On 29th January, 2023, Prime Minister Modi, in his radio programme ‘Mann Ki Baat’ spoke about ‘Millets Café’ which was started at Raigarh, Chhattisgarh, in May, 2022. This café is unique as its menu has dishes made of Millets only.
Millets Café, was conceptualized by then collector of Raigarh, Mr. Bhim Singh and developed by the 2018-batch IAS officer and CEO of Raigarh District Panchayat, Mr. Abinash Mishra.
Speaking with Indian Masterminds, Mr. Abinash said, “Our aim is to promote millets and local cuisine besides supporting women self-employment and entrepreneurship. It is an initiative to create awareness among the urban consumers towards a tasty, healthy & nutritional diet. Millets constitute staple diet of rural masses but urban consumers were largely ignorant about their benefits.”
MILLETS CAFE
Mission Millet was launched in Chhattisgarh to boost production of coarse grains crops like ragi, kodo and kutki and more. This cafe has the distinction of being the first millet cafe in the state, whose operation is run by a group of 10 women.
The menu reads like – millets cheela, millet dosa, millet momos, millet pizza, millets Manchurian, pasta, idli, millet manchurian and kodo biryani etc. The restaurant is owned by Vikas Mahila Kshetra Sangh, a national urban livelihood mission self-help group organization. Most of the millets used in this café are produced in Raigarh itself.
Mr. Abinash said, “We helped the women self-help group under CSR fund with Rs12 lakh in the beginning.The café started earning profits very soon. Technical support for this café was given by the Women and Child Development Department and the Transforming Rural India Foundation.”
NUTRITIOUS HEALTHIER
For many generations, millets were regular part of diet. These grains are rich in many nutrients essential for health. Presently most of the fast foods like pizza, burger and noodles have taken a toll on the health as they are made of fine wheat flour Maida, which is difficult to digest. Such cafes are thus giving people a healthier option. “Millets are highly nutritious. Chhattisgarh, often called rice bowl, now aims to become the millet hub of the country too,” Mr. Abinash added.
MILLETS CROPS
Coarse grain crops like Jowar, Bajra, Ragi, Sawan, Kodo, Kutki and Kuttu are called millet crops. Millets are called super food because they contain relatively high amount of nutrients. According to the Millets Research Institute of India, finger millet is rich in calcium. The amount of iron in ragi is also more than that of wheat and rice.
