Goodbye wheat, rice and maida. Hello Millets!

Save yourself the post Diwali guilt trip by conjuring your homemade mithais with the superfood.

We bring you three speedy recipes that are nourishing, yummy, healthy and are sure to light up your festive celebrations. What's great is that they don't contain sugar. Happy Millets Diwali.

Kodo Millet Kheer

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 1 cup kodo or barnyard millets
• 4 cups milk
• ½ cup coconut sugar or shredded gud or jaggery
• 1 tbsp charoli 
• Handful cashews, slivered
• Handful almonds, slivered
• Handful pistachios, halved
• Pinch green elaichi or cardamom powder
• Pinch jaiphal or nutmeg powder
• Few kesar or saffron strands
• 1½ tbsp oil or ghee

Method 

• Pour ½ tbsp of the oil in a microwave/oven safe glass bowl. 
  Add the charoli, cashews and almonds.
  Mix and on micro mode in the microwave, let it roast for 1½ minutes.
  Stir twice in between.
  Take out of the microwave, transfer into another bowl and keep aside.
  Alternatively, you can roast the charoli, cashews and almonds in a kadhai or frying pan kept over low heat with ½ tbsp oil.
• Add 1 tbsp oil in the same glass bowl or in a saucepan  over low heat.
  Add the kodo millets.
  Roast for 2 minutes in the microwave or on the stove, pausing after every minute to stir.
  Add the milk, saffron strands, coconut sugar/jaggery.
  Mix well and cook for 10 minutes.
  Add the cardamom powder and the nutmeg powder.
  Mix well and cook again for 2 minutes.
  Take out of the microwave or off the heat, garnish with the saffron strands.
  Garnish with the pistachio halves.
  Serve hot.

Barnyard Millet Halwa

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 1 cup kodo or barnyard millets
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup grated jaggery
• 2 tbsp ghee
• ¼ cup cashews
• Handful raisins
• Pinch green elaichi or cardamom powder

Method 

• Add 1 tbsp of ghee in a microwave/oven safe wide glass bowl or kadhai or frying pan over low-medium heat.
  Add the cashews and the raisins. 
  Roast it for 2 minutes in the frying pan or in micro mode in the microwave, making sure to stir in between.
  Take off heat or out of the microwave, transfer the roasted raisins and cashews into another bowl.
  Keep aside.
• In the same glass bowl or kadhai, add 1 tbsp ghee.
  Add the barnyard millets and mix.
  Cook on the stove or in the microwave for 2 minutes.
  Add the water.
  Mix well and cook for 7 minutes.
  Take off heat or out of the microwave and add the jaggery.
  Mix well.
  Cook again for 6 minutes.
  Take out of the microwave or off heat and garnish with the roasted cashews, raisins and the cardamom powder.
  Serve hot.

Pearl Millet Barfi

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1½ cup bajra or pearl millet flour, roasted
• 1 cup jaggery powder
• 1 cup sesame seeds, powdered
• ½ cup sesame seeds, unpowdered
• 3 tbsp ghee + extra to grease the plate 
• Pinch green elaichi or cardamom powder
• 3 tbsp water
• Handful pistachios, to garnish, halved
• Handful almonds, to garnish, slivered

Method 

• In a microwave/oven-safe glass bowl or saucepan, add the water and the jaggery powder.
  Mix well so  there are no lumps.
  Cook in the microwave or over low-medium heat on the stove for 2 minutes, stirring a couple of times in between.
  Add the ghee.
  Add the roasted millet flour.
  Mix well and cook for 3 minutes, stirring in between.
  Add the powdered sesame seeds, unpowdered sesame seeds and the cardamom powder.
  Mix well.
  Cook again for 2 minutes.
  Once the mixture thickens, take out of the microwave or off heat and pour this mixture onto a lightly greased square plate.
  Spread it evenly, garnish with the nuts and keep aside to cool.
  Cut it into squares.
  Serve immediately or refrigerate and store for a few weeks.

Recipes: Kind courtesy Godrej Appliances

• REDIFF RECIPES