#International Year of millets

[organicsdhatu]

5 Benefits Barnyard Millet

In recent years, millet consumption has increased because of its various health-promoting aspects. Among all the millets (click here to know types of millets), Barnyard millet holds a special place for its dense nutrient characteristics. 

Other names for barnyard millets are Shyamka (Sanskrit), Oodalu (Kannada and Telugu), Sawa (Hindi), Samo (Gujarati), Kudiraivalli (Tamil), Sawa (Bengali), Samula (Marathi)

[suchananewsblog]

‘Garh Bhoj’: A social activist’s mission to popularise traditional Uttarakhand foods

At the peak of Uttarakhand’s statehood movement in the 1990s, the hills would often reverberate with the ” Kodo-Jhangora khayenge, Uttarakhand banayenge” slogan, remembers Dwarika Prasad Semwal, a social activist who has pioneered a mission to popularise the State’s traditional foods. The slogan appealed to Mr. Semwal, at the time a teenager helping his father run a small eatery that frequently…

[benarersiya]

Traditional millet diet is beneficial in diabetes, obesity and host of other disorders

New Delhi: Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh, who is also a known Diabetologist and a medical professional, said that traditional millets diet is beneficial in diabetes, obesity and host of other disorders. Millets are…

[priyastandon]

Bask in the Sun’s benevolence upwards and onwards

Benevolent Sankranti

Most of the festivals we celebrate are calculated in accordance with the Lunar calendar. Hence their dates are not fixed. However the Makar Sankranti festival is celebrated as per the Solar calendar and falls on January 14/15 every year. We offer obeisance to the Sun on Makar Sankranti. Why is that so? It seems that when man sought to find proof of God, he found it in the Sun. The Sun is said to be a Pratyaksh Devta because we can see it and feel its warmth and energy. We chant the Gayatri Mantra while praying on Makar Sankranti. Emulating the Sun’s benevolence towards all, we donate food, clothes, milk etc. The Sun doesn’t emit light for itself, plants don’t bear fruit for themselves … let us follow suit!

The Sun provides sustenance to all forms of life. It provides energy to plants for  photosynthesis. We get our food from the plants. So the Sun is an inexhaustible powerhouse of abundance and energy for all forms of life.

Makar Sankranti is considered most auspicious as it marks the upward movement of the Sun away from the Tropic of Capricorn; from the Southern Hemisphere, towards the Northern Hemisphere. It is also called Uttarayan i.e. the Sun moving towards Uttar Disha (North direction). It marks the entry of the Sun into Makar-Rashi i.e. Capricorn. This being the harvest festival in many states, the farmers celebrate their new crops and offer them to the Gods as thanksgiving and also share them with each other.

Makar Sankranti is also called Maghi, Bihu, Pongal, Shishur Saenkraat, Suggi Habba, etc. 

The celebrations vary slightly from state to state all over India. But they centre around prayers, feasting, dancing and singing. In the North, Makar Sankranti day is the day next after Lohri. We usually consume a lot of Til, Bhugga, Peanuts and Gacchak on Lohri as we huddle around a bonfire, sing and dance with family and friends. My mother would always make Chane ki dal ki khichdi and serve it with curd for breakfast on Maghi day. Til-Bhugga etc. generate a lot of heat in the body. And khichdi acts as a coolant thereafter!

This year being the International year of Millets, you can experiment with Bajre (pearl millet) ki khichdi which is definitely the yummiest khichdi in the world! Temper it with hot ghee and red chilli powder and have it with curd! Delicious!

In the run up to Makar Sankranti kite flying is another tradition. Besides the fun in flying kites, it compulsorily exposes us to the Sun. Having stayed indoors in the cold, foggy days of the North Indian winter, kite flying on a sunny Sankranti day is like applying balm on a wound! In the garb of culture and tradition, our health is also taken care of!

The best explanation of the word Lohri is Lo-Hari (Take Lord!), which translates to a prayer written by Sri Sathya Sai Baba, “Oh Lord! Take my Love and let it flow in fullness of devotion to Thee. Oh Lord! Take my hands and let them work incessantly for Thee. Oh Lord! Take my Soul and let it be merged in One with Thee. Oh Lord! Take my mind and thoughts, and let them be in tune with Thee. Oh Lord! Take my everything and let me be an Instrument for Thee.”

Our culture is designed such that after every few days/months there is a festival that brings an opportunity to celebrate life as well as thank God for His bounties and contemplate on the purpose of our Earthly sojourn.

The North is considered to be the direction of everything auspicious, so we celebrate the Sun journeying towards the North. Moving northwards means moving towards positive thoughts, good deeds etc. If man too starts moving towards thoughts of God, it amounts to the same thing. The real northward journey happens inside us!

What do you think? 

This article is published in Hindustan Times on 15.01.2023.

[cognitivejustice]

From ancient fertilizer methods in Zimbabwe to new greenhouse technology in Somalia, farmers across the heavily agriculture-reliant African continent are looking to the past and future to respond to climate change.

Zimbabwe

A patch of green vegetables is thriving in a small garden the 65-year-old Tshuma is keeping alive with homemade organic manure and fertilizer. Previously discarded items have again become priceless.

“This is how our fathers and forefathers used to feed the earth and themselves before the introduction of chemicals and inorganic fertilizers,” Tshuma said.

He applies livestock droppings, grass, plant residue, remains of small animals, tree leaves and bark, food scraps and other biodegradable items like paper. Even the bones of animals that are dying in increasing numbers due to the drought are burned before being crushed into ash for their calcium.

Somalia

Greenhouses are changing the way some people live, with shoppers filling up carts with locally produced vegetables and traditionally nomadic pastoralists under pressure to settle down and grow crops.

“They are organic, fresh and healthy,” shopper Sucdi Hassan said in the capital, Mogadishu. “Knowing that they come from our local farms makes us feel secure.”

The greenhouses also create employment in a country where about 75% of the population is people under 30 years old, many of them jobless.

Kenya

In Kenya, a new climate-smart bean variety is bringing hope to farmers in a region that had recorded reduced rainfall in six consecutive rainy seasons.

The variety, called “Nyota” or “star” in Swahili, is the result of a collaboration between scientists from the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, the Alliance of Bioversity International and research organization International Center for Tropical Agriculture.

The new bean variety is tailored for Kenya’s diverse climatic conditions. One focus is to make sure drought doesn’t kill them off before they have time to flourish.

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Other moves to traditional practices are under way. Drought-resistant millets, sorghum and legumes, staples until the early 20th century when they were overtaken by exotic white corn, have been taking up more land space in recent years.

Leaves of drought-resistant plants that were once a regular dish before being cast off as weeds are returning to dinner tables. They even appear on elite supermarket shelves and are served at classy restaurants, as are millet and sorghum.

This could create markets for the crops even beyond drought years

[sustainabilitythoughts]

International Year of Millets

According to the article below, the United Nations has declared 2023 the International Year of Millets.  Millets are ancient grains that are among the earliest domesticated plants. There are around 6000 different kinds of millets, and they have numerous health and environmental advantages. Millets provide a healthy base for sustainable meals in many different food cultures.  Millets are a very low-impact crop, with a lower carbon footprint than wheat and can grow in dry climates with little or no water beyond rainfall. They have a natural resistance to pests so fewer chemicals are needed when growing millet. 

Millets are gluten free, and most varieties have more protein than rice. Millets are among the most nutritious of all grains and are gluten free.  The article gives some ideas on cooking with millets and lists cookbooks with recipes for using millets and other ancient grains. I plan to buy some millet flour and millet whole grains later today. 

[khancrackers]

2023 is the International Year of Millets

[osk419]

India is an ancient nation with a youthful population. India is known for its traditions. But the younger generation is also making it a hub of technology. Be it creative reels on Insta or real time payments, coding or quantum computing, machine learning or mobile apps, FinTech or data science, the youth of India are a great example of how a society can embrace latest technology. In India, technology is not only about innovation but also about inclusion. Today, digital platforms are empowering the rights and dignity of people, while protecting privacy.

In the last nine years, over a billion people got a unique digital biometric identity connected with their bank accounts and mobile phones. This digital public infrastructure helps us reach citizens within seconds with financial assistance.

माता भूमि: पुत्रो अहं पृथिव्या:

This means -the Earth is our Mother and we are her children.

Indian culture deeply respects the environment and our planet. While becoming the fastest growing economy, we grew our solar capacity by Two Thousand Three Hundred Percent! Yes, you heard it right – Two Thousand Three Hundred Percent!

We became the only G20 country to meet its Paris commitment. We made renewables account for over forty percent of our energy sources, nine years ahead of the target of 2030. But we did not stop there. This is a way to make sustainability a true people’s movement. Not leave it to be the job of governments alone.By being mindful in making choices, every individual can make a positive impact. Making sustainability a mass movement will help the world reach the Net Zero target faster. Our vision is pro-planet progress. Our vision is pro-planet prosperity. Our vision is pro-planet people.

And this year, the whole world is celebrating the International Year of Millets, to promote sustainable agriculture and nutrition alike. We reach out to others during disasters as first responders, as we do for our own. We share our modest resources with those who need them the most. We build capabilities, not dependencies.

That I think is the most humble and propatriotic way 😅

[organicsdhatu]

International Year of millets

UNGA declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets in March 2021. India pushed for recognising the importance of millet and creating a domestic and global demand along with providing nutritious food to the community.

[indianfoodinusa]

INDIAN FOODS IN USA

Hi Readers, welcome to indianfoodinusadotcom, Here you can learn all about Indian foods, recipes and all about INDIAN FOOD like {ABOUT INDIAN FOOD}

{HISTORY}

{VEDIC AGES}

{ANTIQUITY}

{FOOD MENTIONED IN ANECIENT INDIAN SCRIPTURE}

{MIDDLE AGE OF 16th CENTURY}

{COLONIAL PERIODS}

{INGREDIENTS}

{RECIPES}

LIKE (a) chicken Biryani (b) mutton biryani (c)Butter chicken (d) chicken tikka masala (e) veg biryani (f) Palak paneer (g) Matar paneer (h) chutneys, AND  Many more.

ABOUT INDIAN FOOD in USA

You will get know more about the best restaurants Around the world

INDIAN FOOD consists of a variety of regional and traditional cuisines native to India. Given the diversity in soil, climate, culture, ethnic groups, and occupations, these cuisines vary substantially and use locally available spices, herbs, vegetables, and fruits.

Indian food is also heavily influenced by religion, in particular Hinduism and Islam, cultural choices.

Historical events such as invasions, trade relations, and colonialism have played a role in introducing certain foods to this country. The Columbian discovery of the New World brought a number of new vegetables and fruit to India. A number of these such as potatoes, tomatoes, chillies, peanuts, and guava have become staples in many regions of India.

INDIAN FOOD has shaped the history of international relations; the spice trade between India and Europe was the primary catalyst for Europe's Age of Discovery.

Spices were bought from India and traded around Europe and Asia. INDIAN FOOD has influenced other cuisines across the world, especially those from Europe (especially Britain), the Middle East, Southern African, East Africa, Southeast Asia, North America, Mauritius, Fiji, Oceania, and the Caribbean.

HISTORY OF INDIAN FOOD NON-VEGETARIAN

INDIAN FOOD reflects an 8,000-year history of various groups and cultures interacting with the Indian subcontinent, leading to a diversity of flavors and regional cuisines found in modern-day India. Later, trade with British and Portuguese influence added to the already diverse INDIAN FOOD.

After 9000 BCE, the first period of indirect contact between the Fertile Crescent and Indus Valley civilizations seems to have occurred due to the Neolithic Revolution and the diffusion of agriculture. Around 7000 BCE, agriculture spread from the Fertile Crescent to the Indus Valley, and wheat and barley began to be grown. Sesame and humped cattle were domesticated in the local farming communities.

 Mehrgarh is one of South Asia's earliest sites with evidence of farming and herding. From circa 4500 to 1900 BC the rulers of Lower Mesopotamia were Sumerians who spoke a non-Indo-European and non-Semitic language, may have initially come from India and may have been related to the original Dravidian population of India.

By 3000 BCE, turmeric, cardamom, black pepper and mustard were harvested in India.

From Around 2350 BCE the evidence for imports from the Indus to Ur in Mesopotamia have been found, as well as Clove heads which are thought to originate from the Moluccas in Maritime Southeast Asia were found in a 2nd millennium BC site in Terqa. Akkadian Empire records mention timber, carnelian and ivory as being imported from Meluhha by Meluhhan ships, Meluhha being generally considered as the Mesopotamian name for the Indus Valley Civilization.

VEDIC AGE

VEGETARIAN

The ancient Hindu text Mahabharata mentions rice and vegetable cooked together, and the word "pulao" or "pallao" is used to refer to the dish in ancient Sanskrit works, such as Yājñavalkya Smṛti. Ayurveda, ancient Indian system of wellness, deals with holistic approach to the wellness, and it includes food, dhyana (meditation) and yoga.

ANTIQUITY

Early diet in India mainly consisted of legumes, vegetables, fruits, grains, dairy products, and honey.

Staple foods eaten today include a variety of lentils (dal), whole-wheat flour (aṭṭa), rice, and pearl millet (bājra), which has been cultivated in the Indian subcontinent since 6200 BCE.

Over time, segments of the population embraced vegetarianism during the Śramaṇa movement while an equitable climate permitted a variety of fruits, vegetables, and grains to be grown throughout the year.

A food classification system that categorised any item as saatvic, raajsic, or taamsic developed in Yoga tradition. The Bhagavad Gita proscribes certain dietary practices.

Consumption of beef is taboo, due to cows being considered sacred in Hinduism.[14] Beef is generally not eaten by Hindus in India except for Kerala, parts of southern Tamil Nadu and the north-east.

PICKLES

FOOD MENTIONED IN ANECIENT INDIAN SCRIPTURE

While many ancient Indian recipes have been lost in history, one can look at ancient texts to see what was eaten in ancient and pre-historic India.

Barley—(known as Yava in both Vedic and Classical Sanskrit) is mentioned many times in Rigveda and other Indian scriptures as one of the principal grains in ancient India

Betel leaf—primary use is as a wrapper for the chewing of areca nut or tobacco, where it is mainly used to add flavour; may also be used in cooking, usually raw, for its peppery taste

Breadfruit—fritters called jeev kadge phodi in Konkani or kadachakka varuthath in Malayalam are a local delicacy in coastal Karnataka and Kerala

Chickpeas—popular dishes are made with chickpea flour, such as mirchi bajji and mirapakaya bajji

Curd—a traditional yogurt or fermented milk product, originating from the Indian subcontinent, usually prepared from cow's milk, and sometimes buffalo milk, or goat milk

Figs —cultivated from Afghanistan to Portugal, also grown in Pithoragarh in the Kumaon hills of India; from the 15th century onwards, also grown in areas including Northern Europe and the New World

Ghee—a class of clarified butter that originated in ancient India, commonly used in the Indian subcontinent, Middle-Eastern cuisine, traditional medicine, and religious rituals

Grape wine —first-known mention of grape-based wines in India is from the late 4th-century BC writings of Chanakya

Honey —the spiritual and supposed therapeutic use of honey in ancient India was documented in both the Vedas and the Ayurveda texts

Mango—the Jain goddess Ambika is traditionally represented as sitting under a mango tree

Mustard —brown mustard is a spice that was cultivated in the Indus Valley civilization and is one of the important spices used in the Indian subcontinent today

Pomegranate—in some Hindu traditions, the pomegranate (Hindi: anār) symbolizes prosperity and fertility, and is associated with both Bhoomidevi (the earth goddess) and Lord Ganesha (the one fond of the many-seeded fruit)

Rice—cultivated in the Indian subcontinent from as early as 5,000 BC

Rice cake—quite a variety are available

Rose apple—mainly eaten as a fruit and also used to make pickles (chambakka achar)

Saffron —almost all saffron grows in a belt from Spain in the west to Kashmir in the east

Salt —considered to be a very auspicious substance in Hinduism and is used in particular religious ceremonies like house-warmings and weddings; in Jainism, devotees lay an offering of raw rice with a pinch of salt before a deity to signify their devotion, and salt is sprinkled on a person's cremated remains before the ashes are buried

Sesame oil —popular in Asia, especially in Korea, China, and the South Indian states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu, where its widespread use is similar to that of olive oil in the Mediterranean

Sorghum—commonly called jwaarie, jowar, jola, or jondhalaa, sorghum is one of the staple sources of nutrition

Sugar—produced in the Indian subcontinent since ancient times, its cultivation spread from there into modern-day Afghanistan through the Khyber Pass

Sugarcane—the earliest known production of crystalline sugar began in northern India; the earliest evidence of sugar production comes from ancient Sanskrit and Pali texts

Turmeric —used widely as a spice in South Asian and Middle Eastern cooking

Middle Ages to the 16th Century

VEG DUM BIRYANI

During the Middle Ages, several Indian dynasties were predominant, including the Gupta dynasty. Travel to India during this time introduced new cooking methods and products to the region, including tea.

India was later invaded by tribes from Central Asian cultures, which led to the emergence of Mughlai cuisine, a mix of Indian and Central Asian cuisine. Hallmarks include seasonings such as saffron.

Colonial Period

The Portuguese and British during their rule introduced cooking techniques such as baking, and foods from the New World and Europe.

The new-world vegetables popular in cuisine from the Indian subcontinent include tomato, potato, sweet potatoes, peanuts, squash, and chilli. Most New World vegetables such as sweet potatoes, potatoes, Amaranth, peanuts and cassava based Sago are allowed on Hindu fasting days. Cauliflower was introduced by the British in 1822. In the late 18th/early 19th century, an autobiography of a Scottish Robert Lindsay mentions a Sylheti man called Saeed Ullah cooking a curry for Lindsay's family. This is possibly the oldest record of INDIAN FOOD in the United Kingdom.

INGREDIENTS

Staple foods of INDIAN FOOD include pearl millet (bājra), rice, whole-wheat flour (aṭṭa), and a variety of lentils, such as masoor (most often red lentils), tuer (pigeon peas), urad (black gram), and moong (mung beans). Lentils may be used whole, dehusked—for example, dhuli moong or dhuli urad—or split. Split lentils, or dal, are used extensively, Some pulses, such as channa or cholae (chickpeas), rajma (kidney beans), and lobiya (black-eyed peas) are very common, especially in the northern regions. Channa and moong are also processed into flour (besan).

Many Indian dishes are cooked in vegetable oil, but peanut oil is popular in northern and western India, mustard oil in eastern India, and coconut oil along the western coast, especially in Kerala and parts of southern Tamil Nadu, Gingelly (sesame) oil is common in the south since it imparts a fragrant, nutty aroma.

In recent decades, sunflower, safflower, cottonseed, and soybean oils have become popular across India, Hydrogenated vegetable oil, known as Vanaspati ghee, is another popular cooking medium, Butter-based ghee, or deshi ghee, is used commonly.

Many types of meat are used for Indian cooking, but chicken and mutton tend to be the most commonly consumed meats. Fish and beef consumption are prevalent in some parts of India, but they are not widely consumed except for coastal areas, as well as the north east.

The most important and frequently used spices and flavourings in INDIAN FOOD are whole or powdered chilli pepper (mirch, introduced by the Portuguese from Mexico in the 16th century), black mustard seed (sarso), cardamom (elaichi), cumin (jeera), turmeric (haldi), asafoetida (hing), ginger (adrak), coriander (dhania), and garlic (lasoon).

One popular spice mix is garam masala, a powder that typically includes seven dried spices in a particular ratio, including black cardamom, cinnamon (dalchini), clove (laung), cumin (jeera), black peppercorns, coriander seeds and anise star.

Each culinary region has a distinctive garam masala blend—individual chefs may also have their own. Goda masala is a comparable, though sweet, spice mix popular in Maharashtra. Some leaves commonly used for flavouring include bay leaves (tejpat), coriander leaves, fenugreek (methi) leaves, and mint leaves. The use of curry leaves and roots for flavouring is typical of Gujarati and South INDIAN FOOD.

[suchananewsblog]

‘Garh Bhoj’: A social activist’s mission to popularise traditional Uttarakhand foods

At the peak of Uttarakhand’s statehood movement in the 1990s, the hills would often reverberate with the ” Kodo-Jhangora khayenge, Uttarakhand banayenge” slogan, remembers Dwarika Prasad Semwal, a social activist who has pioneered a mission to popularise the State’s traditional foods. The slogan appealed to Mr. Semwal, at the time a teenager helping his father run a small eatery that frequently…

[poeticrainbow]

Millets have been an important food source for centuries, especially in regions where other grains may not grow well. However, in recent years, the world has started to take notice of the many benefits of millets, leading to the United Nations designating 2023 as the International Year of Millets.

The significance of this designation cannot be overstated. Millets offer a sustainable and nutritious option for feeding the world's growing population, especially in regions with limited resources. They are drought-resistant, require minimal inputs, and can be grown in a variety of conditions.

Furthermore, millets have numerous health benefits. They are high in fiber, protein, and essential vitamins and minerals, making them an ideal addition to any diet. They also have a low glycemic index, which means they can help regulate blood sugar levels, making them a great option for those with diabetes.

But perhaps most importantly, the International Year of Millets shines a light on the cultural significance of these grains. Millets have been an important part of the diets and traditions of many cultures for centuries, and this designation recognizes and celebrates their contributions.

Overall, the International Year of Millets serves as a reminder of the importance of sustainable and nutritious food sources, and the role that traditional foods can play in achieving this goal. It is an opportunity to raise awareness of the many benefits of millets, and to encourage the world to embrace these versatile and nutritious grains.