Indian food, with its exhilarating aroma and vivid flavor, is well-loved all over the world. The way spices are mixed and food is cooked usually creates a real explosion of flavors and textures that can overwhelm anyone who gets the chance to sample it for the first time. Looking at the uniqueness of flavors and ingredients Indian food is widely eaten across the globe.

Making the Humble Grain ‘Go Global’

From grains like rice, wheat, etc to ancient grains like millets can be vividly seen on the restaurant menus. Millets are not only seen as an option for rice or rice-based dishes but restaurants and bars are even coming up with rice and millet-based lagers, and beers, and it can also be seen across dessert options. And, to make this ancient grain even more popular the United Nations has last year declared 2023 as the ‘International Year of Millets’.

“Millets are ancient grains and were part of Indus Valley civilization which happened around 5,000 years and there is enough evidence to support that. Since we are back to basics so millet the native Indian staple is already termed as a superfood and is being used extensively in restaurants, the grain fits in due to its cohesive health sense and is an excellent replacement for rice,” shared Chef Nishant Choubey who is the consultant chef for Michelin-plated restaurant Indus in Bangkok by adding that millet haleem, millet sev puri, millet biryani, millet nasi goreng, and even millet kheer is so popular now on the restaurant menu.

Not only this, restaurants like The Bombay Canteen Mumbai whose out of the 60 dishes on the menu, millet-based cuisines namely Millet Khichdi, Millet Salad, and Millet-based roti are among people’s favorites.

This mission, adopted by UN General Assembly is sponsored by India and is supported by more than 70 countries, declaring 2023 as the International Year of Millets. The resolution is intended to increase public awareness of the health benefits of millets and their suitability for cultivation under tough conditions marked by climate change.

Why is it Considered a Superfood?

In the recently announced budget, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced 2022-2023 as the 'International Years Of Millets'. During her speech, she also mentioned that support will be provided for post-harvest value addition, enhancing domestic consumption, and branding millet products nationally and internationally. This came after UN General Assembly in 2021 took a resolution to make the year 2023 the 'International Year of Millets'.

A popular food option in India, Africa, and Southeast Asia, millet has garnered global interest in the recent past – all thanks to its nutrient-packed benefits. Millet is loaded with almost every essential nutrient and is considered an ancient superfood.

Also, it is very interesting to know that there are seven types of millets grown in India, as per FSSAI. These are; Pearl millet (bajra), Finger millet (ragi), Amaranth (ramdana), Buckwheat millet (kuttu), Barnyard millet (sanwa), Foxtail millet (kangni), and Kodo millet (kodon).

“Millet has taken a centre stage in my menu for a very long time. In fact, all the pubs and restaurants that I have around North India serve a millet khichdi, pudding, or a millet crusted chicken/prawn. So, various kinds of millets are widely used in foods, desserts, pasta, bread, etc,” pointed out Chef Saby who has consulted many top restaurants and is also the President of the Young Chefs Association in India by adding that in all his high-end restaurants they are usually serving millets or millets based products. “We are really excited to celebrate 2023 as millet year and future 50 food goal,” he added further.

Why Millets Should be on Restaurants’ Menu?

Millets are a good alternative for people who are intolerant to gluten. They have high natural fiber and, thus, are good as cereals for weight loss. They are not only a great source of starch, protein, fiber, and amino acids, but also taste good and are easy to digest.

“I believe after the organic food trends the next will be millets as trending superfoods to keep you fit and healthy. Millets are a good alternative for people who are intolerant to gluten. They have high natural fiber and, thus, are good as cereals for weight loss. They are not only a great source of starch, protein, fiber, and amino acids, but also taste good and are easy to digest. Fermenting and sprouting of millets are advised for making the most of their health benefits and for improving their nutritional content. Considering all these factors and the benefits, we prepare authentic home recipes with a chef's twist. I believe during the early 80s, millets got sidelined from the food baskets and the reason was mainly due to the lack of awareness about its nutritional value. The trend is now changing as we are seeing an increase in consumption due to its health benefits. Millets, one of the superfoods has helped in giving a rebirth to trending healthy menus,” commented Sandeep Pande, Executive Chef, JW Marriott Aerocity.