Recipes from Kodo Millet

Kodo Millet

Scientific name: Paspalum scrobiculatum (L.)

Hindi name: Kodon; Telugu name: Varagu

Kodo millet was domesticated in India almost 3000 years ago. It is an annual tufted grass that grows up to 90 cm high. The grain is enclosed within hard, corneous, persistent husks that are difficult to remove. It has the highest dietary fiber among stall the millets.

It forms the main stay of the dietary nutritional requirements. It has high protein content (11%), low fat (4.2%) and very high fibre content (14.3%). Kodo milletis very easy to digest, it contains a high amount of lecithin and is excellent for strengthening the nervous system. It is rich in B vitamins, especially niacin, B6 and folic acid, as well as the minerals such as calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium and zinc. It contain no gluten and is good for people who are gluten intolerant. Regular consumption of kodo millet is very beneficial for postmenopausal women suffering from signs of cardiovascular disease, like high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels.

Kodo Millet Upma

Ingredients: Kodo millet grain - 1 cup, chopped onions, green chillies, carrot, beans, potato ginger, mustard seeds, black gram dal, bengal gram dal, curry leaves, water and oil – as required.

Preparation Method:

• Wash kodo millet two or three times, then drain the watercompletely and keep it aside.
• Chop onions, green chillies and veggies finely. Grate the ginger.
• Heat the oil in a pressure cooker, add mustard seeds when it splutters, add black gram dal, chana dal, curry leaves and green chillies.
• When dal turns golden brown add onions, ginger, turmeric, saute till onions turns golden brown.
• Add carrots, beans, and potato saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Then add kodo millet, saute for 1 minute, till everything combines.
• Then add water and salt. When water starts boiling close the lid, and cook in moderate flame for 3 whistles.
• When pressure subsides, open the lid and serve hot with any type of chutney or sambar.

Kodo Millet Methi Rice

Ingredients: Kodo millet - 1 cup, water – 3 cup, chopped methi leaves - 2 cups, chopped onions - 1/2 cup, chopped tomatoes - 1/2 cup, ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp, green chillies – 3, curry leaves – 8, salt – to taste; whole spices: bay leaf – 1 and clove – 2.

Preparation Method:

• Wash kodo millet rice and keep it aside. Chop all vegetablesand keep it ready.
• Wash the methi leaves and chop the methi leaves.
• Heat a teaspoon of oil in a pressure cooker. Add the whole spices and fry for a few minutes. Add curry leaves, chopped onions and fry till translucent.
• Add green chillies and ginger garlic paste and fry for a few minutes.
• Add 3 cups of water and when water comes to a boil, add kodo millet rice, chopped methi leaves and cook till 1 whistle in medium flame.
• Serve hot with some raitha.

Kodo Millet Pulao

Ingredients: Kodo millet - 1 cup, water - 1 & 1/2 cups, chopped carrot, beans, green peas - 1 cup, onion – 1, ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp, green chilli – 2, mint leaves – 12, salt - as needed; To temper: Ghee/ oil - 3 tsp, cinnamon - 1 inch piece, fennel seeds - 1 tsp and bay leaf - 1.

Preparation Method:

• Heat a small pressure cooker and saute with oil/ ghee and add cinnamon, fennel and bay leaf.
• Stir and add onion and ginger garlic paste.
• Add the chopped veggies, mint leaves and salt.
• Add washed, drained millet to it and mix well and cook.
• Add water, salt and bring to boil, mix well and cook for a whistle in medium or low flame.
• Serve hot garnish with coriander leaves.

Kodo Millet Coriander Rice

Ingredients: Kodo millet - 1 cup, water – 2 cups, onion-1, carrot - 1 cup, tomato – 2, , curry leaves- 1 spring bay leaf - 1; Coriander chutney: Coriander leaves - 1 cup, mint leaves - 1/4 cup, green chilli-1, cloves – 1, garlic – 1, ginger - 1/2 inch and salt to taste and oil – 2 tsp.

Preparation Method:

• Cook kodo millet rice in a pressure cooker with water, salt totaste and bay leaf at medium flame for 1 whistle.
• Prepare coriander chutney with minimum water. Chop all the vegetables.
• In a hot pan, take 1 tsp of oil. Add whole spices to it and fry for a minute.
• Add chopped onion and fry till translucent.
• Add chopped carrots and stir well, add mint chutney. Cook the chutney till the raw taste of coriander disappears. Add salt to taste.
• Add the cooked kodo millet and mix evenly. Remove from flame.
• Serve hot with some raitha.
• NOTE: Millet rice has to cool otherwise it will become mushy.

Kodo millet Payasam

Ingredients: Kodo millet – 150 g, sugar – 250 g, milk – 250 ml, saffron – 4-5 threads, dry fruits (cashew, almond and pista) – 50 g and ghee – 30 ml.

Preparation Method:

• Cook together kodo millet, saffron and milk on slow heat until the millet gets mashed.
• Add sugar and stir gently to cook payasam.
• Heat ghee in a pan add all dry fruits and roast until golden colour and add to the cooked payasam.
• It can be served hot or cold.

Kodo Millet Adai

Ingredients: (Tosoak) kodo millet – 1/2 cup, toor dal–¼ cup, channa dal – ¼ cup, moong dal – 1 tsp and urad dal – 1 tsp; (For seasoning)Red chillies – 2,fennel seeds - 1 tsp(optional), small onion - 1/4 cup chopped finely, curry leaves - few torn into pieces, coriander leaves - 1 tbsp, mint leaves - 1 tbsp finely chopped and salt- to taste.

Preparation Method :

• Take soaking ingredients and soak for 4 hrs. Drain water and set aside.
• Take red chillies and fennel seeds in a mixer, add little of mixed millet mixture and grind it to a coarse mixture.
• Add chopped onion, coriander leaves and required salt. The batter should be slightly runny in between idli and dosa batter consistency.
• Heat the adai (or dosa pan) pan, grease with little oil, make round adai and cook till golden brown and crispat the edges and add onion and ginger garlic paste.
• Add the chopped veggies, mint leaves and salt.
• Serve hot garnish with coriander leaves.
• Serve hot with any chutney of your choice.

Kodo Millet Curry Leaf Rice

Ingredients : Kodo millet - 100g, Curry leaf - 4 bunch, Dried chilli - 4, Ground nut powder - 10g, Ground nuts - 10g, jeera - 1g, Salt - to taste.

Preparation Method :

• Cook kodo meillet rice and spread it on a plate to cool.
• Heat 2 tsp of oil in a pan; add urad dal, red chillies. Fry till golden brown, add the curry leaves paste and saute for few minutes. Remove from heat and leave it to cool.
• Wash curry leaves and grind it to smooth paste without adding water.
• Heat 4-5 tsp of oil in a pan; add hing, turmeric powder, roasted peanuts followed by the ground curry leaves mixture and salt.
• Saute the curry leaves mixture / paste for a few seconds and then add cooked kodo millet rice.
• Mix well and serve hot.

Source :

Millet Recipes - IIMR, Hyderabad

Millet Recipes - Department of Agriculture, Karnataka