The Grandma Pantry Comeback
Millets, methi, and more—our culinary roots are growing stronger in the age of sustainability
In the Kitchen with Heritage
In a modest home kitchen in Jaipur, 65-year-old Sunita Bhandari still swears by her grandmother’s rule: bajra in winters, jowar in summers, and ragi when her grandchildren need an immunity boost.
Once staples in every Indian household, these ancient grains—collectively known as millets—were gradually replaced by polished rice, refined flours, and the convenience of globalized cereals.
But now, they’re back. And how.
Millets Go Mainstream
In trendy cafés across Mumbai and Delhi, millet risottos and amaranth smoothie bowls are making an entrance. Influencers are swapping chia for sabja, quinoa for rajgira, and flooding food reels with phrases like ancestral eating and climate-smart grains.
Behind the trend lies something deeper: a reconnection with India’s food roots, and a collective shift toward sustainability.
Stemming from the Soil and Soul
India’s native ingredients—spices like kalonji, ajwain, hing, and cereals like foxtail millet, barnyard millet, and kodo—have nourished generations.
“This isn’t just nostalgia. It’s science and sustainability,”
— Dr. Poonam Moitra, Dietitian, Delhi
Millets require 70% less water than paddy and grow without chemical fertilizers—critical in today’s climate-challenged world. Colonial-era crop priorities and post-Green Revolution agriculture, Dr. Moitra explains, made us view native foods as “coarse” and “poor”—a perception now being challenged.
From Mandis to Michelin Plates
This revival is happening in both humble homes and high-end kitchens.
At Indian Accent, Chef Manish Mehrotra features ragi and jackfruit tacos.
In Bengaluru, kodo millet is fused with Malabar spices to recreate ancestral Kerala dishes.
Chef Garima Arora launched Food Forward India, spotlighting heritage foods for modern tastes.
Meanwhile, in the farmlands of Telangana, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh, indigenous grains like little millet, black rice, and kala jeera are sprouting once again—thanks to women farmers, community seed banks, and local food festivals.
The Rise of the ‘Kitchen Activist’
There’s a quiet revolution unfolding in urban kitchens.
“I started using kuttu and singhara flours not just during Navratri but year-round.”
— Shweta Mehra, home chef and food blogger
Health concerns like PCOS, growing cultural curiosity, and online knowledge-sharing are fueling this shift. Studies show millets are gluten-free, high in fibre, and rich in iron, magnesium, and calcium. Spices like turmeric and methi are being rediscovered as healing powerhouses.
On Instagram, food feeds are full of ragi laddoos, millet cookies, and hashtag love letters:
#BackToRoots #MilletRevival #GrandmaKnowsBest
More than just recipes, kitchen activists are advocating for indigenous seed rights, fair farmer support, and mindful consumption.
A Government Push—and a G20 Moment
In 2023, India led the United Nations to declare it the International Year of Millets, shining global light on humble grains. Since then:
Millet meals have appeared in school menus, on train journeys, and at G20 banquets.
Millet production in India rose 27% from 2021 to 2023.
Brands like Slurrp Farm, Nourish You, and Millet Amma are now household names.
What was once “rural” is now rebranded, repackaged, and respected.
The Spice Side of the Story
While millets take the spotlight, forgotten spices are also returning:
Stone flower (dagad phool)
Long pepper (pippali)
Sichuan pepper (timur)
Kachri
“A pinch of hing goes far beyond taste—it’s medicinal.”
— Dr. Pankaj Rathore
From kokum cocktails in Maharashtra to ver masala rediscoveries in Kashmir, regional spice stories are making flavorful comebacks.
What Lies Ahead: A Plate That Heals
This isn’t just about changing ingredients—it’s about transforming relationships with food.
Cooking with kodo instead of couscous, seasoning with kalonji over oregano—these are small but significant shifts.
They signal a cultural renaissance. A deeper mindfulness. A way to honour history while feeding the future.
Back in Jaipur, Sunita Bhandari watches her granddaughter make bajra pizza at a school contest.
“My dadi would’ve laughed,” she says with a smile, “but also been proud.”
