Finding the freedom to sneak in sorghum millet in your spinach momos

If I were to put it in words, I would go on sharing with you how this pandemic has proved to be a blessing in disguise for me and my participants. A few months ago, I had no idea I would be interacting with so many wonderful people for my online workshops, and that I would be understanding the human mind and its strange ways to deal with food and food cravings.

Everyone wants to do away with monotonous diet patterns but many find it challenging to cut down on wheat and rice. Rather, just the wheat. They ignore the silent signs of their own body till they hear the loud alarms of gluten sensitivity.

I am also reaching out to people who wish to kick-start their millet journey by moving to gluten-free diets overnight. It is good to start adding millet to your everyday food, but without understanding the right techniques of cooking with millet and the right portions to begin with, many could fall in the trap of multiple health issues.

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In my one-on-one online sessions, I always stress on the point that it will take some time for our palate to adjust to millets. Let’s not treat our body as a gadget and let’s not switch to gluten-free mode instantly.

We need to be a little disciplined when it comes to heeding the signals of our body. And trust me, this steadiness and calmness can only be achieved if we sit back, relax and become aware of our own senses. So, when I am asked the secret ingredient for freedom, I say it is nothing but discipline.

The more disciplined you are about your health, body and mind, the more freedom you feel from all lifestyle disorders. Simple, isn’t it?

I keep conducting lots of online millet cooking workshops, webinars and I share a lot of easy gluten-free recipes on my Instagram handle. You can reach out to me if you have any query. I will be happy to answer that for you.

The recipe I am sharing today is extremely easy and an effortless way to sneak in sorghum millet (jowar) into your menu. Because we celebrated Independence Day yesterday, I had my moment of freedom while sneaking in jowar in spinach momos. Read more for the step-by-step recipe and the countless benefits of sorghum millet.

Sorghum millet momos with peanut dip 

Ingredients (for 20 momos):

• 1 cup sorghum (jowar) flour
• ½ cup whole wheat flour
• ½ cup spinach puree (after blanching 2.5 cups spinach leaves)
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp oil
• Rock salt to taste
• Momos filling

You can check whether momos are perfectly cooked or not by looking at the texture. Once ready, it will be translucent and shiny, and by touch it won’t feel sticky. (Photo by Shalini Rajani)

Method:

1. Whisk 2 tbsp of jowar flour with ½ cup of water first.
2. Transfer this mixture to a deep pan and allow it to boil.
3. As the boil comes, add rest of the water, spinach puree, oil and salt. Allow it to boil again. You will see a porridge-like consistency. Turn the flame off.
4. Now with continuous stirring, add rest of the sorghum and whole wheat flour. Mix it well and allow this mixture to rest for 10-15 minutes.
5. When the mixture cools down, knead it well with greased hands. Knead well to form a soft dough.
6. Divide this dough in 20 small equal sized balls.
7. Take one ball and roll into 4 inch diameter circle. You can use parchment paper to assure the dough is not cracking. Try to keep the edges thinner compared to centre.
8. Put about a spoonful of stuffing in the centre.
9. To shape the momos, lift one side of the edge and start pleating and joining them together. Then join all of them in the centre and seal it. And there you will have a potli-shaped momo ready.
10. If you do not want to spend time in shaping, you can just make a half-moon shape just like how we see with gujiyas. You just have to combine both edges together, making it look similar to wontons.
11. Now in a steamer pan, add a glassful of water and bring it to a simmer on medium heat. Grease the steamer tray with oil or spread the parchment paper and arrange the shaped momos onto it.
12. Steam them for 10-15 minutes.
13. Plate them nicely with more colourful veggies and dips of your choice.

Please note:

* You can check whether momos are perfectly cooked or not by looking at the texture. Once ready, it will be translucent and shiny, and by touch it won’t feel sticky. Please note that if you overcook the momos, they will become chewy.

* Momos filling can be as simple as boiled and mashed potatoes with some cottage cheese, or it can also be a combination of veggies available to you. You can read on to understand the technique to make momos filling.

 Ingredients for momo filling:

• ½ cup cabbage, finely chopped
• ½ cup carrots, finely chopped
• 1 stalk spring onion (bulb & greens), finely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 200 grams button mushrooms, finely chopped
• Cooking oil for stir frying
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Method for filling:

Heat oil in a pan and add all the finely chopped veggies. Let it cook on medium flame until a little charred, and all the water has evaporated. Add salt, pepper and any other seasonings of your choice. Cook for another 2-3 minutes and let it cool.

Quick peanut dip

Ingredients:

• 1 cup roasted peanuts
• ½ cup hung curd
• 2 fresh green chilies
• 1 tsp black pepper powder
• A few fresh mint leaves
• Rock salt to taste

Method: Add all the above ingredients to a blender jar. Make a creamy paste. Garnish with mint leaves while serving.

Health Benefits of sorghum millet

Sorghum millet (jowar) is a powerhouse of essential vitamins, antioxidants and minerals. It is loaded with good amounts of calcium, copper, zinc, phosphorous, potassium and cell-building B vitamins. The presence of these essential nutrients help keep the body healthy and keep all the ailments at bay.

(Shalini Rajani is the founder of Crazy Kadchi and holds innovative Millets Cooking Workshops for all age groups)