KAMBU / PEARL MILLET

KAMBU / PEARL MILLET

One of the richest source of iron among all the millets and grains. So it cures Anemia. It helps to cure constipation, stomach ulcer, intestine and mouth ulcer. It increases hunger but if taken with buttermilk it reduces weight by melting the excess fat in the body. It cools the body so people with cough and cold can take in minimal times.

Kambu | Bajra has been consumed for many years by our ancestors and it has many health benefits. There are lot of traditional recipes with bajra that is still made the way our ancestors did which is both very healthy and tasty. Kambu is called Pearl Millet in English, Bajra in Hindi, Sajjalu in Telugu and Bajri in Gujarati. In our house we make different traditional recipes with kambu and if you pair it well with a suitable side dish, even children will enjoy eating kambu.

There is one main thing  about the traditional diet that our ancestors followed, it is eating according to the season. Now with kambu, the main recipe is the porridge made with broken kambu. Kambu porridge is made only during hot summer season and if you are a South Indian, you must have seen that most of the homes will have kambu porridge for lunch during hot summer. It is one of the best body coolants . 

You will be less likely to suffer from heat strokes, ulcers and dehydration, if you make it a habit of eating kambu porridge in summer. The kambu porridge is usually kept in huge clay pots which keeps the porridge cool and usually there will be plenty of accompaniments like homemade vadams and vathals to go with it. But nowadays the vendors who sell these traditional drinks are slowly decreasing as we are taking to drinking harmful sugary drinks. A few years back, sugary drinks were not available in villages, nowadays I see these drinks in every small shop in most of the villages. I think it is high time we educate our kids about the traditional drinks like kambu porridge that is usually cheap, good for the body and soul along with keeping us healthy. Kambu apart from being a body coolant also is good for treating constipation, acidity and it is full of nutrients.

BENEFITS OF PEARL MILLET:

1. Kambu | Bajra For Diabetics:

Kambu is one of the best ingredients that diabetics can include in their diet. Kambu dosai is a regular in our home and the best combination for this dosai is peanut chutney. This combination has been followed for many years and that is how we always eat the dosai. When you have a breakfast like this that is high in GI,  it prevent blood sugar spikes and keep us satiated till lunch. If I have this breakfast, I know I will be full till lunch without any hunger pangs. Diabetic patients when they include traditional food like this that is full of nutrients, good fats and low in glycemic index can keep blood sugar level under check without any great effort.

2. Kambu | Bajra For Weight Loss:

Kambu is a great ingredient to include in weight loss diet, as it keep us satiated for a long time like I mentioned before. Another thing with kambu is that it settles the stomach after consuming it. I think many of you will understand when I say settle the stomach, it is a nice feeling after having a meal, whereas when we eat a meal high in processed food we never get a satisfied feeling and within an hour or two we are hungry again. Including foods that keep us satiated for a long time along with providing us with the required nutrients is the main key to natural weight loss. Try to include kambu along with other millet's to get fat burning under way :)

3. Kambu | Bajra For Infants & Children: Keeps the Hair & Skin Healthy

Please encourage children to consume kambu as it full of minerals and vitamins that keeps the hair and skin healthy: 100gms of bajra contains around 12gm of protein, 42 mg of calcium and 8 mg of iron. Kambu is also one of the few ingredients that rarely cause allergies in anyone. In my home, I buy the whole kambu and grind it into a powder. I find that when I grind it fresh, it has the best flavor and aroma. I cook the ground bajra along with water into a thick mass. I then roll them into balls and then immerse it in water and then I keep it in the refrigerator.  To consume, take a ball from the refrigerator and mix it with thick yogurt. You can spice it up with finely cut green chillies, shallots and coriander leaves. According to me there is no food to match this for children in terms of nutrition and as a body coolant in summer. This mixture can be given to children from 2 years onwards, skip the spicing part for young children.

4. Kambu | Bajra For Constipation:

If you are suffering from constipation, try eating bajra and the next day you will find that you don't have any constipation problem, that is because of the high fiber content of bajra. I would prefer eating bajra as a porridge in the afternoon along with yogurt. In the form of dosais, paniyaram in the night or morning breakfast. I would like to eat it dosais and paniyaram with coconut chutney or like mentioned before peanut chutney. Even last week when I was eating it, I was thinking what a nice simple wholemeal it was and just 2 dosais would fill me up. When consuming food like this you will never have any constipation problems at all. What I have given is just a few ideas to include kambu in daily diet that I regularly make, but you can get creative and include it in many recipes. if we make it a point to eat more of bajra, I am sure we will find a way to include it in our diet.

5. Kambu | Bajra the Best Allergy Food: Good For Lactating Mothers

I was actually surprised when a health magazine announced that many Indians are gluten intolerant and we lead our lives without ever realizing it. Even me, though I love chappathis, I find it hard to digest especially if I have it in hotels with fat added to the flour and sometimes I get a very bloated feeling. But you will never experience this kind of bloating consuming bajra. I have noticed it several times, though sometimes I have consumed bajra dosai that is a bit greasy, I have never felt bloated at all. It is also one of the foods that can be consumed by both elders and children. Bajra also is good for lactating mothers and should be included in their diet very often as it increases the breast milk supply. If you are suffering from pcos try including these traditional recipes a lot in your diet. Since Pongal festival is around the corner, almost all the homes in our village will be preparing kamba maavu, a high iron food that is made with jaggery, ground bajra and spices. Since we are farmers, Pongal festival is very very special to us and we make a lot of this kamba maavu along with other traditional sweets and gift it to everyone during Pongal. I have never seen a single person complain of stomachache after eating kamba maavu only that they didn't get enough of it. I hope after reading this article that you will start consuming more of kambu in the daily diet :)

1. Reduces Heat: Kambu mixed with yogurt and some salt cools the body immediately and gives instant energy.
2. High in protein
3. Keeps the body hydrated
4. Energises body
5. Prevents heart disease
6. Reduces accidity
7. Rich in calcium and iron
8. Rich in fibre
9. Rich in all amino acids.

RECIPES OF KAMBU / PEARL MILLET:

KAMBU KOOZH/ PEARL MILLET PORRIDGE

Ingredients:

Pearl millet / Bajra / Kambu 1/2 Cup*
Water 5 Cups
Salt To taste
Green Chilli 2
Sour Curd 1/2 Cup
Cumin Seeds 1/2 teaspoon
Ginger 1/2 inch piece


Method:

• Grind the pearl millet into coarse powder.
• Mix water and the powder in a pan well until there are no lumps.
• In medium flame cook the porridge stirring continuously.
• When the porridge gets thick add some water and dilute the porridge.
• When the liquid comes to boil remove from flames.Set aside.
• When cooled down completely mix sour curd and salt (as per taste).
• Drink for immediate cooling down of the body.

Tips:

• The kambu koozh(porridge) can be consumed immediately or left overnight and consumed in the morning when fermented.
• Side dish for this dish is classic green chilli and raw small onions.

reparation Time. 2 hours
Cook Time. 10 minutes
Recipe Category. Breakfast
Recipe Cuisine. South Indian
Serves. 2 Persons

Ingredients

Kambu/pearl millet – 1 cup
Channa dal/kadalai paruppu – 1/4 cup
Toor dal/thuvaram paruppu – 1/4 cup
Urad dal/ulutham paruppu – 1/2 cup
Small Onions (finely chopped) – 7 nos.
Red chillies – 2nos.
Saunf Powder/sombu thool – little (optional)
Coriander Leaves (finely chopped) – 1/4 cup
Curry leaves/karuvepillai (finely chopped) – 1/4 cup
Asafoetida/perungayam – a pinch
Salt – as desired
Gingelly Oil – as desired

Note. The ingredients shown will vary with the original quantity.

Preparation

1. Soak pearl millet/kambu, channa dal, toor dal, and urad dal in water for about two hours.
2. Drain the water and add a pinch of asafoetida and red chillies and grind it coarsely. Add little water if necessary.
3. Finely chop the onions, curry leaves and coriander leaves.
4. Add sombu powder, chopped onion, curry leaves, coriander leaves, and salt to the batter and stir well.
5. Heat a dosa pan. Take a ladle full of batter and spread it in a round shape. Apply oil on the sides of the adai. When adai is cooked on one side, flip it over and then cook on the other side too.
Now, Kambu Adai is ready!

Notes.

• Do not grind the batter finely.
• Once you spread the batter into round shape, you can add chopped onions on top of it and then carefully flip it over when one side of the adai is cooked. You can also fry the onions separately and add it to the adai when one of its side is getting cooked. Fried onions gives a good flavor compared to the raw onions.

FAQ.

What is the difference between Kambu Adai and Kambu Dosa?

Kambu Dosa – Have to ferment the batter overnight.
Kambu Adai – Batter can be used instantly to make adai. No fermentation is needed.

Thanks to nithyascorner.com for the recipe.

KAMBU SADAM

Kambu Sadam Recipe - Ingredients

Preparation Time : 10 mins | Cooking Time : 20 mins | Serves : 2
Recipe Category: Main | Recipe Cuisine: South Indian

Pearl Millet (Kambu) - 1/2 cup (I used broken kambu)
Water - 2 cups

Note: If you have whole kambu,then sprinkle little water over it and leave it for 15mins then grind it in a mixer to make it coarse...just 2-3 pulse is enough

Method:

1. I used broken kambu so used it as such.Rinse the kambu well.Boil 2 cups of water in a thick bottomed vessel when it starts to boil add kambu.Let it boil and cook.
   
2. Cover and cook in low medium flame Stir in between to prevent it sticking to the bottom.At one stage the millet will become soft absorbing all the water.

Serve with raw onion or vadams or pickle of your choice or with any kuzhambu of your choice.

KAMBU MAVU PUTTU SWEET VERSION

Cuisine: Indian
Category: Sweet
Serves: Serves 4
Prep time: 10 Minutes
Cook time: 20 Minutes
Total time: 30 Minutes


INGREDIENTS

Kambu maavu/Pearl millet flour - 2 cups
Salt water - as needed ( we used around 1/2 cup)
Grated jaggery - 3/4 cup or sugar - 1/3 cup
Cardamom seeds – 2 nos crushed
Grated coconut - 1/4 cup

METHOD


Take the kambu maavu/Pearl millet flour in a wide bowl.Mix salt in little water and sprinkle it in kambu maavu.Mix well.Add water such that u should be able to shape it roughly as shown in the picture.

Now spread this kambu maavu in idli plate and steam it for 10-15 minutes till the color of flour is changed.Remove the idli plate and take the cooked kambu maavu in a mixie jar.Grind once or twice to powder it because as u steam the flour,there may be lumps formed.So we are grinding the steamed flour to break the lumps.

Take the ground flour in a bowl.Add sugar,cardamom powder & grated coconut.Mix well and serve.If u want to add jaggery,proceed to the next step.

Melt jaggery in a bowl adding little water.Strain the syrup and again boil till it starts to become thick n frothy.Switch off the flame.Add cardamom powder and mix this syrup with the cooked & ground kambu maavu.Add the required amount of syrup and mix well.Lastly add grated coconut,mix well and serve.


Enjoy !

NB: I felt jaggery puttu was very soft than sugar puttu.So make it as per your taste.If serving immediately,u can try sugar puttu else make jaggery puttu because it stays soft n good even after an hour.You can also make spicy version by sauting onions,chillies,ginger & curry leaves in little oil.Temper and mix everything with the cooked flour.



Note


** For making homemade kambu maavu – Dry roast kambu/Pearl millet in a wide kadai in medium flame till it starts to splutter and leaves a nice smell.Do it in batches if u want to make in large quantity.Roasting takes nearly 7-9 minutes.Do not burn them while roasting.so pls be careful.After roasting,switch off the flame and allow it to cool.Grind in a mill OR Mixie for small quantity.Sieve if necessary,spread in a news paper to cool down the flour and store in an air tight box.
Grinding the flour in mixie after steaming is very important.Else the flour will have too much of lumps.But do not over grind the cooked flour because they will stuck to the jar and becomes very thick.Run for small intervals to make it as a powder
Do not sprinkle too much of salt water.It also makes the puttu hard.At the same time,if u add less water,puttu will become dry.
Though sugar puttu is easy to make when compared to jaggery puttu,jaggery puttu was softer than sugar puttu.But taste wise both were very good.So make it according to your choice.
You can also try savory puttu.Just refer my ragi spicy puttu and follow the same directions.

KAMBU THAYIR SADHAM

Kambu Thayir Sadam Recipe

Preparation Time:15 minutes | Cooking Time : 20 mins | Serves:2
Recipe Category: Main | Recipe Cuisine: South Indian

Broken Kambu - 1/2 cup (I used broken kambu)
Water - 2 cups
Curd - 1 cup
Carrot - 2.5 tbsp grated
Cucumber - 2 tbsp finely chopped
Raw Mango - 1 tbsp finely chopped
Coriander leaves - 2 tsp finely chopped
Salt - to taste

To temper:

Oil - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - few
Green Chilli - 1 finely chopped
Ginger - 1/4 inch piece

Note: If you have whole kambu,then sprinkle little water over it and leave it for 15mins then grind it in a mixer to make it coarse...just 2-3 pulse is enough

Method:

1. I used broken kambu so used it as such.Rinse the kambu well and transfer to pressure cooker, add water and pressure cook in low medium flame for 4 whistles.
2. Once pressure releases, open and switch on the flame.Keep stirring till it becomes thick.Now transfer this to a mixing dish. let it cool down completely.
   
3. Add curd and mix well.Then add cucumber,carrot,coriander leaves, raw mango and mix well.Add required salt.
   
4. Heat oil in a pan - add items listed under 'to temper' let it splutter.Then add the tempering to the curd rice. Mix well.
   

Serve chilled and while serving garnish with leftover carrots,cucumber and coriander leaves.

• If you like add chopped raw onion too.
• If you are packing then add few tbsp of milk along with curd and mix well.
• Make kambu rice thick so that while mixing it doesn't go runny.
• If you prefer add little water and curd while mixing.
• Serve with pickle or any kuzhambu of your choice.