The rear part of the seminar hall on the sprawling campus of the Andhra Loyola College transformed into an open kitchen where Gunti Padmaja, an Ayurvedic cooking teacher, demonstrated the power of millets by whipping up delicious recipes that promise a healthy life.
A gathering, of mostly women and only a few men, listened in rapt attention, as she listed the benefits of the dishes.
Within the next couple of hours, she cooked ambali (porridge) with andu korralu (Brown top millets) and healthier version of noodles and payasam besides dosa with korralu and idli with samulu (little millets). Most women had a pen and a notebook to take home the recipes and integrate them in their daily menu.
“Food is key to healthy life. Everybody says millets are good for health but not many homemakers know the recipes,” said Ms. Padmaja, adding millet recipes are the best way to keep junk food away from children.
On the occasion of the World Diabetes Day, the college, in association with the Jeevaamrutham Organic Store, organised Millet Mela, a day-long health awareness programme on millet diet, its cooking method and a seminar on the sidelines.
Concurrently, in an open ground, Veeramachineni Rama Krishna, who has been popularising a diet that not only helps in weight-loss but also reverses diabetes, organic farmer and secretary of Madanapalle Farmers’ Association M.C.V. Prasad and ‘Uttama Vaidya’ Pammi Satyanarayana Sastry addressed the seminar on “Embracing millets for our own benefit”.
They explained to the students how processed foods are stripped of one or more of their original elements and are missing valuable nutrients, fibres or water. Natural foods, or wholefoods (fresh fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, seeds, nuts come from the nature and by their very nature, are perfect food for our body to thrive and survive on, they said.
The session was all about rediscovering the magic of forgotten grains like ragi (finger millet), jowar (sorghum) and bajra (pearl millet).
At the main entrance were a group of students exhibiting medicinal plants that can control diabetes.
Krishna Zilla Parishad Chairperson Gadde Anuradha was the chief guest. Principal Fr. G.A.P. Kishore inaugurated the workshop.
