as evening snack along with tomato sauce.

Pearl Millet Halwa

Ingredients: Pearl millet flour– 1 cup, jaggery – 1 cup, butter- 1 cupand milk - 1 cup.

Preparation Method:

• In one pan roast pearl millet flour in ghee until the aroma and color changes.
• Add milk to the mixture and cook.
• Add the melted jaggery, ghee and mix well without formation of lumps till thick consistency.
• Pour the prepared batter in a mould and allow to set.

Pearl Millet Pesarattu

Ingredients: Pearl millet-1 cup, whole green gram -1 cup, red chillies-4, green chillies – 2, chopped onion -2-3, ginger - 1/2 inch, salt to taste and coriander leaves chopped - 2 tsp.

Preparation Method:

• Soak pearl millet and whole green gram together for 5-6 hr and grind them grind them to batter consistency and ferment for 3-4 hr.
• Grind red chillies, green chillies, ginger, needed salt and add to the batter along with finely chopped onions and coriander leaves.
• Heat a tawa on medium flame and put pesarattu.
• Flip the pesarattu to the other side for cooking on both sides.
• Once cooked remove from tawa and serve hot with any chutney/ sambar.

Pearl Millet Thalipeeth

Ingredients: Pearl millet flour- 1 cup, rice flour 2 tsp, onions - 1 finely chopped, green chillies - 1 to 2 (optional), garlic paste - 1/2 tsp (optional), salt to taste, coriander – (2-3) tsp finely chopped, oil - for cooking, warm water- to knead and ajwain - 1/2 tsp.

Preparation Method:

• Mix all ingredients by adding warm water and knead into a dough.
• Make small (golf ball size) rounds of the dough and on plastic sheet apply some oil and press it into a flat circle and create hole in the center.
• The thalipeeth shouldnt be too thin, as it may break.
• Shallow fry in a pan.
• Remove on paper napkin, serve hot with chutney, sauce or pickles.

Pearl Millet Khichidi

Ingredients: Pearl millet - 1 cup, moong dal - 1 cup, potato, carrot, beans, green peas, salt, oil, onion, green chilies, tomato, asafoetida, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, ginger garlic paste, red chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, 2 tbsp - chopped coriander leaves, lemon juice - as required.

Preparation Method:

• Soak pearl millet grain and moong dal over night.
• Boil all the vegetables.
• In a pressure cooker add soaked, washed pearl millet grain, moong dal, all the vegetables, green chilli, salt, turmeric powder and 4 cups water and cook for 3-4 whistles.
• In a pan saute onion, green chilli, asofoetida, cumin seeds and mustard seeds in oil.
• Add red chili powder, and mix cooked millet grain well, simmer for 2-3 mins, adjust salt if required.
• Season with coriander leaves and lemon juice and serve hot.

Pearl Millet Rusk

Ingredients : Pearl millet flour - 100g, Butter - 100g, Baking Powder - 5g, Eggs - 3, Castor Sugar - 50g, Vanilla Essence - 1 tsp, Yellow color - 1 pinch, Cooking Soda - 1g.

Preparation Method:

• Mix butter and Castor sugar in a mixi container, add eggs one by one to this mix.
• Add pearl millet flour, baking powder, essence, yellow color and mix thoroughly.
• Pour on a greased cake pan and bake at 180 C for 30 - 40 min.
• After cooling cut into square pieces (like bread slices) and bake in oven at 160 C on both sides one after another, till crisp.

Pearl Millet Besan Laddu

Ingredients : Pearl Millet flour - 100g, Besan - 50g, Wheat rawa - 50g, Iiaichi powder - 1 tsp, Ghee - 50g, Dry fruits - 20g, Sugar - 100g.

Preparation Method:

• Roast bajra, besan and wheat rawa separately and
  mix thoroughly.
• Add little ghee separately.
• Fry dry fruits and mix it with flour mixture.
• Add sugar and Iiaichi powder to  the mix.
• Make small laddus.

Source:

Millet Recipes- IIMR Hyderabad

Millet Recipes- Department of Agriculture, Karnataka