Pearl-Millet Drink

In our family, our grandparents and parents were raised in the country side and they used to eat whatever they get in their farms. One of such staple food from South-Indian country side is millet drink. This drink is consumed either as breakfast or lunch along with spicy roasted veggies. A heart-warming and definitely a heart-healthy food. Millet is found to be gluten free and is good for regular consumption. In one of the diet plan I'm following these days, it suggests to consume millet in the place of wheat/rice. With all these things going around and searching the internet for cooking millet, eventually I turn to my lovely mom for a recipe. The recipe I have given here is the country way of cooking millet.

Ingredients:

Millet - 1/2 cup
Water - 700 ml
Salt
Buttermilk - 1 1/2 cups

Preparation:

Millet drink

Wash and soak millet in enough water overnight. In the morning, grind millet coarsely with some water and salt (absolutely necessary to use salt at this time). Heat water in a big pot and once the water is warm enough, add ground millet into the water. Now keep mixing it until thoroughly blended. Leave it in stove until the millet is thickened and check whether it is cooked. It should probably take anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes. Now ferment the cooked millet for around 10 to 12 hours. When you are ready to prepare it, mix buttermilk with the millet to make it as a drink in the consistency of smoothie. Have it with spicy roasted veggies as side.

Millet drink with beet-carrot curry (Our lunch menu)

Beet-Carrot stir fry

Beet - 1
Carrot - 2
Onion- 1/2
Grated coconut - 1/8 cup
Green/ Red chillies - 2
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Chana dal - 1 tbsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Cilantro - 1/8 cup
Oil - 2 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp

Grate beet and carrot. Finely chop the onion. Add oil in the pan and when hot, add chana dal, mustard seeds and urad dal. After the dals turn golden, add onion. Once onion turn translucent, add grated veggies and salt. Allow it to cook for 5-7 minutes. Garnish with coconut and cilantro.