Why unpolished matters
What polishing removes, and how to tell the difference in your kitchen.
A beginner’s guide to the five small millets
Foxtail, kodo, little, barnyard and browntop: how they differ and what to cook with each.
Karnataka grows five small millets that were everyday food two generations ago. They look similar in the jar but cook quite differently.
Foxtail millet (navane) is the easiest place to start. It is mild and cooks soft, and works in place of rice for lemon rice, bisi bele bath and upma.
Kodo millet (harka) is a little firmer and slightly earthy. It makes excellent dosa and idli batter, and holds its shape in pulao.
Little millet (same) is the smallest grain and cooks fastest, in about 12 minutes. It is the classic choice for pongal and curd rice.
Barnyard millet (oodalu) is light and fluffy and is often eaten on fasting days. Try it as a khichdi with vegetables.
Browntop millet (korale) is the rarest, with a strong flavour. Cook it with a little more water and eat it with sambar or a spicy gojju.
Start by replacing rice at one meal a day with foxtail millet. After a week, try the others.
