7 Millet Drinks to Keep You Cool & Healthy This Summer; Simple Recipes Inside

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Millets are a powerhouse of nutrients and serve as great coolants in summer. Here are seven tried-and-tested millet drink recipes you can try.

A scorching summer day and you’re craving a drink, but ‘make it healthy’ you say? Here, we put together a list of millet drinks that are not only high-ranking in their health quotient but super delicious to add to your morning routine.

For those who’d love to experiment, there are also recipes that you can try your hand at to perfect the drink.

One of the most popular millet drinks is the bajra raab whose hero ingredient bajra (pearl millet) is a storehouse of nutrition. The drink is a favourite in Rajasthani homes where the bajra flour is roasted with ingredients such as ajwain (carom seeds), ginger powder and salt among others.

The drink is a watery consistency that can be thickened by boiling it for longer. One of the wonders of this drink is that it builds the immunity of the drinker, and you are certain to be able to keep those colds and coughs at bay.

Recipe (serves 2)

Ingredients (1cup = 240ml; 1tbsp = 15ml; 1tsp = 5ml):

2 tsp ghee1 tsp ajwain seeds4 tbsp bajra flour1 tbsp jaggery grated or powdered½ tsp salt1 tsp dry ginger powder2 cups water1 tbsp chopped nuts optional

Instructions:

Ragi (finger millet) is an excellent coolant for the body, and you’d do well to add it to your diet on these scorching days. Its high calcium content coupled with its benefits for the colon makes it perfect for anyone looking to step up their health profile. Ragi is a rich source of Vitamin C and just what you are looking for if you want to build your immunity.

Recipe (Serves 2)

Ingredients:

Fresh mango – 1 (Fresh mango or mango pulp can be used)Sugar – 1 to 2 tsp (optional)Milk – 1 cupCooked ragi – 2 to 3 tbsp

Instructions:

Hailed as the super crop of the future, rajgira (amaranth) is the newest addition in town to every health drink and food imaginable. But what makes it such a sought-after option? It's resilience and nutritional quotient, say experts.

The millet grows in harsh climes on the slopes of the Himalayas, and it is due to this ability to flourish in the worst weather that it borrows its name from ‘amarantos’ the Greek word which means one that does not wither. The 8000-year-old millet when combined with wheat has a protein content comparable to what is found in fish.

Recipe (serves 2)

Ingredients:

1 cup puffed rajgira1/4 cup washed and soaked raisins1/4 cup washed and soaked cashews6 washed and soaked dates2 tbsp honey2 cups milk1/2 cup water

Instructions:

A fermented runny porridge mixed with sour curd produces a drink so nourishing that it traces its history centuries back to Sangam literature. The drink would be consumed first thing in the day, to allow better digestion. What makes it such a great alternative is the perfect balance of protein, fibre and starch along with the spiciness of cumin seeds.

Recipe (serves 2)

Ingredients:

6 cups water (1 cup = 250 ml)2.5 tsp salt (adjust to your taste)2 green chilli1/2 cup sour curd1/2 tsp cumin seeds1/2 inch ginger

Instructions:

Abundant in Vitamin B12, the foxtail millet is an all-rounder. It delivers amazing results for anyone looking to improve their skin and hair health, and also regulate blood flow. What's amazing is that this preparation of foxtail millet along with coconut is wonderful for mothers-to-be and diabetics as it regulates glucose levels.

Recipe (serves 2)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup foxtail millet1 1/2 cup grated coconutSugar to taste1 tsp ginger paste/powder1 tsp cloves powder10 dates10 cups water

Instructions:

The brew originates in the northern part of Nigeria, where different varieties of the drink are available, each going by the name of the hero ingredient used. Kunu gyada is made from rice, kunu aya is made with coconut, and kunu zaki from sorghum or jowar. The drink is a traditional way of welcoming guests in parts of Nigeria and is well known for its rich protein content.

Recipe (serves 2)

Ingredients:

3 cups jowar1/2 cup sweet potatoes (fresh or dried)1 tbsp ginger (fresh or dried)1 tsp clovesSugar to taste2 litres water

Instructions:

If your tastebuds are a fan of spicy, this drink is sure to fire them up. The coconut zomkom has two main ingredients — ‘zom’ which translates to flour in West African countries, and ‘kom’ which translates to water. You can use any millet for this drink. It is simple to prepare and also has a good flavour profile.

Recipe (serves 2)

Ingredients:

850 grams millet4 tbsp cloves5 ginger½ tsp sugar4 tbsp black pepper4 chilli peppersEvaporated milk (optional)Ice cubesRoom temperature water

Instructions:

(Edited by Pranita Bhat)

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