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Millets, The Star Ingredient, At Lunch, Hosted By PM Modi In Papua New Guinea

Millet special lunch hosted by PM Modi in Papua New Guinea included delicacies like millet and vegetable soup, malai kofta, Rajasthani ragi gatta curry, among others

Millets, The Star Ingredient, At Lunch, Hosted By PM Modi In Papua New Guinea
2023 is being marked as the International Year of Millets

Port Moresby: Indian cuisine and millets found a prominent place at the banquet lunch hosted by Prime Minister Modi for the leaders attending the third India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) Summit in Papua New Guinea on Monday (May 22). PM Modi along with his Papua New Guinea counterpart James Marape co-hosted a key summit between India and 14 Pacific island countries to boost bilateral ties. PM Modi is the first Indian prime minister to visit the Pacific nation.

Also Read: Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Tomar Calls To Give ‘A Respectable Place To Millets’

The lunch included Khandvi, a popular delicacy from PM Modi’s home state of Gujarat; millet and vegetable soup made with Kodo millet and highland vegetables served with cornbread; malai kofta (cottage cheese and vegetable balls simmered in aromatic Indian rich kofta curry); Rajasthani ragi gatta curry, prepared with finger millet and gram flour dumplings cooked in sour gravy; vegetable Kolhapuri (a mix vegetable cooked with traditional Indian onion-tomato gravy) and dal panchmel (special lentils mix cooked in Mewar style).

Millet biryani, vegetable biryani made with nutrient-rich barnyard millet and nannu fulka, bread made with wheat flour were also served.

The menu also included desserts and beverages like masala chaas, drink made with creamy yoghurt and Indian spices; paan kulfi, betel leaves flavoured milk-based Indian dessert and malpua with rabdi, Indian sweet pancake.

Also Read: Millets Can Tackle Challenges Of Global Food Security, Bad Food Habits: PM Narendra Modi

The inclusion of millets in the menu reflects the importance India gives to millets and the efforts made by the country to raise awareness for food security and nutrition.

PM Modi gave a new meaning and dimension to millets by terming it “Shree Anna.”

The United Nations General Assembly at the initiative of India had declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets in March 2021.

Millets are the first crops to be cultivated in Asia and Africa. Later it was adopted as an important food source for advanced civilisations around the world.

One of the oldest foods known to mankind, the small-seeded and hardy, these crops can grow on said lands with minimal inputs and are resilient to changes in climate.

Also Read: International Year Of Millets 2023: Union Minister Meenakshi Lekhi Hosts Millet Luncheon, Praises Its Nutritional Values

Improved varieties, better shelf life, efficient processing and access to markets are all vital to strengthen the millet value chain, therefore, an ideal solution for countries to increase self-sufficiency and reduce reliance on imported cereal grains.

The aim of the United Nations to declare 2023 as the International Year of Millets on India’s initiative is to elevate awareness of millets for food security and nutrition, enhance investment in R&D and extension, and inspire stakeholders towards improving production, productivity and quality of millets.

Due to their short growing season, millets can develop from seeds to ready-to-harvest crops in short periods. This characteristic of millets is of vital importance in thickly populated regions of the world. If stored properly, millets can keep well for two years or beyond.

Also Read: Budget 2023: Government Aims To Establish A Global Hub For Millets, ‘Shree Anna’

The millets commonly grown in India include Jowar (sorghum), Bajra (pearl millet), Ragi (finger millet), Jhangora (barnyard millet), Barri (common millet), Kangni (foxtail/ Italian millet), Kodra (kodo millet) etc.

Millets are rich in proteins, antioxidants, minerals and other nutrients. It helps to lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels and is gluten-free, an ideal staple diet choice for people suffering from celiac disease.

It has a low glycaemic index, making it a perfect choice for daily consumption for people affected by diabetes and related problems.

Also Read: Chhattisgarh CM Baghel Organises Millet Lunch For MLAs, Ministers To Promote Millet Mission

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

NDTV – Dettol have been working towards a clean and healthy India since 2014 via the Banega Swachh India initiative, which is helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. The campaign aims to highlight the inter-dependency of humans and the environment, and of humans on one another with the focus on One Health, One Planet, One Future – Leaving No One Behind. It stresses on the need to take care of, and consider, everyone’s health in India – especially vulnerable communities – the LGBTQ populationindigenous people, India’s different tribes, ethnic and linguistic minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, geographically remote populations, gender and sexual minorities. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (WaterSanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign will continue to raise awareness on the same along with focussing on the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children, fight malnutrition, mental wellbeing, self care, science and health, adolescent health & gender awareness. Along with the health of people, the campaign has realised the need to also take care of the health of the eco-system. Our environment is fragile due to human activity, which is not only over-exploiting available resources, but also generating immense pollution as a result of using and extracting those resources. The imbalance has also led to immense biodiversity loss that has caused one of the biggest threats to human survival – climate change. It has now been described as a “code red for humanity.” The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollutionwaste managementplastic banmanual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene. Banega Swasth India will also be taking forward the dream of Swasth Bharat, the campaign feels that only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diarrhoea and the country can become a Swasth or healthy India.

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