‘Thinai’

Setaria italica

Millets in general are nutritious, tasty and easy to grow, thriving on seasonal rain and requiring little to no irrigation. This makes them a viable and sane option to consider adopting, or rather re-adopting, as staple foods.

One of the earliest dated cultivated Millets (back to 8,000 years ago along China’s Yellow River!) is the Foxtail millet. The name comes from the appearance of the seedheads, resembling quite literally the tail of a fox. It is a diverse family of millets, present in varieties of different colours, some red, some black and some yellow.

Traditionally ‘Pongal’ was made out of Thinai.

To make the pongal, saute some chopped tomatoes, onions, garlic, ginger, pepper and cumin in some oil. Add turmeric powder and salt to season it. Add water to this and let it come to a boil. Finally, add the Thinai and let it cook until fluffy (check our post on cooking millets for more tips!). Finish the pongal, with some tempered mustard seeds and curry leaves.

Why not incorporate foxtail millet pongal into your diet as part of your breakfast or dinner, it’s simple, tasty, highly nutritious and it’s perfect for kids.