Barnyard Millet Lemon Rice Recipe

Barnyard millet is one of the oldest domesticated small millet. In India it is mainly cultivated in Orissa, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Punjab, Gujarat and hills of Uttarakhand.

Barnyard Millet Lemon Rice Recipe

 Ingredients

Barnyard Millet - 1 cup

Lemon juice - 2-3 Tbsp

Green chillies slit - 2

Peanuts or cashew - 2 Tbsp

Oil - 2 Tbsp

Mustard - 1/2 Tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 Tsp

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Finely chopped ginger - 1/2 tsp (optional)

Chana dal - 1Tsp

Urad dal - 1 Tsp

Hing - a pinch

 

 

Method

 1. Wash and drain barnyard millet. Pressure cook 1 cup of millet with 2 cups of water for 2 whistles. When the pressure releases, transfer the millet to a large plate and fluff it gently. Let it cool.

2. Take about 2 Tbsp lemon juice in a cup. Add salt and turmeric powder to it. Mix well and keep aside.

3. Heat oil in a pan and fry the peanuts or cashew until golden and crunchy. Remove it and keep aside on a plate.

4. Then in the same pan, add mustard, chana dal, urad dal, hing, ginger, green chillies and curry leaves one after the other. When the dals turn golden, add this to the lemon juice mixture prepared earlier. Mix well.

5. Now add this mixture to the cooled barnyard millet and mix gently. Do a taste test and add more salt or lemon juice if required. 

6. Serve with pickle or papad.

BARNYARD MILLET IN DIFFERENT INDIAN LANGUAGES

Barnyard millet is also called as:

Sanwa, Jhangon in hindi

Shyama in Sanskrit

Oodalu in kannada

Kuthiravaali in tamil 

Udalu or Kodisama in telugu

Shamul in Marathi

Shamula in Bengali

Sama in Gujarati

Swank in Punjabi

NUTRITIONAL PROFILE OF BARNYARD MILLET

Nutritional Composition of Barnyard Millet per 100g

Compositions             Values

Moisure                         8.74%

Protein                          10.1%

Fat                                 3.9%

Crude fibre                    6.7%

Total minerals                2.1%

Carbohydrate                68.8%

Total dietary fibre          12.5%

Insoluble dietary fibre    8.4%

Soluble dietary fibre      4.2%

Phosphorus                   281 mg

Iron                                5 mg

Magnesium                   83mg

Calcium                        19mg

Source: - IFCT 2017, Nutritive value of Indian Food, 2009.

1. Barnyard millet grains are a rich source of dietary fiber, iron, zinc, calcium, protein, magnesium, fat, vitamins, and some essential amino acids
2. It is a highly nutritious grain and an excellent substitute to rice and wheat.
3. The carbohydrate content in Barnyard millet is low and slowly digesting, which makes it a nature’s gift for the modern mankind who is engaged in sedentary activities.
4. The iron content in barnyard millet grain is about 5 mg/100 g  which is rationally higher than major cereals and millets. 
5. Among anti-nutritional compounds, barnyard millet contains lower phytic acid content compared to other grains. A lower phytate (3.30–3.70 mg/100 g) content favors the bioavailability of minerals. 
6. Barnyard millets contain no gluten and is good for people who are gluten intolerant.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF BARNYARD MILLET

1. Good for diabetics :The high ratio of carbohydrate to crude fiber, in barnyard millet, ensures the slower release of sugars in the blood, and thus aids in maintaining blood sugar level. The resistant starch in barnyard millet has shown to lower blood glucose, serum cholesterol, and triglycerides in rats. According to a study conducted by Ugare, this millet also has a low glycemic index (41.7).
2. Being rich in Iron, Barnyard millet makes an excellent addition to the diet of anemic individuals, pregnant women and children.
3. Alkaloids, steroids, carbohydrates, glycosides, tannins, phenols, and flavonoids present in barnyard millet have various ethno-medical properties like being antioxidant, anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, having a wound healing capacity, and alleviating constipation-associated diseases
4. Weight management : Millets makes a person feel fuller faster, thus preventing overeating and eventually helps in healthy weight management. Being naturally rich in fiber, millets also help to reduce problems like constipation, flatulence, bloating and stomach cramping.
5. Barnyard millet is a good source of magnesium which is known to be promoting heart health. It helps to reduce blood pressure. Reducing your blood pressure and optimizing your circulatory system is one of the best ways to protect your cardiovascular health.
6. Furthermore, the plant lignans of millets are prebiotic fiber. They are fermented in our intestine by our gut bacteria and converted to animal lignans. These animal lignans have been shown to protect against certain chronic diseases.

HOW TO USE BARNYARD MILLET

Barnyard millets can be used for traditional as well as novel foods. Unprocessed or processed grain can be cooked whole or ground to flour.

It can be cooked as rice and also a variety of dishes like idli, dosa, pongal, khichdi, snacks, porridge, cookies, noodles etc.

Due to its similarity to rice in terms of taste and texture, it can easily replace rice in a wide variety of recipes.

HOW TO COOK BARNYARD MILLET

In an open pan :

1. Wash the Barnyard millet twice.
2. For 1 cup of Barnyard millet, heat 3 cups of water.
3. When the water starts to boil, add the Barnyard millet.
4. Mix well and add a teaspoon of oil.
5. Cover and cook till all the water is absorbed. Toss it once or twice in the middle.
6. It will take around 10-13 minutes for getting cooked perfectly.
7. Switch off the flame and let it sit for ten more minutes.
8. Fluff it up with a fork, and the cooked Barnyard millet is ready to use.

How to cook in Pressure cooker : 

1. For cooking in pressure cooker, wash the Barnyard millet and drain the excess water.
2. Add Barnyard millet, water (2 cups of water for 1 cup of millet), and 1 tsp of oil in a vessel and keep it in the pressure cooker.
3. Close the lid and cook for 3 whistles on medium-high flame.
4. Once done, take it out of the heat and let the pressure release naturally.
5. Once the pressure is released, fluff it up with a fork.

Here is a FREE booklet on some simple and delicious Barnyard Millet Recipes.