Millets :Chennai City experts work to make millets ‘tastier’

The Hindu : Serena Josephine .M :May 24,2013

In a metro like Chennai, where fast food is a way of life, millets might be the least appetising option.

But the health food is set for a makeover in the city, with a number of studies looking at introducing preparations — from biscuits to ‘payasam’ — using millets.

With increasing focus on right diet and healthy living, millets have become of great interest to doctors and nutritionists as they are considered nutritionally superior to rice. (See infographic 'Nutritional Content in Millets' on the left.)

“Millets are inexpensive and highly nutritious. It promotes healthy eating as it is rich in fibre, carbohydrates and minerals. Its nutritive value is enhanced when combined with pulses and legumes,” said Kundala Ravi, lecturer, department of clinical nutrition, Sri Ramachandra Medical University (SRMU).

A number of SRMU students are working to develop millet recipes make it appetising, she said.

“We are looking at how millets can be combined with other ingredients. For example, we can make ‘payasam’ using millets, green gram dal, jaggery and milk. Similarly, ‘puttu’, ‘sevai’, ‘dosa’, ‘idli’ and ‘vadai’ can be prepared with millets,” she said.

For diabetologists, the humble millets assume significance due to their low glycemic index. “The starch-protein interaction causes the glycemic level to drop. Millet-based formulations are suitable as a food supplement or meal replacer for those with diabetes,” said R.G. Abirami, nutrition research associate, M.V. Hospital for Diabetes and Research Centre, Royapuram.

The hospital is involved in studies to develop low cost millet-based recipes for breakfast and lunch using foxtail millet and barnyard millet.

For long, rice has been the staple diet in south India and people here tend to eat large servings, said Vijay Viswanathan, head and chief diabetologist at the hospital. “The glycemic index is high in rice, especially the unpolished variety. We are developing products specific to south India, using millets — recipes hitherto prepared with rice. We are asking patients to judge the taste factor,” he said.

Dishes made with millet. Photo: Kedarnath

Students of Women’s Christian College (WCC) too are looking at creating recipes using millets such as biscuits and nutrition bars, said Sheba Jeyaraj, assistant professor, department of home science.

“People do not use millets as they feel the food lacks in taste and looks unappetising. But a 100-gram portion of finger millet (ragi) has 344 mg of calcium. No other cereal has such high nutritive value. Millets are gluten free and can be consumed by people with celiac disease (gluten-sensitive enteropathy). They are rich in vitamin B and help in controlling diabetes and reducing cholesterol levels,” she said.

The Institute of Community Medicine, Madras Medical College, has been promoting consumption of millets at its interactions with the public.

“We have been asking people to add millets to their diet. Various millet-based products are available in the market today. Whole wheat ground with millets such as ragi, ‘cumbu’ and ‘cholam’ can be used to make chapathis,” said A. Chitra, an assistant professor at the Institute.

Meals that Heal - Try turmeric

Source :The Hindu:Chandrassekaran V K: sep 4:2011

Lentils are invariably cooked with a dash of turmeric.

Make a nutritious soup combining lentils and pomegranate

Turmeric has so many medicinal properties, it is a wonder we still consider it an everyday kitchen spice rather than a herbal sensation.


 It has been used in traditional Indian medicine for centuries, as a home remedy for sprains, swellings and wounds and to treat stomach ailments and infections
.

In ancient India, all ayurvedic physicians used turmeric (haldi) to treat injuries and wounds. It is such an efficient antibiotic that it not only kills dangerous bacteria in the human intestine when it's cooked with food, but it can also neutralise parasites when applied as a paste on wounds.

 And adding haldi to dals is a simple way to allow the body to digest dal better; most dals are difficult to digest and cause gas.

Recently, Austrian scientists reported that haldi protects against liver damage 

 that eventually causes cirrhosis. Curcumin, the active ingredient that gives turmeric its characteristic yellow colour, reduces inflammation that causes liver cell damage, blockage and scarring in eight short weeks, reported Gut, a British medical journal.

Turmeric has been used since ancient times to boost the body's immune response.

 In fact, it is one of the few spices allowed in khichidi for babies above six months of age.

 In 2007, U.S. researchers reported that curcumin helped stimulate immune cells among people who had Alzheimer's, slowing the progression of the degenerative disease. 

Later that year, Clinical Cancer Research reported that curcumin effectively blocked the activity of a gastrointestinal hormone implicated in the development of colorectal cancer.

Its anti-inflammatory properties were not only found to relieve the aches and pains of arthritis, but also prevent it, said a study in Arthritis and Rheumatism, the American College of Rheumatology journal. International studies have also shown it suppresses cancer tumours and that people who ingest a lot of turmeric are less prone to the disease.

So how do you include turmeric in your diet?

 Here's how: Add it to dals and vegetables. Add it to milk for children along with jaggery. Add it to rice or atta dough, stews and soups, especially if you have runny stools or any infection. Add it to milk if you have bruises and internal injuries.

Now, for a recipe.

Pomegranate and Lentil Soup

Ingredients

Lentils (gram dal): 120 gm

Butter: 3 tbsp

Onion, diced: 1 (medium-sized)

Garlic, minced: 2 cloves

Water: 400 ml

Long-grain rice: 50 gm

Turmeric: 1 tsp

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Fresh basil, chopped: 30 gm

Green onions, chopped: 30 gm

Pomegranate juice: 80ml

Chopped fresh mint or 2 teaspoons of crushed dried leaf mint: 2 tbsp

Raisins: 2 tbsp

Method: Rinse lentils several times. Set aside to drain. Melt 2btsp of butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions and toss to coat. Gently sauté onions until soft, for about 3 minutes, stirring often. Add garlic and sauté for two additional minutes.

Add water, drained lentils, rice, turmeric, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer on low for about 45 minutes, until lentils and rice are tender. Add basil, green onions, and pomegranate juice to the soup. Simmer for an additional 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the rest of the butter in a small skillet, add mint and sauté until the butter turns golden. Divide the soup into serving bowls. Drizzle each with the browned butter and sprinkle with a few raisins to serve.

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Keywords: medicinal food, health food, turmeric