You might have heard of roti made of millets like jowar, bajra, ragi and other such millets, now get ready to savour sweet delicacies made of different millets. The Kheti Virasat Mission (KVM) which promotes production and consumption of natural organic foods in the country has collaborated with the Model Jail, Chandigarh, for their preparation.
A millet ‘mithai’ counter has been started at Nav Srijan, a shop run by the jail administration at Sector 22, Chandigarh. The inmates will make these mithais and they will also be provided training in making millet food items such as flour, pasta, cake, pizza base, cookies, etc in future.
Model Jail, Chandigarh is the first prison in the country to take this initiative.
‘Bajra burfi’, ‘ragi’ laddoo, ‘bajra sev’, ‘jowar chakli’ and ‘jowar mathi’ are the delicacies that will be prepared and sold here. All millet products are gluten free.
As we celebrate the first day of International Year of Millets, 2023, ‘khichdi’ and ‘kheer’ of ‘kutki’ millets were made and served at the jail.
Dr Palika Arora, Additional Inspector General of Prisons, UT, started the project at the jail under the guidance of Deepak Purohit, Inspector General of Prisons.
Millet-prepared meals were also served in the Parliament canteen where all MPs including the prime minister savored the healthy dishes. Earlier, UT Administrator had also partaken meals in Chandigarh made of millets.
The UT Guest House has also introduced millets on its menu. Apart from regular food, khichdi, bajra parantha, halwa and kheer, millet snacks and dessert are also available at the UT Guest House.
Millets Lunch at Punjab Raj Bhavan
Punjab Raj Bhavan organized millets lunch on the occasion of the launch of ‘International Year of Nutritious Millets (IMY) – 2023’.
Reputed people of the city, bureaucrats, politicians, industrialists, doctors, educationists and media, including members of the newly formed Administrator’s Advisory Council, were seen enjoying the dishes prepared from millets.
Sweet dishes prepared from millets, especially little millet kheer (kutki ki kheer), ragi halwa and steamed ragi gulgule were received well by guests.
Speaking to the media on the occasion of millets lunch, Banwarilal Purohit, Governor of Punjab and Administrator of UT, Chandigarh, said that promotion of millets can be a turning point for India’s nutrition programmes. He stressed on the inclusion of millets in the daily diet and spreading awareness across the city highlighting its benefits. The governor called upon everyone to popularize millets, starting from their own kitchens.
Anganwadi workers are regularly mobilizing members of different communities by setting up stalls displaying dishes prepared from millets.
Social Welfare Department of Chandigarh Administration is working closely with PGIMER, Home Science College, Dietician GMSH-16, GMCH-32 Chandigarh to sensitize the beneficiaries to include millets in their daily diet. For this purpose, chefs from various Hotel Management Institutes presented delicacies prepared from millets in front of the beneficiaries.
“Chandigarh Millets Mission” was launched to promote the consumption of millets in the city to spread awareness among the public about the use of millets in regular diet and Chandigarh has become the first city in North India to do so.
Under this campaign, various activities like live kitchen sessions for demonstration of dishes prepared from millets like Jowar, Ragi, Kodo Bajra, Chhena Bajra are being organized in all circles of Anganwadi Centers in collaboration with PGIMER, Chandigarh.
Increased use of millets will not only ensure improvement in nutritional status, but will also help fight climate change as they are eco-friendly crops and mature in half the time it takes for wheat It requires 40 percent less energy to process, and uses 70 percent less water than rice.
Due to climate change, water scarcity and drought conditions, they provide a one-stop solution with high nutritional value to provide sustainable food security.
