By Modou S N’jie
Welcome!
The idea behind this column is to promote the culture of eating what we grow and growing what we eat. This column is proudly sponsored by FARM FRESH which is The Gambia’s first online Vegetables and Fruits Delivery service (www.farmfresh.gm) allowing anyone from within The Gambia or abroad to place orders online or via phone and have the items delivered to their doorsteps at home or at the office. All the vegetables are locally grown (organic).
It goes without saying that a healthy mind can only be found in a healthy body. There is also a saying which appears simple but is in fact deep in meaning, “YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT”.
“When diet is wrong, medicine is of no use. When diet is correct, medicine is of no need.” Ancient Earthian Ayurvedic Proverb. It is for these reasons Farm Fresh is happy to partner with Gambia Tourism and Hospitality Institute, in order to create awareness and acceptance of our locally grown vegetables and fruits. Understanding what we eat and how we eat plays a significant role in our overall health and well-being.
This week we will take a look at the health benefits of millet in our diets. We are also happy to share some easy to make millet recipes for your family and businesses and we hope you will find this article interesting. Thank you and welcome to the journey towards healthy eating. Remember the slogan ”you are what you eat”.
Millet
Millets are a group of highly variable small-seeded grasses, widely grown around the world as cereal crops or grains for fodder and human food. Millet is widely consumed in developing countries throughout Africa and Asia. It is a gluten free and boasts high protein, fiber, and antioxidant contents. Millets have multiple advantages over other crops, including drought and pest resistance. It’s also able to survive in harsh environments and less fertile soil.
Nutritional facts
Millet is a starchy, protein-rich grain. It provides plenty of phosphorus and magnesium. It provides more essential amino acids than most other cereals. These compounds are the building blocks of protein.
Health benefits of millet
1. Helps digestion millet contains fiber, which contributes to digestive health and helps to regulate to regulate bowel movements.
2. Supports cardiovascular system millet contains magnesium, which helps to regulate hearth rhythm. It also elevates levels of the protein adiponectin, which can protect cardiovascular tissues.
3. Improving mood millet can improve a person’s mood due to the high concentration of the amino acid, tryptophan.
4. Reducing oxidative stress oxidative stress may cause various chronic conditions, including neurodegenerative disorders, arthritis and diabetes. Therefore, millet is a good source of antioxidants, which may help support the body’s ability to resist oxidative stress, a factor in illness and aging. Consuming antioxidants could decrease the risk of chronic diseases.
5. Reducing the risk of diabetes and managing obesity; millet helps in reducing the degree of overweight and obesity and also helps to manage blood glucose levels in people with diabetes.
Recipes
Domoda served with millet
o Millet
o Beef/chicken
o Onion
o Olive oil
o Garlic
o Tomatoes
o Tomato paste
o Peanut butter
o Salt and pepper
Cooking instructions
millet
1. Wash the millet until clean and drain off the liquid.
2. Place a cooking pot with water on fire and put a colander on top of it to help steam the millet.
3. Put the millet in the colander when the water boils and the steam starts to come up, then close it to trap in the steam.
4. When it steams keep adding water to it and leave it to steam. Repeat this process until the millet gets softens.
Domoda
1. Heat the oil large saucepan. Sauté the onions until golden, add the beef and garlic and sauté until the beef is no longer pink.
2. Add the tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes. Add the tomato paste, chilies, peanut butter and stir to combine.
3. Add the water and seasonings, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Keep stirring occasionally, add in your vegetables, season with salt and pepper.
4. Serve hot with millet.
Millet muffins
o Ingredients
o Whole wheat flour
o Millet
o Baking powder
o Baking soda
o Salt
o Buttermilk
o Egg
o Oil
o Honey
Cooking instruction
1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees C and grease the muffins.
2. In a large bowl, mix the whole wheat flour, millet flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix the buttermilk, egg, vegetable oil and honey. Stir buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture just until evenly moist.
3. Transfer batter to prepared muffins cup.
4. Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Enjoy your hearty breakfast snacks.
