Here’s how you can bring millets closer to your comfort meals

Sharing my platter today, where you can see a Kodo Millet Ambali sharing its space with some of my favourite dishes. We all know ambali with millet (according to your health condition) is healing, especially if you are suffering from lifestyle disorders like diabetes, BP, thyroid, arthritis, sclerosis, etc. But many of my students have learnt that ambali shouldn’t be boring either.

Here’s a little attempt at making it interesting. You can read more about the right technique of making ambali here. And as for the pumpkin kadi, find the recipe here.

Himachali Pumpkin Kadi

1. In a deep kadai, heat oil and add mustard seeds, methi seeds, curry leaves and asafoetida. As it splutters, add finely chopped garlic and ginger-green chilli paste.

2. Now add pumpkin cubes followed by salt and turmeric. Mix it well and cover it. Leave it to simmer for 10-12 minutes on low flame. Or till the pumpkin is tender and mushy.

3 In a separate bowl, whisk curd with gram flour. Add salt, a pinch of turmeric, red chilli powder, coriander seeds powder and add water to make a thin buttermilk consistency mixture.

4. Pour this mixture over cooked pumpkin. Make sure you keep the flame on minimum and continuously stir it. You have to keep the consistency homogenous and not curdled.

5. Once mixed, allow the mixture to come to a boil. After the first boil, again keep the flame on low and do occasional stirring. Be watchful as curd gravies need a little attention. Allow it to cook for another 15 minutes on low flame.

6. While serving if you wish, you can temper the cooked kadi with ghee and spices. I chose to keep it simple.

7. Always remember, when you are clubbing your favourite meals with millet ambali, keep your curries, cooked vegetables warm and not too hot. Too hot gravies like sambhars, kadis, etc would kill the good bacteria in your ambali.

8. Enjoy your meals with ambali and start using millets that are good for your health.