5 Healthy and Tasty Bajra Recipes to Try This Winter

Winter has finally arrived, and with it comes crisp winds and bitter cold too. But fear not, as all your favourite warm-weather foods will be there to warm you up.

While bajra is a staple food of many winter diets across India, it’s worth noting that it not only gives us warm, hearty food but also one packed with valuable nutrients! But what is so good about bajra?

Let’s deep dive into bajra health benefits, explore some delicious recipes with bajra and find the answer to the most common question related to this super grain. Is bajra good for weight loss?

Bajra Health Benefits

Pearl Millet, also commonly known as bajra is a powerfully nutritious whole grain, with a rich and varied content of proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. It imparts a uniquely pleasant flavour and texture to foods such as porridge, breads, biscuits, cooked cereals, soups, and stews. Its non-glutinous nature makes it easy to digest especially for those with a gluten allergy or celiac disease.

It has a delicate flavour that is easy to cook with. Bajra makes a great replacement for rice and can be used as a thickening agent for sauces, stews, soups, and gravies.

Here is a list of the bountiful health benefits of bajra:

1. A Good Option for Diabetics

• Bajra works perfectly well with a diabetic diet. They contain carbohydrates that are digested slowly, maintaining a stable glucose level for a long period. This makes them a healthy food option for diabetics.

   

2. Relieves Acidity and Other Stomach Troubles

• The acidity-regulating and soothing effects of bajra are beneficial for people suffering from frequent bouts of stomach ulcers, intestinal discomfort, and frequent bouts of vomiting. Bajra is particularly beneficial for patients suffering from chronic constipation due to its laxative qualities.

   

3. Lowers Blood Pressure

• Bajra is packed with potassium, a mineral that helps lower blood pressure. This superfood is known in many cultures as nature’s medicine because of its natural properties to aid your body’s function. Bajra is rich in vitamins and minerals that we need daily to keep us going—like iron and magnesium.

Interested to know about the various health benefits of bajra? Read our latest article “Have You Heard of the Nutritional Benefits of Bajra? for a detailed view.

Is Bajra Good for Weight Loss?

YES! Bajra is an excellent option not only for shedding that excess weight but also for preventing weight gain. As roti made out of it contains only 97 calories, it makes you feel fuller and satisfied for a long time. It improves metabolism and is also replete with fibre, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants which makes it beneficial for your health as well.

5 Delicious Bajra Recipes You Need to Try

1. Bajra Roti

Let’s start with the classics first. Recipe bajra roti is the easiest to make and the most delectable.

• Start by combining bajra flour and whole wheat flour in a big bowl along with salt. Knead the flour into a soft dough by using 3/4th cup of warm water.
• Divide the dough to make 8 rotis. Press the dough with your hands to make them soft. Roll out the dough into the shape of a round roti using a rolling pin.
• Heat a non-stick tava on medium flame and carefully place your rolled-out roti. Cook it for a few seconds until the roti starts getting good colour.
• Flip the roti and cook it on the other side in a similar fashion. Once cooked, smear desi ghee on top. Bajra ki roti is best paired with Urad channa dal. Enjoy your nutritious meal!

2. Bajra Khichdi With Green Moong Dal

Nutritious, warm and delicious, is the best way to describe bajra khichdi. Khichdi is a simple and hearty meal, always fulling. Bajra khichdi with green moong dal is a recipe you must add to your lunch menu.

• Start by soaking the bajra in water for 8 hours. Once soaked well, drain it and wash it 2-3 times under running water.
• Add the soaked bajra, green moong dal, salt as per taste, and 2 cups of water in a pressure cooker and let it cook for 4 whistles. Let the steam release before opening the lid.
• Take a non-stick pan, and add desi ghee, cumin seeds, hing, and turmeric powder. Saute it on a medium flame for a few seconds.
• To this mixture, add the cooked bajra and green moong dal along with a pinch of salt. Mix well and cook on a low flame for 2-3 minutes.
• Bajra khichdi with green moong dal is ready. Serve it hot and pair it with curd.

3. Bajra Dosa

Who doesn’t love a golden crispy dosa? Guess what your favourite dosa can be healthy too. Bajra dosa is great for weight loss and a suitable option for people with diabetes. Let’s get cooking!

• To make your dosas, start by soaking 1 cup bajra, 1/2 cup urad dal, and 1/4 cup poha, for 6 hours. Next, soak a handful of fenugreek seeds for 4-6 hours separately.
• Once soaked, drain well and blend in a mixer using 3/4th cup of water till smooth.
• Transfer the mixture into a big bowl and add bajra flour and salt to it. Add approx 2 cups of water and mix well using a whisk. Cover the mixture with a lid and allow it to ferment overnight.
• Give the mixture, a good stir the next day. It’s time to make dosas! Heat a non-stick tava, sprinkle a little water on it, and wipe it off using a thin muslin cloth.
• Pour a ladleful of the dosa batter in a circular motion onto the hot tava. Smear a tablespoon of desi ghee or oil over the edges, until the dosa turns golden brown in colour and crisp from both sides.
• Enjoy it with warm sambhar and cold chutney!

4. Bajra Chakli

A festive favourite, snack time bite, the perfect midnight munchy, tea time treat, the good old spiral chakli means so much to so many people. You can make it even tastier with this easy bajra recipe.

• Start by combining bajra flour, whole wheat flour, garlic, nigella (kalonji) seeds, green chilli paste, and salt in a big bowl. Give them all a good mix.
• Add softened butter to the flour mixture using your fingertips until the mixture resembles bread or cookie crumbs texture.
• Add 1tbsp curd and knead into a soft dough using some water.
• Put the mixture into a chakli maker and press out spirals of the dough onto an aluminium foil.
• Let’s get frying. Heat oil in a kadhai, lift your precious chaklis gently and drop them into the oil one at a time.
• Deep fry a few at a time until they turn golden brown on each side. Drain the bajra chaklis on tissue paper and get ready to enjoy.

5. Bajra Chocolate Pancake

The best for the last! Delicious bajra pancakes served with warm chocolate sauce taste heavenly. You can enjoy it as a dessert or even breakfast. Quite a win-win isn’t it?

• Start by assembling ½ cup of bajra flour and an equal portion of jaggery.
• Sift the bajra flour using a sieve, then to the flour add ½ cup melted jaggery, 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, 1 and mashed banana.
• Blend the ingredients to make a smooth batter by mixing with warm water. P.S – You can also use warm milk to make the batter.
• Heat a pan and grease it with some butter, then gently pour a ladle of the batter, make the pancakes by flipping the sides and serve hot with chocolate syrup or vanilla ice cream.

Are you ready to introduce bajra into your life and reap its countless benefits? We hope these recipes inspired you to choose healthy millets over regular flours.

Know More About Girveda

Here at Girveda, we are committed to nourishing society with a supply of pure, chemical-free, 100% Natural Food and Ayurvedic Products, cultivated in the fertile lands of Gir. We leverage traditional Cow Based Natural Farming practices to restore the natural cycle of soil health, and help bring customers naturally grown ingredients and products.