Bhaidku Millet Rice Porridge is a very traditional and very ancient meal from Gujarat India. It is a family favourite for us, having loyalists spanning for five generations starting from my great grandfather to my daughter! Talking about generations and their liking for Bhaidku Millet Rice Porridge, I am reminded of the story of the three bears and the porridge, and each of them relished their porridge just right! SImilarly over here one can get their Bhaidku just right in consistency and taste by adding water and/or milk and/or buttermilk. I wish we could enter this recipe that has such a great porridge texture in the World Annual Porridge Competition at World Porridge Competition. Read more about a how a porridge should be cooked as well as different versions from famous chefs at Porridge Club Recipes. Hope some of them come across this ancient porridge version from India!!
And rightly so the history of millet goes as
Millet is thought to have originated in North Africa, specifically in Ethiopia, where it has been consumed since prehistoric times. There is even mention of millet in the Bible as an ingredient for unleavened bread. Millet is still an extremely important food staple in many Africa countries.
Since ancient times, millet has been widely consumed in Asia and India as well. The Indian flatbread roti is made from ground millet seeds. In the Middle Ages, before potatoes and corn were introduced, millet became a staple grain in Europe, especially in countries in Eastern Europe. The Setaria variety of millet was introduced into the United States in the 19th century. While millet has been used primarily for birdseed and livestock fodder in Western Europe and North America, it is now gaining popularity as a delicious and nutritious grain that can be enjoyed for both its unique virtues as well as the fact that it is a gluten-free grain alternative to wheat.
The majority of the world’s commercial millet crop is produced by India, China and Nigeria.”
This is one easy way to eat millet the highly nutritious grain, without much of an effort. The health benefits of eating millet can be read at Benefits of Millet. A lot of people have dry grinders/blenders at home outside India, so this should be an easy process for them to pre grind the mixture of millet lentils and rice. Coarsely ground bhaidku millet rice porridge mix can be stored over a year or more in a freezer. And all you need is milk/yogurt as an accompaniment and you have a healthy meal in 20 minutes!! Enjoy your bowl of warm fuzzy eclectic porridge with this unique porridge recipe!
Recipe makes servings for 2-3 people
Time to cook 20 min
Soaking time 30 min (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 cup of bhaidku mix coarse powder from dry grinding of
- 1 cup bajri millet seeds
- 1/3 cup chilkewali dal split green lentils
- 2/3 cup rice
- 1/3 cup ghee
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/4 tsp ajwain or carrom seeds
- 1 cup milk
- 2 1/2 cup water
- salt ro taste
Method
- Heat the ghee in a broad vessel
- Add carom seeds to it and let it
- Add the bhaidku mix. salt and turmeric powder and roast for 8-10 minutes on slow- medium flame making sure it does not burn.
- Close the flame and add milk and water and soak for half an hour
- Ten minutes before serving, heat up the mix on a medium flame and keep stirring till the fat separates and the mixture thickens.
- Serve hot with buttermilk or plain yogurt.
- Enjoy the highly nutritious and a complete healthy meal!
TIps
If you are short of time, you can avoid soaking in the milk and water. If you are able to soak you will get a better thicker consistency,
Salt to be added will be a little higher than normal as millet requires additional salt.
Instinct Factor
Can go with or without milk, while cooking. Replace milk with water, milk with buttermilk while cooking or cook in plain water and mix milk/buttermilk while eating.
Feel Factor
Simply heavenly food in a jiffy! The texture is like a porridge and tastes warm and fuzzy with a hint of sourness if you have used butter milk as an accompaniment! Brings smile on the face of my daughter, my father in law and myself!. I guess we all love the warm yellow color, roasted aroma and salty and colorful taste of Bhaidku Millet Rice Porridge. This is also often made for senior people having trouble chewing and eating, and I have fond memories of my great grandfather relishing this is as his dinner almost 2-3 days in a week! It is definitely more tastier than an oatmeal porridge in my opinion as it has the edge of the carrom seeds and flavour of buttermilk and millet/lentil/ rice.
It is wholesome, nutritious, very ancient meal which is a must for lactating mother and young infants. So many praises because of its combination of grains, lentils, and milk products, Bhaidku Millet Porridge is specially very good evening meal in the winter season. I often get my stock of the dry grinded mix from India and freeze it in the freezer so that the millet does not get bitter and can last for more than a year. Am always ready for this kind of porridge as an evening meal!
