Chef Sanjeev Kapoor said that millets ticked the right boxes in terms of farming, being hardy and requiring less water to grow. “Millets were always a wonder grain,” says Sanjeev Kapoor, the celebrity chef who revolutionised home cooking in India and is now powering the way people think about millets and sustainability. Kapoor is in Pune, the city of his in-laws, to conduct a live demonstration at the inauguration of the Symbiosis Studio Kitchen. Kapoor is Distinguished Professor at Symbiosis.
On Thursday, he conducted a live cookery event on millets. The United Nations has declared 2023 to be the year of millets to create awareness about the grains and increase their production.
“India has taken the largest ownership and initiative in popularising millets. People have started to realise that sustainability is not a cool thing to talk about but an essential way of life and we have to live it now. We are seeing the effects of global warming on our climate. If we do not take sustainability seriously, we might not have food in future,” says Kapoor.
The chef added that millets ticked the right boxes in terms of farming, being hardy and requiring less water to grow. “In terms of biodiversity and sustainability, millets fit in very well. It is good for farmers, for biodiversity and health. What else do you want?” he said.
He added that India has a long tradition of a millet-based diet. In his childhood, his mother used to cool ragi and nachni, among others, “and it never used to look good so mom used to say that I should eat it to have a pucca body like cement”.
The live demonstration is a continuation of Kapoor’s work on positioning millets better for a young population that likes style and appearance. “There are a lot of conversations on millets but positioning is something that still needs work. We have started work on positioning millets better,” he says.
Here are a few recipes from Kapoor that taste good – and are Instagrammable!
FOXTAIL UPMA
Ingredients
1½ cups foxtail millet
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp Bengal gram (chana dal)
1 tbsp split skinless black gram (dhuli urad dal)
1 tsp mustard seeds
¼ tsp cumin seeds
3-4 green chillies, chopped
7-8 curry leaves
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 large tomato, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, cut into small cubes
Salt to taste
¼ cup boiled green peas
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves
Fresh coriander sprig for garnish
Coconut chutney to serve
Method
Dry roast foxtail millet in a non-stick pan till golden brown. Transfer this into a bowl.
Heat coconut oil in the same pan. Add Bengal gram and split skinless black gram and sauté till they turn golden brown.
Add mustard seeds and cumin and cook for a few seconds. Add green chillies, curry leaves and onion and mix well. Cook till the onion turns translucent.
Add tomato, carrot and salt and mix well. Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add the roasted foxtail millet, mix and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add 3 cups of hot water, mix, cover and cook on high heat till the water evaporates. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook for 8-10 minutes.
Add green peas and coriander leaves, mix, cover and cook for 1 minute.
Take the pan off the heat and garnish with coriander sprig. Serve hot with coconut chutney.
Preparation time: 6-10 minutes
Cooking time: 16-20 minutes
MILLET BUDDHA BOWL
Ingredients
Millet mixture
¾ cup Kodo millet
1½ tbsp olive oil
2 tsp finely chopped garlic
1 small onion, finely chopped
Salt to taste
Crushed black peppercorn to taste
Dressing
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp mustard paste
Juice of one lemon
Salt to taste
Crushed black peppercorn to taste
Spicy chickpeas
1 cup boiled chickpeas
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp finely chopped garlic
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 tbsp olive oil
Juice of ½ lemon
Tofu mixture
1 tsp olive oil
100 grams of tofu, cut into ½ inch cubes
Salt to taste
Toppings
30-35 baby spinach leaves
English cucumber slices as required
10-12 snow peas, stringed, diagonally halved and blanched
Assorted baby tomato halves as required
Toasted black sesame seeds for garnish
Method
To make the millet mixture, heat olive oil in a non-stick pan, add garlic, and sauté on high heat for 1 minute. Add onion and sauté until translucent. Add Kodo millet and sauté for 1-2 minutes.
Add 2 cups of water and mix well. Add salt, and crushed black peppercorns, and mix well. Cook till the mixture comes to a boil. Cover and cook for 4-5 minutes or till most of the moisture is absorbed. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes. Switch the heat off and allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes.
To make spicy chickpeas, mix chickpeas, salt, crushed black peppercorn, smoked paprika, red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, garlic, parsley and olive oil in a bowl. and squeeze the juice of half a lemon and mix well till combined. Marinate for 4-5 minutes.
To make the dressing, take olive oil in a bowl, add juice of one lemon, tahini, maple syrup, mustard paste, salt and crushed black peppercorns and mix well. Add ¼ cup water and mix until well combined.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a non-stick pan. Place tofu cubes, sprinkle some salt and cook on high heat for 1-2 minutes. Flip each cube, and cook for 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
In the same pan, add the chickpeas mixture and sauté on high heat for 2-3 minutes. Take the pan off the heat.
To assemble the bowl, arrange a few baby spinach leaves into each serving bowl. Add a portion of the cooked millet mixture, add a portion of the chickpeas mixture, arrange a few cucumber slices, and add a portion of the tofu. Add a few snow peas, garnish with assorted cherry tomatoes, and drizzle some of the prepared dressing into each bowl. Garnish with toasted black sesame seeds. Serve with the remaining dressing.
Preparation time: 25-30 minutes
Cooking time: 15-20 minutes
MILLET KHEER
Ingredients
¼ cup Kodo millet
4 cups milk
2 tbsp ghee
1½ tbsp charoli
1 tbsp finely chopped pistachios
1 tbsp finely chopped almonds
1 tbsp finely chopped cashew nuts
¼ cup sugar
A large pinch of nutmeg powder
¼ tsp green cardamom powder
Blanched, peeled, and slivered pistachios for garnish
Saffron strands for garnish
Method
Bring milk to a boil in a deep non-stick pan. Continue to cook for 3-4 minutes.
Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a non-stick shallow pan. Add charoli, pistachios, almonds, and cashew nuts and saute for 1-2 minutes. Transfer on a plate.
Heat the remaining ghee in the same pan, add the Kodo millet and saute for 2-3 minutes. Transfer this to the boiling milk and mix well. Cook for 10-12 minutes while stirring in between.
Add sugar, mix and cook till the sugar melts. Add nutmeg powder, green cardamom powder, and roasted nuts and mix till well combined. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
Transfer the kheer to a serving bowl, garnish with blanched pistachios and saffron strands.
Preparation time: 5-10 minutes
Cooking time: 30-35 minutes
RAGI HALWA
Ingredients
1 cup ragi rava
¾ cup ghee
2 cups milk
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp chopped almonds
2 tbsp chopped cashew nuts
2 tbsp chopped pistachios
½ tsp green cardamom powder
6-8 pistachios, blanched, peeled and slivered
Method
Boil milk and 2 cups of water in a deep pan.
Heat ghee in a non-stick pan. Add ragi rava and sauté till golden brown and fragrant.
Add the milk and water mixture into the pan and mix until well combined. Cover and cook for 6-8 minutes on low heat or till the moisture has evaporated.
Add sugar, mix and cook till the sugar melts. Add almonds, cashew nuts, and pistachios and mix well. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
Add green cardamom powder, mix and cook for 1 minute.
Serve warm garnished with pistachio slivers.
Preparation time: 5-10 minutes
Cooking time: 20-25 minutes