Brown top millet was used widely to make traditional sweets, but nowadays with the advancement of technology, they are used for making ready to eat products, breakfast cereals, healthy snacks, and snack bars. Furthermore, they are also used for making value-added products including gun puffing, hot and cold mixing, baking and instant mixes with the application of conventional food technologies.
Little millet flour is made from grinding organic grains of little millet, which are smaller than other millets. Little millet flour is rich in dietary fiber and antioxidants like polyphenols and carotenoids. It is also high in vitamins B3, protein, and magnesium. Little millet flour is a good substitute for wheat flour and can be used to make roti, instant dosa, and other healthy recipes.
Bajra is a traditional Hindi name for the cultivation of Pennisetum glaucum, also known as pearl millet. Also known as dukn, cumbu, gero, sanio, kambu, babala, or bulrush millet in India it is a very commonly cultivated grain but is a staple food in many developing countries. The crop is easy to grow and has a variety of nutrients that are beneficial to the human body. It is rich in essential nutrients such as protein, fiber, phosphorus, magnesium, and iron.
Known as Bajra in Hindi and Bengali, Sajjalu in Telugu, Kambu in Tamil and Malayalam, Sajje in Kannada, Bajri in Gujarati – Pearl Millet goes by the scientific name Cenchrus americanus and is a millet widely cultivated in India and West Africa. It is also popularly known as African millet or barbed millet in various parts of the world. According to archaeobotanical researchers, the cultivation of Bajra dates back to 2000 BC. C. and was first cultivated in the Hallur district of Karnataka.
Today, Rajasthan is the main producer of Bajra, as this unique crop that is usually grown during summers can withstand severe weather, drought, low soil fertility, and can produce a good harvest even in low salinity land and higher pH. Although Bajra has been a staple food for thousands of years, it became very popular in recent years due to its high nutritional value.