Do you know the secret ingredient of freedom? I shall unveil it at the end of this column.
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.
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):
Method:
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:
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:
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)