6 Millet-Based Pongal Recipes You Must Try In 2025

Pongal, to be celebrated on January 14, 2025, is a Hindu harvest festival that South Indians observe. The commemoration spans over 3-4 days where communities come together to prepare mostly rice-based traditional delicacies to mark the end of winter solstice.

While the authentic recipes are delicious and healthy, you can make them more nutritious by making millets an integral part of the ingredient list. With India leading the production of millets across the world, it is high time that festivities also include them.

Millet Murukku

Murukku or chakli is a traditional snack prepared across South Indian states, and it is relished with tea or coffee. Usually prepared with rice flour and besan, you can tweak the recipe and make it using ragi or bajra. The recipe will turn out healthier and tastier. You can either deep-fry murukku or air fry to avoid the use of oil. You can also add toasted sesame seeds or crushed dry fruits to the blend for extra crunch and nutrition.

Millet Pongal

Sweet Pongal (Sakkarai Pongal) is a must-have traditional delight during the harvest festival. It is prepared by cooking rice grains in a blend of milk and jaggery. You can use kodo millet to create a healthier version of it. Make sure to cook the ingredients in ghee, and don’t forget to add jaggery, cardamom, raisins, and a handful of toasted and roasted nuts. The earthy notes of millet and sweetness from jaggery will leave you with a warm feeling.

Also Read: Celebrating Pongal? Make These Traditional Dishes

Millet Upma

Upma is a popular South Indian breakfast recipe that people consume despite the weather and festivities. If you are planning to treat your guests with upma, make it using finger millet. This quick savoury dish will satisfy your hunger but will also be a treat for your taste buds. Temper this dish with mustard seeds, curry leaves, and vegetables of your choice for a comforting indulgence.

Millet Payasam

Payasam is a porridge, boasting a sweet flavour and a fulfilling nature. The kheer is often prepared using rice, which is grown abundantly in southern parts of India. You can replace grains with jaggery, coconut milk, and millet. You can amplify its taste by adding roasted nuts, crushed cardamom, and raisins to it. The payasam is also offered to Gods and Goddesses as a sacred prasadm.

Millet Ven Pongal

Ven Pongal is a quintessential preparation during the harvest festival. You can simply replace rice with barnyard or foxtail millet and combine them with moong dal and spices for a hearty serving. It is a creamy dish boasting earthy flavours of ginger, spiciness from black pepper, a pungent smell from hing, and a rustic note of curry leaves. It is often consumed for breakfast.

Millet Khichdi

The celebration of harvest festivals across India calls for the preparation of one-pot meals like khichdi that combine the goodness of seasonal ingredients and can be prepared in large quantities to feed an entire community. This year, make khichdi using millets of your choice, lentils, and a lot of seasonal vegetables. The dish will be comforting and fulfilling, and you will be making it throughout the year.