Manage your health and diabetes with Pearl millet Khichdi

Why healthy eating matter?

What is the most common and globally seen problem in today’s world? Health problems and diseases, ranging from normal common colds to life-threatening ones like T.B., Cancers, and the most trending Coronavirus.

90% of diseases occur due to our unhealthy lifestyles and food habits. Eating wrong and living a sedentary life are the two prime factors for any disease to occur. So why not change this trend of getting a disease, then running to doctors and wasting all your hard-earned money and savings to cure that disease? 

Let’s try our best to kick off these unwanted guests from our beautiful world. This agenda can be achieved by nicely growing and increasing Immunity. Immunity! What does this mean? Immunity is basically a defence system that uses antibodies to keep our body free from diseases. 

Today, we will be discussing quick, healthy and immunity-increasing food. It is Bajre ki Khichdi or Pearl millet khichdi. 

Why are millets so healthy?

Millet cookies, millet upma, millet dosa, millet porridge, millet pulao etc. Today, the world is rotating with millets! Fortified food companies are also seeking ways to attract more consumers by giving a twist to their munchies using millet. So what’s so special about these millets? What is the thing that makes millet come in the first position, making people almost forget about their staple grains: rice and wheat? 

Nutritional values in millets as compared to other grains:

1. Being gluten-free and with a low glycemic index, millets are always a better option than white rice. 
2. Millets are considered friendly crops because of their versatility to grow even in harsh climatic conditions. 
3. Millets are loaded with fibres, proteins, vitamins and minerals, making them nutritious and healthy. 
4. It is deficient in cholesterol and fat content, thus making it an ideal choice for heart patients. 
5. Being unpolished and naturally derived, it is the best choice for those with pre or current health conditions. 

Note: Both millet and grains make for a balanced diet and provide a healthy body and mind. We should never compare grains with millet, as both are important in their ways. If one relies upon millet, rice, and wheat, the consequence will be major illnesses. So, we should be cautious and wise about our food preferences. 

Pearl millet khichdi / Bajre ki Khichdi:

So, here we come with our topic of concern. Many start making their faces just by listening to the name millet khichdi! But the outcome will be totally different than what we are assuming now. 

It is filling, appetiser, calorie-dense, and nutritious. It is easy to prepare and can be served as lunch or an evening snack, etc. Bajra, also called Pearl millet, is a type of millet. It is one of the healthiest millets and is best for those with diabetes and heart problems. 

Ingredients required:

1. Bajra or pearl millet – 1 1/2 cup
2. Split moong dal – ½ cup
3. Whole masoor – ¼ cup
4. Ghee – 1 tablespoon
5. Salt as per use
6. Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon
7. Coriander seeds – 1 teaspoon
8. Black pepper powder – 1 teaspoon
9. Slit green chillies – 2
10. Ginger garlic paste – 1 tablespoon
11. Veggies of your choice (carrots, broccoli, beans, green peas, cauliflower etc)
12. Water as per needed
13. Chopped cilantro

Serves: 2

How to prepare pearl millet khichdi / bajre ki khichdi?

1. Take both the lentils and bajra in a bowl and wash thoroughly 1-2 times. 
2. After that, soak them togetherly for about 2 hours. Here we will be using the pressure cook method if you want to cook in an open pan then make sure you soak the things for about 7-8 hours. Soaking removes extra starch from the thing also makes it easier to digest. 
3. Vegetables used should be chopped in medium-small size except peas. 
4. If you use it just to stir fry vegetables and put soaked ingredients and pressure cook, then it might save your time but the khichdi won’t taste much better. It will be just cooked under high pressure
5. We will be using the soften then frying method. For that take a pressure cooker and put the soaked millets and lentils along with the chopped veggies and salt. Put thrice the amount of water and pressure cook under medium-low flame for about 2-3 whistles. We won’t be fully cooking millets as the second part of cooking will soften the millets completely. It will make the millet get dissolved along with vegetables making it taste much better. 
6. Take a heavy base pan or kadai. Put ghee and heat it. 
7. Beforehand, take a mortar pestle and coarsely grind cumin, coriander and pepper. 
8. When the ghee is desirable hot, put chillies, with the ground spices. When a nice fragrance comes, put the ginger garlic paste and stir fry in a low flame. After it releases oil, empty the cooker by putting all the things in this spice mix. 
9. Toss well in a medium flame and put some salt if required. 
10. When you see a semi-thick consistency then turn off the flame by garnishing with garam masala powder and chopped cilantro. 
11. Serve hot with papad, salad and pickle. 

Try this out and share your feedback as a comment if it helps you regulate your sugar level or if you found it a tasty alternative.