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Different types of millets in India
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Today's post is about different types of millets (Siruthaniyam vagaigal in Tamil) varieties, its health benefits, nutritional information/calories for millets and its names in different languages like English, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam, Kannada that are available in India. I must thank my in-laws for giving me knowledge about these millets (Siruthaniyam in Tamil). Nowadays people are becoming more and more health conscious. We all started looking for some better alternatives for rice and wheat to reduce its daily consumption. For those people, millets are really wonder grains or miracle grains I should say.
Millets are the power house of fiber, calcium, minerals & Iron. When my in-laws told me about these millets I had no idea of how it looks, where to buy & how to cook them too. So my FIL bought me 1/2 kg in each variety from Lee bazaar, Salem – Tamil nadu. I tried some recipes with it and everything came out very well. Then I started buying some varieties like kambu, thinai & varagu from a shop nearby my house in Bangalore.
Before sharing all those recipes, I wanted to make a post mentioning about the different types of millets, How to identify them, How to name it in different languages, where to buy & its health benefits . I have made a separate post on
“How to cook Millets”. This post would be more of essays/stories with pictures. This is just an introductory post for millets. I will share some interesting recipes from next week. Thanks for visiting this page. Hope it would be useful for beginners. Start including millets in your daily cooking. Have a happy and healthy life !
U can find these topics below
What is millet
Names of millets in different languages
Where to buy millets in Bangalore
Health benefits of millets
Foxtail millet
Pearl millet
Barnyard millet
Little millet
Finger millet
Kodo millet
Disclaimer : All the nutritional information given here is from a millet book and www.milletindia.org
Check out my "HOW TO COOK MILLETS" in 3 different ways if interested !
Also see my varieties of MILLET RECIPES to include in your regular cooking.
Check out my
MILLET POWDER / SATHUMAAVU and MILLET LADOO RECIPE.
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| Millet varieties in India |
WHAT ARE MILLETS
Millets are a group of highly variable small-seeded grasses, widely grown around the world as cereal crops or grains for both human food and fodder. Its not just a type of bird seed. It can be consumed by humans in the form of pilafs, snacks and cookies too. It has a sweet nutty flavor. Millets are widely grown in Africa and Northen China. It is gluten free & rich in calcium, fiber, protein and minerals. It has high nutritional values when compared with rice and wheat. Millets are called as miracle grains or wonder grains. It is a great food for people looking for weight loss, diabetic and cardiac patients.
Should anyone avoid eating it?
People with thyroid problems should avoid eating millet on a daily basis as it is believed to contain some goitrogen properties. Some people may also experience indigestion. So consume in moderation. Its better to pre soak millets for 6 hours, drain the soaked water and then use it. It helps to avoid indigestion and stomach problems.
Source : Wikipedia
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GLOSSARY- NAMES OF MILLETS IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES
Source: Google and Wikipedia
MILLETS NAME IN TAMIL
| English |
Tamil |
| Finger Millet |
Kezhvaragu |
| Kodo Millet |
Varagu |
| Foxtail Millet |
Thinai |
| Little Millet |
Samai |
| Barnyard Millet |
Kuthiravali |
| Pearl Millet |
Kambu |
| Sorghum |
Cholam |
MILLETS NAME IN HINDI
| English |
Hindi |
| Finger Millet |
Nachani /mundua |
| Kodo Millet |
Koden/Kodra |
| Foxtail Millet |
Kangni/Rala |
| Little Millet |
Kutki |
| Barnyard Millet |
Jhangora |
| Pearl Millet |
Bajra |
| Sorghum |
Jowar |
MILLETS NAME IN TELUGU
| English |
Telugu |
| Finger Millet |
Ragula |
| Kodo Millet |
Arikelu |
| Foxtail Millet |
Korra |
| Little Millet |
Sama |
| Barnyard Millet |
Odalu |
| Pearl Millet |
Sajjalu |
| Sorghum |
Jonna |
MILLETS NAMES IN KANNADA
| English |
Kannada |
| Finger Millet |
Ragi |
| Kodo Millet |
Harka |
| Foxtail Millet |
Navane |
| Little Millet |
Saame |
| Barnyard Millet |
Oodalu |
| Pearl Millet |
Sajje |
| Sorghum |
Jola |
MILLETS NAMES IN MALYALAM
| English |
Malayalam |
| Finger Millet |
Panji pullu |
| Kodo Millet |
Koovaragu |
| Foxtail Millet |
Thina |
| Little Millet |
Chama |
| Barnyard Millet |
Kavadapullu |
| Pearl Millet |
Kambam |
| Sorghum |
Cholam |
WHERE TO BUY MILLETS IN BANGALORE
You can find millets in most of the organic stores, online organic shops and departmental stores like Big bazaar, Metro cash and carry, Nilgiris, Dmart in metro cities like Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Mumbai.
There are some other shops who supply millets from farmers to the end users. Here is the list.
For more details on organic stores in Bangalore, You can try Organic mandya in HSR layout. Dmart Healthy choice brand is good. Manna Millet is really bad. Most of the time it has dust and sand in it.
Earth360 – www.earth360.in, [email protected] +919440870875
Sahaja Organics – New No. 19, Old No. 665, 1st floor, Opp: Times of India, Sajjanrao road, VV Puram 080 26612315/ 26661420
Timbuktu Organics – You can buy their products across outlets in Bangalore.
Era Organics – No. 348, Dollars Colony, RMV Club Double Road, RMV Second Stage Ph: 80- 41606003/41606004
Navadarshanam, stocked in Mother Earth, Namdhari and other retail stores across the city.
Nativefoodstore for Chennai people and online purchase. |
Nowadays Millets are widely available in all over India. You can find in big departmental stores like Dmart, Metro cash n carry, Big bazaar, Nilgiris etc or in online like big basket, Amazon.in etc.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF MILLETS
These are some of the general health benefits of millets when consumed everyday!
Source: Whfoods.com
- Millets are generally rich in Protein, Fibre, Calcium, Iron & Minerals especially Magnesium, copper & phosphorous.
- It helps to reduce cholesterol, lowers blood pressure. It helps in the development, repair of body cells and tissues.
- It helps to lower the risk of Type 2 Diabetes especially for women.
- Its high insoluble fibre helps to prevent Gallstones formation.
- Pre-menopausal women eating millets have a reduced breast cancer risk.
How to select and buy
Millet is generally available in its hulled and whole-grain form. It is available in pre-packaged as well as in bulk containers. Just as with any other food that you may purchase in the bulk section, make sure that the bins containing the millet are covered to ensure its maximal freshness. Whether purchasing millet in bulk or in a packaged container, make sure that there is no evidence of moisture.
Store millet in an airtight container in a cool, dry and dark place, where it will keep for several months.
Millet is not a commonly allergenic food and is not known to contain measurable amounts of oxalates or purines.
Check out my "HOW TO COOK MILLETS" in 3 different ways if interested !
Check out my Millet Energy mix powder / Millet sathumaavu too. |
KAMBU/PEARL MILLET
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| Kambu/Pearl millet |
Pearl millet known as Kambu in Tamil, Bajra in Hindi, Sajje in Kannada, Sajjalu in Telugu and Kambam in Malayalam is a miracle millet which has iron that is 8 times of rice. It is very rich in Calcium, Protein, Iron and Magnesium. It helps to reduce the bad cholestral level in our body. Its a great body coolant. Its consumed as porridge during summer. It helps to improve the digestion power & heals stomach ulcers too. It helps to improve bowel movements and prevents constipation. It makes our body strong. It helps to increase the secretion of milk for lactating mothers !
Nutrition Information Per 100gm
| Serving Size | The serving size, in terms of the number of volume or mass |
| Calories | 378kcal for 100gm |
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| Minerals (grams) | 2.3 |
| Iron(mg) | 16.9 |
| Calcium (mg) | 38 |
| Protein (grams) | 10.6 |
Fiber (grams)
| 1.3 |
Check out my Kambu recipes to make kids eat them.
FINGER MILLET/RAGI
Finger millet popularly known as Ragi in Kannada, Keppai in tamil, Ragula in Telugu & panji pullu in Malayalam, Nachani/mandua in Hindi is a well known millet & consumed widely by the people all over the world.Ragi has the highest mineral & calcium content when compared to all whole grains & minerals. It is called as wonder grain. It is a powerhouse of protein & amino acids. It helps to reduce the heat of the body. It also helps to heal ulcers & anemia. Its a great replacement for rice & wheat especially for diabetic patients.
Nutrition Information for 100gm
| Serving Size | The serving size, in terms of the number of volume or mass |
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| Iron (mg) | 3.9 |
| Calcium(mg) | 344 |
| Fat (grams) | 8.4 |
| Protein (grams) | 7.3 |
| Fiber (grams) | 3.6 |
| Minerals (grams) | 2.7 |
FOXTAIL MILLET/THINAI
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| Foxtail millet/ thinai |
Foxtail millet known as thinai in Tamil, Kangni/Rala in Hindi, Navane in Kannada, Korra in telugu and thina in Malayalam is first of millet varities that was used in ancient days. Foxtail millet is high in carbohydrates. It is rich in dietry fiber and minerals such as Copper and Iron. It helps us to keep our body strong and immune. It helps to control blood sugar and cholesteral levels.
Nutrition Information for 100gm
| Serving Size | The serving size, in terms of the number of volume or mass |
| Calories | 364 |
| Minerals(grams) | 3.3 |
| Iron(g) | 2.8 |
| Calcium (Milli grams) | 31 |
| Fat (grams) | 4.3 |
| Protein (grams) | 12.3 |
| Fiber (grams) | 8 |
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Check out my
KODO MILLET/VARAGU
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| Kodo millet/ Varagu |
Kodo millet known as varagu in Tamil, Harka in Kannada, Koovaragu in Malayalam, Kodra in Hindi and Arikelu in Telugu. Its basically a digestion friendly millet. It is rich in phytochemicals, Phytate that helps in reduction of cancer risks. It helps to reduce the body weight which is most needed for obese people. It helps to overcome irregular period problems in women. It helps to reduce knee & joint pains. Also it is good for diabetic people. It reduces nervous disorders especially in eyes.
Nutrition Information Per 100gms
| Serving Size | The serving size, in terms of the number of volume or mass |
| Calories | 309 |
| Fat (grams) | 2.2 |
| Iron (mg) | 0.8 |
| Calcium (milligrams) | 14 |
| Minerals(grams) | 1.9 |
| Protein (grams) | 12.5 |
| Fiber (grams) | 2.2 |
Check out my
BARNYARD MILLET/KUTHIRAIVALI
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| Barnyard millet - Kuthiravali |
Barnyard millet known as kuthiraivali in Tamil, Oodalu in Kannada, odalu in Telugu, Jhangora in Hindi and Kavadapullu in Malayalam which has 6 times high fiber content when compared with wheat. Its a gluten free millet with high calcium, phosporous & fiber. It is high in carbohydates & fat too. It helps to maintain the body temperature. It acts as a good anti oxidant too.
Nutrition Information Per 100gms
| Serving Size | The serving size, in terms of the number of volume or mass |
| Calories | 342 |
| Iron(mg) | 15.2 |
| Fat (grams) | 4 |
| Calcium(Milli grams) | 11 |
| Protein (grams) | 11.2 |
| Fiber (grams) | 10.1 |
| Minerals(grams) | 4.4 |
Check out my
LITTLE MILLET/SAMAI
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| Little millet - Saamai |
Little millet known as saamai in Tamil, Kutki in Hindi, Saame in Kannada,Sama in Telugu & chama in Malayalam is a wonderful millet which is suitable for people of all age groups. It helps to prevent constipation & heals all the problems related to stomach. It improves the semen counts of men. It also helps for women with irregular periods problems. Its high fiber helps to reduce the fat depositions in the body.
Nutrition Information Per 100gms
| Serving Size | The serving size, in terms of the number of volume or mass |
| Calories | 207 |
| Minerals(grams) | 1.5 |
| Protein (grams) | 7.7 |
| Fiber (grams) | 7.6 |
Iron(mg)
Calcium(mg) | 9.3
17 |
You may like to see
SAMAI BIRYANI
SAMAI SWEET PONGAL
Check out my
"HOW TO COOK MILLETS" in 3 different ways if interested !
Also see my varieties of
MILLET RECIPES to include in your regular cooking
.
Check out my
Millet Energy mix powder / Millet sathumaavu and a sweet ladoo recipe with millet powder.
