Lost Grains of Ancient India

By Ashwini Shajan

It’s been vaguely six months I’ve begun following a healthy diet. The reason is nothing unfamiliar; weight gain, frequent colds, and that routine 9 am to 6 pm deskbound office hours of no exercise. Browsing for diets, and diets better than those diets, brought me a find of something very interesting - the lost nutritional value of India’s ancient grains. It took me few research hours to learn that millets like ragi, jowar, bajra and other grains like barley, quinoa, spelt, teff etc. were fundamental portions of the kitchen larder during the old times.

My curiosity had initially arisen when I saw a colleague wolfing a scrumptious meal of millet biriyani. One day it’s this, the next day it would be a ragi dosa or two, and another day it would be a warm roasted cauliflower and barley salad. Her miscellaneous intake of food got me wondering why we couldn’t upgrade our modern food grains like wheat and rice to healthier and tastier options like the ancient grains.

What’s good to know is that there is almost no difference when it comes to time taken to cook and devour foods made of these grains. (Yes, I do know the roughness of millets makes it difficult to cook, but isn’t technology taking care of that too?) I also have a packet of granola at home which I purchased out of realisation that it is made of kamut and can turn out to be a brilliant addition to my breakfast, snacks, or dinner. Most of these grains are rich in protein, fiber, iron and prove to be effective disease killers in the long run. For example, for all those who find it unimaginable to quit rice and chapatis like me, millets as substitutes can give you all the satisfaction that you need.

We live amongst the Gen Y, where funnily, old fashioned crop tops and bell bottoms are fancied today. Considering the changing lifestyles that we lead, and the unhealthiness caused by modern staple of rice and wheat, the best way would be to start remembering these forgotten ancient grains and bring them back into our kitchens. For those picky eaters, hard core foodies and moaning children, start celebrating your diets and foods with the lost grains of ancient India.

By Ashwini Shajan