Ann Utsav: From millet gulab jamun to peri-peri sticks, it’s a culinary delight!
The three-day food festival, from October 27 to 29, at the Indira Gandhi Pratishthan features over 100 varieties of millet-based dishes showcased in approximately 15 stalls set up by farmer producer organisations (FPOs) and individuals from various districts of Uttar Pradesh.
Gulab jamun, choco chips, peri-peri sticks, pakoda, samosa, peda, laddu, puff corns, and more – Ann Utsav (food festival) has a wide array of delicacies, all prepared using healthy millets.
The three-day food festival, from October 27 to 29, at the Indira Gandhi Pratishthan features over 100 varieties of millet-based dishes showcased in approximately 15 stalls set up by farmer producer organisations (FPOs) and individuals from various districts of Uttar Pradesh.
Among the stalls, two unique attractions caught the attention of visitors: a stall selling millet Gulab Jamun by Lucknow’s Poonam Mehrotra and another stall offering peri-peri spicy sticks and puff corns by Rakesh Kumar from Muzaffarnagar.
Mehrotra explained, “We use Jowar flour instead of refined flour (maida), along with Khoya and other ingredients.” She runs ‘Millets Delights,’ an organised venture that supplies millet-based dishes to an NGO in Lucknow. She also manages a canteen at CISH Rehmankhera, where she has introduced a variety of millet-based foods, including laddu, barfi, matri and peda.
Similarly, Rakesh Kumar offers more than 15 millet-based products, including peri-peri sticks, choco chips, pakoda, biscuits, ready-made khichdi, and puffs, among others. “Our peri-peri products are oil-free and ready to eat, unlike those found in the market. Our millet khichdi only requires adding the appropriate amount of water and it’s ready to eat,” said Rakesh.
