Millet pop-up to bring attention to the benefits of crop

CHENNAI: Millets have been an important food source for many cultures around the world. They are incredibly nutritious and provide essential vitamins, minerals, proteins and other nutrients to our bodies. Food historian and raconteur Rakesh Raghunathan is presenting a food pop-up called The Golden Grain: Celebrating Millets. “I always wanted to showcase menus that have native ingredients. Last year, I did a pop-up with indigenous rice varieties. Through the millet pop-up, I am trying to convey the story of millets.

People would have seen various varieties of millet in stores. But they get intimidated and might not know what type of food to prepare with millet. This ongoing pop-up attempt to demystify cooking with millets. You can make not just local dishes but also create exotic and international dishes with millets,” Rakesh tells DT Next.

The United Nations (UN) General Assembly at its 75th session declared 2023 the International Year of Millets. “By celebrating millets, we help in bringing attention to the many benefits of consuming them on an individual and global scale. Millet helps to connect us with the past while also acknowledging the importance of traditional foods in sustaining health. Millets are among the oldest grains cultivated by indigenous communities and were once part of their staple diet and many cultures globally,” he adds.

The menu includes a mix of soups, salads, appetisers, main courses and desserts. “I have curated a Russian fisherman soup with proso millet (panivaragu). It’s a rustic, thin soup made by fishermen in Russia with mixed seafood. This soup has been around since the 12th century. The menu also has dishes that are inspired by the indigenous Badaga community in the Nilgiris. There is ragi mudde and chicken pulusu (finger millet flour). It’s a very rustic dish served with chicken curry,” the chef shares. Through this one-week pop-up, Rakesh hopes to make people understand that millets are user-friendly and taste good. “We are used to rice and wheat-based food; some might find millets hard to digest. I also wanted to tell the story of indigenous communities.” The pop-up is on till April 9 at Wild Garden Cafe, Amethyst, Whites Road, Royapettah.