New Delhi: Millets are one of the best sources of protein, fibre, key vitamins, and minerals. The only problem with them is that they do not look that palatable . Imagine idlis or cakes that are not white but are dark brown or even black in appearance.
That could kill one’s appetite, particularly if you aren’t a health freak. The key then to promoting the inclusion of millets in daily life is to make food innovative, ensuring it looks good to the eye and tastes good too. And this is exactly what was discussed at a symposium titled ‘Millets: The Superfood of Bharat’ organised by Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts in collaboration with NGO Mera Millets Magic on Saturday.
On the occasion, chief guest Meenakshi Lekhi, Union minister of state for culture and external affairs, said that anyone consuming millets needn’t take supplements. Sharing an incident, she said, “Recently, I ordered a ragi paratha at a restaurant because it looked very tempting. The way they served it was awesome.
The idea is to present the food in such a way that its appearance makes it palatable and even children can enjoy it because it appears fashionable. It is important to make millet both palatable and fashionable.” Uma Naduri, joint secretary, ministry of culture, said, “We should put thought into making millets palatable, digestible, and nutritious, considering the requirements of different age groups.
” She also noted that regional identities and traditional food practices in .
