What are millets?

Millets are small seed cereals like your rice and wheat, they belong to grass family. They are grown as annual grain crops in dry areas of temperate, sub tropical and tropical regions.

When did humans start growing millets?

You know Millets are one of the oldest food crops known to humans and maybe the first among cereal grains to be cultivated for domestic purposes. Earliest evidence about millets was found in Indus valley civilization: 3000 BC. Roughly about 5000 years ago..

What are the different types of millets?

There are nine Millets and two are pseudo millets, you can count 11 Millets in total. Millets can be classified into three groups as major millet, minor millet and pseudo millets.

Major millets are Sorghum (Jowar), Pearl Millet (Bajra), and Finger Millet (Ragi/Mandua)

Minor millets are Foxtail Millet (Kanngani / kakun), Proso Millet (Cheena), Kodo Millet (Kodo), Barnyard Millet (Sawa / Sanwa /Jhangora), Little Millet (Kutki), Brown top millet

Pseudo millets are Buck- wheat (Kuttu)and Amaranth (Chaulai)

Sorghum bicolor popularly known as 

Jowari in Hindi

Jwari in Marathi 

Juara in Odia 

Jowar in Punjabi 

Cholam in Tamil

Jonna in Telugu

Jola in Kannada

Jowar in Bengali

Pennisetum typhoides popularly known as

Bajra in Hindi, Bengali, Odia, Punjabi, Bajri in Gujarati & Marathi

Sajje in Kannada

Kambu in Tamil

Sajja in Telugu

Eleusine coracana popularly known as

Marwa in Bengali

Nagli & Bavto in Gujarati

Ragi, Mandika in Hindi

Ragi in Kannada

Nagli, Nachni in Marathi

Mandia in Odia, 

Mandhuka, Mandhal In Punjabi

Keppai, Ragi And Tamil

Ragi & Chodi in Telugu

Panicum miliaceum popularly known as

Cheena in Bengali

Cheno In Gujarati

Chena, Barri In Hindi

Baragu in Kannada 

Vari in Marathi

China Bachari bagmu in Odia

Cheena in Punjabi

Pani Varagu In Tamil

Variga In Telugu

Paspalum scrobiculatum popularly known as

Kodo in Bengali

Kodra in Gujarati

Kodon Hindi 

Harka in Kannada

Kodra in Marathi

Kodua in Odia

Kodra in Punjabi

Varagu in Tamil 

Arikelu,Arika in Telugu

Echinochloa frumentacea popularly known as

Shyama in Bengali

Sanwa, & Jhangora in Hindi

Oodalu in Kannada

Khira in Odia

Swank in Punjabi

Kuthiraivalli in Tamil

Udalu & Kodisama in Telugu

Setaria italica popularly known as

Kaon in Bengali

Kang in Gujarati

Kakum in Hindi

Navane in Kannada

Kang & Rala in Marathi

Kanghu, Kangam & Kora in Odia

Kangni in Punjabi

Tenai in Tamil

Korra in Telugu

What are the health benefits of millets?

• Millets are gluten free safe for consumption in case of gluten sensitivity.

• Millets are anti-diabetic as they have low glycemic index.

• Being rich sources of magnesium, millets help in reducing blood pressure and risk of heart strokes.

• Millets are rich in phenolic acids, tannins, and phytate hence they are anti-carcinogenic

• Millets are rich in fiber hence helps to reduce constipation

• Millets are rich source of antioxidants.