Millet Festival at Princeton Club — a surprise in every bite!

If healthy food is your mantra, drop in at Princeton Club on Prince Anwar Shah Road for some tasty and nutritious options — all made of millet.

The Millet Festival is part of the club’s exclusive lunch and dinner menu, available to all club members and their guests, to mark the International Year of Millets declared by the United Nations (UN). The takeaway option, at the festival, on till February 23, is open to all

Introducing dishes using pearl millet (bajra), readily available in West Bengal, the club attempts to offer people healthy eating-out experiences in Kolkata.

Chef Abhijit Chakraborty of Princeton Club talked about the top three dishes to sample at the club’s gastronomical fiesta and shared a recipes to try at home.

Millet and Roasted Peanut with Thai Dressing

This crunchy delight is truly delectable and stands out in taste from the very first bite. “Thai dressing, which is used in preparing Thai Somtam Salad, has been put to use here. But instead of raw papaya, we have added millets,” says Chef Chakraborty.

Red Velvet Millet Kebab

If you are looking for an experimental take on a traditional delicacy, have a go at Chef Chakraborty's Red Velvet Millet Kebab. “The imagination of red velvet pastries has been transferred to these kebabs. By using beetroots, curry powder and raisins, we have curated a tikki-style kebab,” he says.

Chicken Peanut Curry with wok-tossed Millet

“Applying the same technique used to make fried rice, we have wok-tossed the millet. It comes along with Malaysian peanut curry and easy-to-munch on chicken pieces,” says Chef Chakraborty. Your taste buds will celebrate the delicious umami flavours of the dish.

Pearl millet recipes by Chef Abhijit Chakraborty to try at home

Creamy chocolate Millet Pudding

Try your hand at preparing an ultimate sweet-tooth experience the millet way.

Chef’s take: This pudding does a great job at satiating your hunger pangs and giving you a tasty, healthy option at the same time.

Ingredients

• Pearl millet (bajra): 1 cup, cooked
• Cooking cream: 1 cup
• Milk: 1 cup
• Cashew: 2 spoons, roasted
• Cocoa powder: 1 spoon
• Dark chocolate: 50 gm
• Maple syrup: 1/2 teaspoon
• Sugar: 50 gm

Method

• Soak millet in water for 15 minutes
• Rinse under clean water
• Boil the millet in a pot for 10 minutes
• Strain it and keep it aside
• Boil milk in a pot
• Add cashew nuts and millets
• Cook until dense
• Add cooking cream, dark chocolate, cocoa powder, maple syrup and sugar
• Cook it until you get a sticky texture
• Put everything in a blender and make a smooth creamy texture
• Reheat it and add extra cream
• Taste it for sweetness and put in a pot or mould
• Keep it to cool before serving

Paprika Tossed Millet with Exotic Veggies

A mix of colourful vegetables with paprika-tossed millets and hints of garlic and herbs — it’s a sheer delight.

Chef’s take: The ingredients are not hard to look out for and it doesn’t take much skill to prepare it.

Ingredients

• Pearl millet (bajra): 1 cup, cooked
• Bell pepper: 30gm
• Broccoli: 50gm
• Asparagus: 2 sticks
• Baby corn: 2 pieces
• Mushroom: 2 pieces
• Beans: 2 pieces
• Zucchini (yellow and green): 70gm
• Garlic: 1/2 spoon, chopped
• Lemon juice: 1/2 piece
• Paprika powder: 1/2 spoon
• Parsley: 1/2 spoon
• Olive oil: 1 spoon
• Salt to taste

Method

• Soak millet in water
• Rinse well
• Boil the millet
• Strain it and keep it aside
• Cut all vegetables in cube size
• Blanch all vegetables (babycorn, broccoli, mushroom, zucchini, asparagus)
• Strain the water and keep it aside
• Add olive oil in a pan and heat it
• Add bell pepper, and all cubed veggies
• Cook for some time
• Add and mix paprika powder
• Add parsley leaves
• Add cooked millet
• Add lemon juice
• Salt to taste. Your Paprika Tossed Millet with Exotic Veggies is ready

Festival details

What: Millet Festival

Where: 26, Prince Anwar Shah Road, Princeton Club

When: Till February 23

Timings: Noon - 3pm and 7-10.30pm

Price for two: Rs 500