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How to Cook Millets-(Varagu arisi-Saamai-Thinai-Kuthiravaali)-Healthy Lunch Menu (Indian)

August 19, 2013 by PadhuSankar 131 Comments

Millets are gluten free, rich in fiber, proteins, minerals and vitamins. Besides being gluten-free, millets have higher nutritional value than wheat, especially phosphorus and iron. Its fiber content also helps prevent constipation and may reduce the risk of developing bowel disorders. Millets are easy to digest, contain a high amount of lecithin and are excellent for strengthening the nervous system (source-Hindu).They contain complex carbohydrates which breaks down slowly and hence good for diabetic patients.These grains were used in olden days by our ancestors but totally forgotten today.Now a days I have started loving millets so much that I have switched to eating millets thrice a week, so you will be finding lot of millet recipes in this space.The good think about millet is that they can be substituted for rice and wheat in many recipes.I would like to share another interesting thing I read about millet. These crops grow in poorer soils and are highly resistant to pests and diseases. Hence they are usually grown without any chemical fertilizers or pesticides.So they are mostly organic by default. I started this blog not only to inspire others to cook but also to bring back our traditional food and also to create an awareness on health among people. It is time we bring back this forgotten grain in our diet.

Millets

Some popular millet varieties

Saamai – Little millet
Varagu -Kodo Millet
Thinai -Foxtail Millet
Kuthiravaali -Barnyard millet
Kezhvaragu-Finger millet
Kambu-Pearl millet

First we will start with the basics on-How to cook millets? before going to Millet recipes. Samai, varagu, kuthiravaali can be cooked in the same manner as below and can be used in the same manner as rice. Foxtail millet/Thinai alone needs to be soaked for one hour.Cooking method is the same as below. 

Ingredients needed 

Millets – samai or varagu or kuthiravaali or thinai – 1 cup
Water -3 cups

1. Clean millets and remove grits if any.

2.Wash and add 3 cups of water and switch on the heat.

how to cook millets

3.When water starts boiling, reduce the heat to low, close it with a lid and cook for 10 minutes.

4.After 10 minutes, switch off the flame and let it sit for 20 minutes. The millets will get cooked fully in that resting time. 

cooking millet

Fluff it with a fork and serve just as you serve rice with sambar, rasam or curd. Just replace rice with millets as shown below.

A very healthy Lunch menu with millets 

Healthy Lunch Menu using millets
Soya Beans Sambar-Cabbage Potato Curry-Curd- Millet (Barnyard millet-Kuthiravalli)

You can reduce the water to 2 1/2 cup for 1 cup of millet for preparing variety rice but personally I prefer 3 cups of water for 1 cup of millets. Once it cools it becomes fluffy and is suitable for any variety rice also.


Note -You can pressure cook millets in the same way as you cook pressure cook rice. For 1 cup of millets, add 2 1/2 -2 3/4 cup of water depending upon your personal preference.

If you found this post useful, I would really love it if you pin it or share it with your Facebook fans or Twitter followers or Google+ circles today. All it takes is a simple click on the “pin it” “like,” “share,” “tweet,” or Google+ buttons below the post. It will keep me motivated. Thank  you!

Related posts:

Malai Kofta Recipe-How to make Malai Kofta (Restaurant Style)

Kambu Dosa Recipes-How to prepare Kambu (Bajra) Dosa-Pearl Millet Dosa Recipe

Sweet Appam Recipe without Baking Soda-Sweet Appam with Rice flour-Wheat flour-Rava

Akkaravadisal Recipe-Sweet Milk Pongal

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Health Dish, Millet Recipes, Uncategorized




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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. vishali shankar

    August 19, 2013 at 9:31 am

    Thank you padhu… I jus got all these in this month shopping as i simply wanted to use these in my fod intake but was wondering what to do with this? thanks a lot u started to write on Millets:) By the way am learning cooking only from your blog:)

    Reply
  2. Gajus kitchen

    August 19, 2013 at 10:03 am

    Lovely and very informative post. I know only kambu,kezhvaragu and thinai and good to know about the other three millets too.

    Reply
  3. சாருஸ்ரீராஜ்

    August 19, 2013 at 10:33 am

    thanks for a healthy recepie padhu ,ippo than brown rice try panni iruken next will be a kuthiraivali

    Reply
  4. Bhuvana Ram

    August 19, 2013 at 3:35 pm

    Can we cook these in the pressure cooker, if so pls tell me the number of whistles and water measurement. Thanks

    Reply
    • bilvapatra

      March 14, 2015 at 2:11 am

      Slight risk in doing in the PC. The grains are so small, they can shoot into the nozzle of the cooker and cause all the water to spray out through the weight that you place on the lid. Can be messy, not to mention, scary.

      Have had this experience with dals that have skin – moong dal with green skin on one sde and urad dal with black skin. The skins detach and fly into the shaft.

      Same principle can apply here.

      Reply
    • Avani Gupta

      August 22, 2016 at 6:00 am

      For most grains/pulses/millets where there is a risk of blocking the nozzle, can be avoided by placing them in a vessel with lid on it.

      Reply
  5. Hamaree Rasoi

    August 19, 2013 at 5:42 pm

    Delicious and lovely looking millets. Very healthy as well.
    Deepa

    Reply
  6. Priya Suresh

    August 19, 2013 at 7:56 pm

    Wat an useful and informative post, i love thinai and using it very much.

    Reply
  7. Gomathi Narayan

    August 20, 2013 at 10:30 am

    very useful.how to differntiate between saamai and varagu?

    Reply
    • Shanthi SA

      September 29, 2015 at 3:36 pm

      Though they look alike, varagu will be noticeably bigger in size than samai

      Reply
    • Shanthi SA

      September 29, 2015 at 3:47 pm

      There are four varieties. The first is the whole grain, the one in which the outer skin is.There. this is only used for dosa, idli batter. The second is the unpolished which would look brownish yellow. Then there is semi polished and polished varieties. There is also boiled category in unpolished, semipolished, polished varieties. So the cooking time varies based on that. When you use unpolished or the whole grain, it takes longer time. But remember thinai will not be mushy (kozhayathu in tamil). Soak them longer before cooking to cook faster. I usually cook in mud pot as it is much faster and healthier.

      Reply
    • Rukumini Pandit

      July 18, 2016 at 4:49 am

      Wow. Really? ? Very innovative.

      Reply
  8. Kamakshi Pande

    September 1, 2013 at 8:12 am

    Sorry, but i have not heard of these millets or may be they are known by some other names in north India. I am more than eager to include millets in my meals but how do i learn about them ?

    Reply
    • krsnapremi

      July 19, 2015 at 10:20 am

      Check Google for their Hindi names. All of them are available in every supermarket

      Reply
    • Harish Prabu

      July 9, 2016 at 3:31 pm

      Pearl Millet(Eng) – Kambu(Tamil) – Bajra(Hindi)
      Finger Millet – Keppai,Ragi – Nachani, Mundua, Mandika, Marwah
      Foxtail Millet – Thinai – Kangni, Kakum, Rala
      Kodo Millet – Varagu – Koden, Kodra
      Little Millet – Saamai – Kutki, Shavan
      Barnyard Millet – Kuthiravali – Jhangora, Sanwa
      Sorghum – Cholam – Jowar

      Reply
  9. PadhuSankar

    September 2, 2013 at 6:57 am

    Kamakshi Pande – Happy to know that you want to include millets in your diet. Even if one person changes, I feel happy and satisfied.I got the hindi names for you -Source millets India
    Barnyard millet -Jhangora
    Finger millet – Mandua
    Foxtail Millet – Kangni
    Kodo millet – Kodra
    Little millet – Kutki
    Pearl millet -Bajra
    Sorghum – Jowar

    Reply
    • Mallika Ayyeppen

      January 15, 2014 at 9:36 am

      kindly let me know what is jowar in tamil..

      Reply
    • Padhu Sankar

      January 16, 2014 at 11:35 am

      Jowar is cholam in Tamil.

      Reply
    • vijaya

      April 15, 2014 at 5:31 am

      Hi, I am very much interested using these millets in our daily food, can i have there names in kannada s in live in bangalore. one or two i found in one shop, but would like to buy everything and use it in kanji powder which we have it regurlarly, thank u so much for such good and informative post

      Reply
    • Mallika Ayyeppen

      April 18, 2014 at 7:44 am

      Thanks for the info .cooking tips on kelvaragu and kambu.

      Reply
  10. vp

    September 13, 2013 at 4:55 pm

    Hey padhu
    Can I use hulled millet formaking millet rice

    Reply
  11. ezhiloviya

    September 16, 2013 at 11:18 am

    Thank u so much…. useful info mam.

    Reply
  12. Priya V

    September 18, 2013 at 6:11 am

    Hi Padhu, thanks for this info.. You have a great blog that I visit often. Can you share where you source varagu and kuthiravali in Bangalore? Thanks.

    Reply
  13. vadivelu palanivelu

    September 21, 2013 at 3:00 pm

    Dear Friend thank you so much. After having great effort finally I got all the millet a month before but could not know how to prepare food. Now after seeing your blog I am very happy to proceed to cook myself. Thanks a lot very kind of you.

    Reply
  14. Mohana Priya

    September 24, 2013 at 3:55 pm

    Hi Padhu, thanks for your millets recipes. post more recipes.

    Reply
  15. Priya V

    September 25, 2013 at 7:36 am

    Hi Padhu,would you be kind enough to share where you source varagu and kuthiravali in Bangalore? Thanks.

    Reply
  16. PadhuSankar

    September 25, 2013 at 8:23 am

    Priya – I am not in Bangalore but you will get it in all organic food stores in Bangalore. When I can get it in Chennai, why not in Bangalore.I am getting timbaktu organic brands or Parambaryam organic Brand. You will get it online also.

    Reply
  17. Priya V

    September 25, 2013 at 10:21 am

    Thanks Padhu. I thought you live in Bangalore (thought I read it somewhere on your blog). I've found the other varieties of millets but not varagu and kuthiravali. Shall check these brands and see.

    You have a fab blog full of interesting recipes. Whenever I am wondering about any recipe, I quickly come over here and search and voila I find it here. Thanks.

    Love the way you present the food too. Extremely creative.

    Reply
    • P.R. Sudhakar

      July 2, 2016 at 9:45 am

      Hi Priya, let me know the place where u get these from bangalore pls

      Reply
    • Move on !

      August 17, 2016 at 1:45 am

      U get these in Nilgris.

      Reply
  18. Meenu

    October 1, 2013 at 5:00 pm

    Hi Padhu.. I tried cooking foxtail millet with 1:3 water ratio.. I gave nearly 7 to 8 whistles but it was not cooked at all.. The outer skin remained crunchy n in same shape.. Water was not absorbed as well.. Pls help me..

    Reply
  19. Padhu Sankar

    October 3, 2013 at 2:08 am

    Meenu -Foxtail millet alone needs to be soaked for 1 hour in hot water. Other millets does not require soaking. If you soak foxtail millets and cook, it gets cooked very well. It is very soft and delicious.Check out my Foxtail millet khichdi

    Reply
  20. Mohan prasath

    October 5, 2013 at 2:12 pm

    i just want to know that how to convert ordinary thinai into thinai rice ? plse help me ha i have lot's of thinai as fresh not as a rice what to do ?

    Reply
  21. radha

    October 10, 2013 at 2:10 pm

    Thank you for ur great info padhu.. I love all ur dishes… Keep on posting… Whether these millets reduce weight..

    Reply
  22. Grace Baby

    October 14, 2013 at 2:57 am

    Very interesting

    Reply
  23. Samba M

    October 27, 2013 at 3:38 pm

    thanks for the wonderful post…….how to clean millets?whether there would be dirt in every millet?how to remove it? arisi pudaikkira madhiriya?

    Reply
  24. Padhu Sankar

    October 28, 2013 at 4:12 am

    Samba- You have to clean millet just the way you clean rice. But if you buy it from health stores, you do not have that work as the millets are cleaned and then packed. I buy millets from Organic stores.

    Vp – you can use hulled millets also. You get both- with hull and without hull. You can use any variety

    Reply
    • Jaya Kumar

      January 4, 2014 at 11:58 am

      hi, thanks for your information, i am in need to finding stores where they sell these millets as flours, please let me know

      Reply
  25. Narmadha Yuva

    November 21, 2013 at 4:11 am

    hi, it's very useful to me. thank u very much. the kuthiravaal millet increases the hemoglobin. please share it in your fans……

    Reply
  26. tsam

    November 26, 2013 at 1:01 am

    thank you for valuable information.

    Reply
  27. Indirani Swaminathan

    December 7, 2013 at 4:53 pm

    Hi, Suppose thinai is bought like rava texture ..does it still have to be soaked for 2 hours.

    Reply
  28. Padhu Sankar

    December 8, 2013 at 4:59 am

    Indirani -If you have bought thinai rava, then it is not necessary to soak for 2 hours. May be 10 minutes is enough.

    Reply
  29. Mallika Ayyeppen

    January 15, 2014 at 9:41 am

    thank you for this very useful information…please let me know the tamil name for sorgham…jowar in hindi….so far i know they are sold in powder form and i mix with doas batter and cook…good now i can completely switch over…i was told they cause constipation..but to know they are not am very happy…thanks again

    Reply
    • garden graffiti

      July 4, 2014 at 6:41 am

      Jowar is irungu cholam in tamil

      Reply
  30. Rani

    January 18, 2014 at 5:26 am

    It will be more helpful if you can indicate how the grains look with and without husk, and if if we need to remove it, and how. For ex, the thinai I bought at nilgiris supermarket is mustard coloured. They say it can be cooked as such. But I feel its with a layer of husk similar to paddy. Pls enlighten. Thanks.

    Reply
    • Padhu Sankar

      January 19, 2014 at 6:03 am

      Rani – You can cook millets with husk and without husk in the same manner. You do not have to remove the husk. For eg- you get varagu with and without husk. The one with husk will have more fiber. That's all. Wash well and cook it in the same manner. The yellow one in the first picture is thinai.

      Reply
    • Samba M

      April 11, 2014 at 11:49 am

      Hi pads,
      I have a doubt in this,whether we can eat all the millets by cooking it with husk,does not the husk cause any harm to our stomach?

      Reply
  31. Jaya Kumar

    January 22, 2014 at 6:00 pm

    Valuable information, thank you so much

    Reply
  32. Now what??????????

    January 25, 2014 at 4:18 pm

    Hi
    Your blog is nice and informative. I have a basic doubt. How to clean these millets before cooking? Since they(thinai) are smaller than rice , its getting difficult to rinse with water.

    Reply
    • Padhu Sankar

      January 26, 2014 at 9:40 am

      Thank you so much. Yes, they are very tiny. I wash it using a strainer so they do not get washed away with the water. .

      Reply
  33. Gomathi Sundar

    February 8, 2014 at 5:15 pm

    Thank you Padhu for a very useful post. what would be the taste of kudiraivalli/ varagu arisi… would it taste similar with our traditional sambar with rice?

    Reply
    • Padhu Sankar

      February 9, 2014 at 7:51 am

      Not much of a difference. You will get a nutty flavor if you buy it with hull, otherwise I do not find much difference as I have it often with our regular sambar, rasam and curd.

      Reply
  34. Gomathi Sundar

    February 8, 2014 at 5:16 pm

    Very useful info

    Reply
  35. murari

    February 17, 2014 at 6:10 am

    Dear padma
    I am 62yrs and i am 90 kg Doctors adviced me to take only millets. Which is best Srirangam is very hot place. I hope none if the millets produce lots of heat.Which is the best way to cook like dosa or kichadi.
    I want to use unpolished rice also How to cook that.
    Here i dont get broken what i got sarbhati wheat, how to make broken wheat
    Kindly guide me I am suffering with back pain due to big tummy
    which developed after uterus remonva.
    You just give a miss call or mail your number i will call you my nu
    08807076277

    Reply
    • Padhu Sankar

      February 18, 2014 at 6:58 am

      Mail to me at [email protected] I will see, if I can guide you. Unpolished rice is brown rice. Check out How to cook brown rice.

      Reply
  36. Kothai

    February 18, 2014 at 5:39 pm

    Thanks for the recipe. Good to start with my millet cooking 🙂

    Reply
  37. Subha Shini

    April 1, 2014 at 12:08 pm

    hi, thank u for your guideline but i would like to know how to remove the husk for the millet like thinai and cholam at home

    Reply
  38. saranya nandhagopal

    April 6, 2014 at 2:41 pm

    hi padhu am finding difficult to clean pearl milllet,after cleaning it in running water also while eating am finding stones. am buying it in good super market. please guide me how to clean it….

    Reply
    • Padhu Sankar

      April 13, 2014 at 2:32 am

      Subha and Saranya – I buy millets only from health stores. The thinai they give (yellow color) can be cooked as such. Since I buy from health stores,I cook everything after washing. I do know how to remove husk as I buy only cleaned ones as you can see in the first picture above. Varagu alone-we get both white and light brown color and we can cook both as such. Regarding cleaning millets, you have to clean just as you clean and wash rice. If there are stones,I pick it up manually or I use a sieve or strainer to wash the milllet so that the fine sand particles and other small stones get washed off. Hope I have made it clear as I get questions frequently as to how to remove the husk from millet.

      Reply
  39. kousalya

    April 10, 2014 at 1:29 pm

    I prepared thaval dosai by samai rice instead of usual rice . It is excellent

    Reply
  40. Padhu Sankar

    April 15, 2014 at 5:52 am

    Vijaya – I have given the millets names in Kannada

    Millet names in Kannada

    Little millet -Same
    Finger millet -ragi
    Foxtail millet -navane
    Kudo millet -Harka
    Pearl millet -sajje
    Sorghum – Jola
    Proso millet – baragu

    Reply
  41. Mahesh Kumar

    April 17, 2014 at 11:34 am

    Thank you for your relevent information about our healthy old foods , i am very happy . you pls provide information regarding how to get this millets.

    Mahesh kumar

    Reply
  42. webspecies

    April 26, 2014 at 11:38 am

    Hi Ms. Padma
    Your blog is simple, elegant and socially very essential with dependable information presented aesthetically from entirely your own inputs thanks to your all-rounded creativity. Be it so, my first stop for any culinary consultation is your website. My request is that you may expand this blog or start a new blog sharing your skills and experiences in ORGANIC kitchen gardening. Hope you find time.
    On another aspect, some of your fans here have wanted to know how to dehull foxtail millet (thinai). One may soak it with little water just to wet it sumptuously (in tamil called "pesari vekkirathu"). After 15 20 minutes, put in a mixie jar and using WHIPPER mode pulse-run a few times until you feel the husk has considerably be removed by visual inspection. Then use a winnow (tamil"muram") and shake-separate the lighter husk out very much like grandmas used to do with flattened rice ie "aval" (in tamil "kozhikkirathu and pudaikkirathu"). Repeated exercises from step 1 may be needed for a thorough job if preferred. One can also pour water and remove husk by floatation technique. I have done this successfully with thinai.

    Thanks to your efforts and this information age is made productive only through such untiring interest in sharing knowledge by people of your ilk. Keep it up and Best wishes.

    Regards
    Prof. Dr Ravichandran

    Reply
  43. nagamani seshadri

    May 3, 2014 at 1:24 pm

    hai padhu pls post some millets ready mix recipes its very useful forpeople like me. pls consider my request

    Reply
  44. akila namby

    May 6, 2014 at 5:24 pm

    Hi, am a great follower of your blog. I refer to your recipes almost everyday.ur recipe on thinai adai is a classic. I just wanted share a recipe with bajra/kambu. Its kambu dosai and for this you need the proportion is 8portions of kambu: 1 portion of urad dal: 1tsp fenugreek : 1portion of boiled rice. The rest of the process is exactly how dosai batter is made.
    U are doing a great job indeed!!

    Reply
    • Padhu Sankar

      May 12, 2014 at 9:08 am

      Thank you very much for liking my blog and recipes Akila.Refer my
      Easy Kambu/Bajra dosa recipe.

      Reply
    • Rapabi

      September 24, 2015 at 6:11 pm

      Loved your post on millets… Thank u tag blessed

      Reply
  45. Arthanareeswaran Mylsamy

    May 15, 2014 at 11:31 am

    where can i get these kambu,thinai,varagu and kudhiraivali in chennai?
    can you specify any specific departmental store?

    Reply
  46. Sangeetha Bharathi

    May 28, 2014 at 10:10 am

    How to remove the husk

    Reply
  47. Vidhya Chandramoulee

    June 4, 2014 at 4:05 am

    good posting about the millets,but for beginners why don't you throw light on identifying those millets!!!

    Reply
  48. M.Sundar

    June 5, 2014 at 1:54 pm

    Excellent work

    Reply
  49. sureshpreeth

    July 8, 2014 at 7:25 am

    mam, when i prepared thinai porridge, it was well cooked but the outer grain like layer was very crunchy, seems like not cooked well. how to overcome this problem.

    Reply
    • Padhu Sankar

      July 13, 2014 at 9:12 am

      My apologies for the late reply. I had been on a vacation to UK. Try dry roasting thinai until it is hot to touch. Then cook as usual.

      Reply
    • janani

      July 31, 2014 at 3:48 am

      hi padhu , i love ur presentation very neat one.
      Clarify my doubt pls. thinai need soaking ? cant we cooking with out soaking????

      Reply
  50. Ishwarya Balasubramanian

    October 17, 2014 at 9:07 am

    Hi Padhu,
    As a beginner cook, I refer to your recipes mostly. You have done an amazing job. I first read about the word millets in your site. For the current generation, it is a word that is never heard of. Since then, I did a lot of research on millets and for the past 9 months, me and my husband have been having millets instead of rice. I advocated it to all my friends and I was overwhelmed by the benefits that I even thought of writing a research paper.
    However, I was recently diagnosed with hypothyroid and I read that millets slow down thyroid activity. In fact, millets is a strict no-no for thyroid patients.I request you to please highlight this in ur web page in BOLD so that people who are switching partially/fully to a millet diet will make informed choices. Millet consumption will worsen thyroid condition and should be consumed in moderate quantities. People who are wanting to lose weight by switching to millets will actually gain weight if they have hypothyroid.I am only writing this because your site has a large following and better reach. Keep inspiring people!!! Thank you so much for ur amazing and simple recipes…

    Reply
    • the blogger formerly known as sansmerci

      May 28, 2016 at 3:18 am

      Does it his apply to all millets or only foxtail (thinai) since that's the one named millet in other countries.. Are we still OK with ragi and kannu?

      Reply
    • Padhu Sankar

      May 28, 2016 at 11:41 am

      As far as I read, it applies to all millets. Anything in excess is not good. Having millets in moderation is good for our health.

      Reply
  51. kala

    October 17, 2014 at 6:50 pm

    Hi padu i have panivaragu can u tel me how to cook

    Reply
  52. Sridevi Swami

    October 27, 2014 at 9:42 am

    Can we add samai and varagu arisi with sathu maavu ingredients. Pls help me

    Reply
    • Padhu Sankar

      October 27, 2014 at 10:10 am

      Kala – you can cook panivaragu also in the same manner.

      Sridevi -Do not add .Today I made sathu maavu – I will post that recipe soon. I drink only that sathu maavu kanji everyday.

      Reply
    • Sridevi Swami

      October 27, 2014 at 10:28 am

      Thank u. Thanks a lot. Awaiting for ur recipe

      Reply
  53. kala

    October 27, 2014 at 6:42 pm

    hi I prepared idiyappam flour as u said but after some time it became rotten why like that …

    Reply
    • Padhu Sankar

      October 29, 2014 at 8:47 am

      Kala – there is nothing wrong with the recipe as I have just ask to soak raw rice for few hours, drain and dry on a cloth. Then grind it to a fine powder and roast it. You would not have roasted properly. If there is moisture in the flour, it will get spoiled. Even after roasting, you have to spread it in a plate to cool and then only store it.

      Reply
  54. Padmapriya

    November 22, 2014 at 3:03 am

    Hi Padhu, your recipes are great. BTW, I have these millets shipped here(US) in the form of powder.. can I use them instantly ( without soaking for 5-6 hours) for making idlis just like rava idlis( 30 mins) ?

    Reply
  55. Hema Deenan

    November 25, 2014 at 6:28 am

    hi padhu… how r u.i am a great follower of your blog. plz tell me how to prepare kozhukattai with raw kelvaragu….

    Reply
  56. Natesan

    December 15, 2014 at 7:18 am

    Thanks a lot for the receipe. I bought these millets 15 days ago and am wondering how to prepare. I asked my wife to learn from neighbours. However, I got these now to prepare. I will come back once I prepare and eat for feedback.

    Reply
  57. usharani sarangapani

    February 9, 2015 at 10:31 am

    Cooked thinai rice today. Put a little more than two cups water. Guess should've put more cos it didn't seem as cooked as I'd want it to be. Also, are millets safe/good for those with digestive issues?

    Reply
  58. Vijiskitchencreations

    February 20, 2015 at 11:06 pm

    Hi Padma. Nice healthy recipes. If u don't mind can u post some diet lower colesterol recipes. Thank u very much.

    Reply
  59. Bright

    February 28, 2015 at 4:00 pm

    Hi is this also known as Quinoa. Tia

    Reply
  60. janakiram.n

    March 1, 2015 at 3:38 pm

    Hi Padhu, your recipes are great.

    Reply
  61. Divya Shankar

    April 12, 2015 at 6:54 am

    Hi,

    I have been making dosa and idli using varagu and kuthiravali arisi for some time now. I just wanted to know if it is ok to give them to my 2 1/2 year old son, he is used to having ragi porridge along with milk, are these millets ok for toddlers? Please advise

    Reply
    • Padhu Sankar

      April 14, 2015 at 12:37 pm

      You can give idli but start with very less quantity. Do not give millets regularly. You can alternate between various food grains.Also consult your pediatrician before starting any new food for the baby.

      Reply
  62. anitha kamath

    April 15, 2015 at 8:04 am

    Padma, a very good post indeed, I have got bajra grits, barely grits do i cook the same way, I am a bit confused as they are not whole grains but in grit format

    Reply
    • Padhu Sankar

      April 15, 2015 at 10:18 am

      Thank you Anitha. In fact, grits are more easy to cook and takes less time than whole grains. Follow the same procedure for cooking.

      Reply
  63. Aishwarya Rao

    July 30, 2015 at 1:29 pm

    Hi Padma ,

    Very Useful Post . I just want to know how best i can include these grains in my kids Diet . One is about 4 years old and other is just 1 year .thankyou

    Reply
    • Padhu Sankar

      July 31, 2015 at 7:10 am

      Thank you Aishwarya for liking this post. For the 4 year old you can give idli , dosa with millets. You will find the recipes in my millet page. For the 1 year old, you can give idli (start with less quantity -like just 1/2 or 1 idli ) .Also use millets in moderation.

      Reply
    • Aishwarya Rao

      August 4, 2015 at 2:04 pm

      Thanks Padma. I have started to include Millets and hope to find a difference soon . thanks for the inspiring recipes.

      Reply
  64. Mydhili

    February 1, 2016 at 5:20 am

    Hi Padhu..Is Quinoa and Pearl millets same ..Because I am getting telugu word as Sajjalu for both..Please let me know..I want to introduce healthy recipes to my family with Millets/Quinoa/couscous 🙂

    Reply
    • Padhu Sankar

      February 1, 2016 at 7:13 am

      Quinoa and pearl millet are not the same. You must ask for quinoa. It is available online and in big supermarkets. Quinoa is a seed and not a grain.

      Reply
  65. Admin

    February 13, 2016 at 7:35 am

    Is non-stick cookware okay to be used to cook any millet rice?
    Thanks.

    Reply
    • Padhu Sankar

      February 15, 2016 at 6:26 am

      Yes, you can use it to cook millets. Discard non stick pans, if the coating comes off.

      Reply
  66. venkhat

    March 2, 2016 at 1:35 pm

    i found your site by accident, but nothing is an accident, maybe it was time, thanks , just shared it with a friend too.

    Reply
  67. vidhya subramanian

    April 6, 2016 at 5:12 pm

    I have tried some your recipes its excellent. I am planning to try all of them but this perticular one is very good. I even checked if my amma knew these. Guess what she did, but all these years she only used some of it in our pourage which I never new. But we are going to start using in our daily meals. Keep up the good work. Awaiting for more such informative blogs from you.

    Reply
  68. sooriya jayaraman

    April 10, 2016 at 2:55 pm

    Hi! Can you please tell me the best way to remove excessive starch from varagu or kuthravali ? I always end up having too much starch even after i cook? Where could i be going wrong ? I do soak it for quite somtime before cooking it

    Reply
  69. Srilakshmi Ch

    May 27, 2016 at 12:05 pm

    HI Padhu,
    Can we eat above millets every day in small quantities(each variety for one day),like replacing Curd rice with Curd millet..?

    Reply
    • Padhu Sankar

      May 31, 2016 at 1:44 pm

      I am not sure but have read that we can have 5 times in a week (which means if you have for breakfast, it counts as 1 time). Anything in moderation is fine.

      Reply
    • Srilakshmi Ch

      June 1, 2016 at 7:25 am

      Ok,Thank you for the reply..
      You are a great guide to me,thanks a lot..

      Reply
  70. Unknown

    July 25, 2016 at 4:33 am

    After d rice is prepared can we use it for lunch box only d rice

    Reply
    • Padhu Sankar

      July 29, 2016 at 3:28 pm

      Yes. If you want to take it for lunch, cook with little more water as it tends to dry as it cools.

      Reply
  71. Anonymous

    August 9, 2016 at 1:52 pm

    Thankyou for this healthy recipe. Are all the varieties of millet easily available in the market? I stay in Mumbai. Could you suggest some good sources?

    Reply
    • Padhu Sankar

      August 11, 2016 at 6:56 am

      In Tamil Nadu, it is easily available. I do not know about Mumbai. But you get all millets online. Just google and find.

      Reply
  72. well wisher

    August 17, 2016 at 8:18 am

    hi pads, read your reciepes. good and useful pl clarify if we can have these millets for dinner. some says that it is not good for dinner as it takes time for digestion. other clarification required is can we use millet on the same day when we use wheat flour

    Reply
    • Padhu Sankar

      August 18, 2016 at 10:22 am

      Thank you. You can have millets for dinner as long as it does not give you any problems. It is not a problem, if you use millet and wheat flour on the same day provided you do not have any problem. I have had millet for lunch and rotis for dinner and have not faced any problem so far. Depends on the individual.

      Reply
  73. raquel

    September 14, 2016 at 6:48 am

    hello everyone, I am from the Philippines and foxtail millet is one of our traditional crops which was forgotten because of the cultivation of some other important and highly commercialized cereals like rice and corn… with the dedication to bring back this crop in agriculture sector as another food option… I am currently working on a research production and utilization of this crop, however due to limited reviews and experience there are some vague areas about the processing of this crop… like the milling and the threshing… does anyone of you has idea how to do it either traditionally or in conventional method… It would be a great help… thank you very much…

    Reply
  74. Kumarasamy Mariappan

    September 21, 2016 at 8:21 am

    Thanks for sharing these olden days information.
    Will helpful for the needy people….

    Reply
  75. tumblingthoughts

    September 24, 2016 at 7:03 am

    I am surprised at fhe amount of comments here that say that they have not heard of millet. Very sad our education failed so much. Most of our traditional practices are mixed with religion and when those religious poetry are removed from language education and also when more and more students are shying away from learning Tamil in school, it is worrying what will be left of for the younger generation to learn as google and internet are not everything. It is in my Tamil class that I learnt about thenum thinai maavum 25 years ago may be in high school. Hope somehow our education is preserved along with tradition.

    Reply
  76. Srinath Rajkumar

    October 24, 2016 at 3:47 pm

    Hi pls tell me the shops to buy, approx what will be price per kg of all these grains

    Reply
  77. Jyothi

    January 11, 2017 at 8:17 pm

    As usual you are a saviour. I have learnt so many recipes from your posts here. Millets now have to become an integral part of my diet as I am diagnosed with diabetes now that too high counts!

    Thank you.

    Reply
  78. Anita Sunil

    January 25, 2017 at 9:23 am

    Hi Padhu, I tried thinai veg rice today by pressure cooker with 1:3 ratio. I soaked it in normal water for about 3 hours..but it didn't expanded at all and while cooking also it didn't get cooked..its outer skin was crunchy like eating thavidu and its size was also as it is…I am totally disappointed..help.pls..

    Reply
    • Padhu Sankar

      January 25, 2017 at 11:34 am

      I am really sorry to hear that. I suggest that you buy millets which has been cleaned of the husk and packed. It is available in all health stores. For thinai alone, dry roast it and try cooking it. Hope this helps.

      Reply
  79. Kal Yani

    March 26, 2017 at 5:22 am

    uѕєful

    Reply
  80. Chetan Naik

    April 8, 2017 at 12:14 am

    In north Karnataka Jowar Roti is still a staple , we used to grow them, not any more.
    Making Jowar roti is harder than making Chapati,Phulka or any wheat/maida based roti. Unfortunately , people are slowly switching to easier option of making and eating wheat and rice based recipes.

    Reply
  81. Param@SR

    July 31, 2017 at 2:20 pm

    I have done away with rice for few months now and was using Foxtail Millet but trying Finger Millet for the first time..I purchased Finger Millet (as substitute for rice) – Is it required to soak it in water overnight before keeping in Electic Cooker next day or is it enough if we soak just before keeping in Electric Cooker? ….Tried keeping in the ratio of 1:3 and 1:2 but the boiling is not coming correctly – please share how should I cook it. I use this for my lunch and dinner…

    Reply
  82. preethi

    December 5, 2017 at 2:19 pm

    Dear madam,
    Can we use all the 4 millets along with ragi and bajra together to make idli/dosa batter? Can we use a little bit of parboiled rice to this?

    Reply
    • Padhu Sankar

      December 6, 2017 at 8:00 am

      Yes, you can do with or without rice. Use urad dal (soak and grind it separately). You can check my mixed millet panirayams.

      Reply
  83. Gayathri

    February 4, 2018 at 12:57 pm

    Love your recipes, hats off to you! Thanks

    Reply
  84. Aruna

    May 9, 2018 at 11:33 am

    Thank you Padhu very useful info

    Reply
  85. Pratibha Jain

    July 26, 2018 at 2:08 am

    Enjoyed the post, and your replied Padhu. Excellent work. Thanks for the post. Just what I need as I am experimenting with millets now.

    Reply
  86. Bhaskhar

    August 6, 2019 at 5:20 pm

    Fantastic. I refer to your recipe for cooking. I enjoy cooking. Pls give me a method to prepare Millet pongal Thanks

    Reply
    • PadhuSankar

      August 8, 2019 at 10:11 am

      Thank you for liking my recipes. Millet pongal is already there. Use the search box to find it.

      Reply
  87. Mary G

    September 22, 2020 at 11:59 pm

    THANKS A MILLION for all your recipes!
    Your site is my go-to place for Tamil style food. I want to learn our traditional food which is very healthy instead of gulping down supplements.

    Reply

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Meet Padhu, the Chef, the photographer, recipe developer and web designer behind Padhuskitchen which features Simple Indian Vegetarian recipes, healthy recipes, kids friendly recipes, Indian festival recipes, traditional South Indian Vegetarian ...

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