Although millet or meals infused with millet are rarely ordered by affluent customers from a restaurant menu,they aid in the maintenance of healthy diets.
Top chefs now use millet to prepare slow-roasted lamb tacos, amaranth puffs, fried prawns, and fish after realising what a miracle grain it is.
Chef Vikram Kharkwal of Red Ginger, a casual dining establishment in Nairobi’s Parklands, is one of the few chefs demonstrating the ability to combine millet with other ingredients to create delectable dishes.
His tacos with slow-roasted lamb and lime crème are both an aesthetic and taste feast.
The Indian High Commission’s initiative to promote the adaptability of the millet grain includes Chef Kharkwal’s delights. During an exhibition that lasted a week and was hosted by the Indian High Commission in Nairobi, the miracle grain’s inventive fusion with both domestic and international cuisines was on display.
The variety was astounding, with salads, main courses, and even desserts featuring millet.
While millet is a common food in both nations, the Indians demonstrated how much more it could be incorporated into dishes served in restaurants and at home.
Two chefs with a thorough understanding of the crop were flown in by the High Commission for the showcase.
“In India, this is a grain commonly grown by the farmer. As chefs, it is our responsibility to grow and create multiple recipes out of it, and that’s why you see various cuisines created out of it, whether it’s a soup, a salad, a dessert, or a main course,” Vaibhav Bhargava, a chef at Chô- Vietnamese Kitchen & Bar in New Delhi told the Business Daily.
Bhargava affirms millet’s versatility as an ingredient and points out its use in well-known dishes like pizza and tacos from Mexico.
“Millet can be incorporated into Kenyan cuisines too. Instead of limiting it to porridge, one can use millet to make ugali. Any cuisine can have millet as long as the chef applies some creativity,” he added.
