1.       Introduction

Millets are nutri-cereals, packed with nutrients like proteins, essential fatty acids, dietary fiber, B-complex vitamins, calcium, iron, zinc, potassium, magnesium, etc. They have numerous health benefits including reducing blood sugar level, regulating blood pressure, etc  (1-3). They are widely consumed in developing countries throughout Africa and Asia(4).

Attributes and types of millet: Millets are a group a small, round whole grains grown in India, Nigeria, and other Asian and African countries. Considered an ancient grain, they are used both for human consumption and livestock and bird feed. They have multiple advantages over other crops, including drought and pest resistance. They’re also able to survive in harsh environments and less fertile soil(5-6). These benefits are due to their genetic composition and physical structure — for example, their small size and hardness. Although all millet varieties belong to the Poaceae family, they differ in color, appearance, and species(7).

This crop is also divided into two categories — large and small millets, with major millets being the most popular or commonly cultivated varieties.

Table 1 List of popular Millets with their common names

Nutritional profile of foxtail Millets: Like most cereals, millets are starchy grains i.e., they are rich in carbohydrates. However, they also pack several vitamins and minerals.

Millets provide more essential amino acids than most other cereals. These compounds are the building blocks of proteins.

Table 2 Nutritive value of 100g Foxtail millets

2.       Literature Review

Many works have been done to study millets and their uses in recent years. Some works studied for this work are mentioned here:

In their work K.N. Rai and the group studied the uses and applications of millets in everday life(9). Sorghum and pearl millet are more nutritious cereals employed in different human foods such as unleavened flatbreads, porridges, noodles, bakery foods, extruded foods, and weaning foods. Processing treatments like milling, malting, blanching, acid treatment, dry heating, and fermentation are used to improve their digestibility and shelf life. These millets are considered health foods because of their quality protein, dietary energy, major essential minerals (iron, zinc), insoluble dietary fiber, and phytochemicals, leading to a reduced glycemic index and suitability for gluten-free and diabetic diets. By-products such as bran can also be converted to edible oil, dietary fiber, and food colorants.

Tripti Tripathi and Dr. Sweta Vyas studied the uses of millets across time and culture(7). According to their work millets have been part of staple human food for centuries, used in traditional foods such as bread, porridge, dosa, pancakes, dumplings, and noodles in many cultures. Particular examples include injera from teff in Africa and various preparations in India from pearl millet, sorghum, and finger millet. New food uses are being developed to value-added products such as cutlets, weaning foods, vermicelli, instant beverage powders, bread, cakes, muffins, chapati, instant idli, kheer, extruded products, cookies, and snack bars. Millets are increasingly used as healthy food due to their gluten-free nature and low glycemic index, making them acceptable for individuals suffering from celiac disease or diabetes.

 In their work S.S. Deshpande and the group(10) studied the use of kodo millet as cooked whole or decorticated as rice and milled into flour for puddings and other dishes in India and Africa. It’s use in many traditional Indian dishes like idli, dosa, chapatti, pongal, muruku (chakli), pakoda, vadai, puttu, upama, halwa, kheer, and savory and sweet snacks. Newer bakery applications of kodo millet flour such as leavened bread, biscuits, and cakes. It can be manufactured into extruded items such as pasta and vermicelli, at times in combinations with refined wheat and soy flour, and is used as a gluten-free crop in multigrain foods.

The studies (11-13) concluded that millets have been staples of human diets in India for thousands of years, with historical evidence documenting their consumption in various ethnic and traditional foods. They are often prepared as roti (flatbreads), gatka (porridges), khichdi, and other snacks such as laddu. Finger millet is widely utilised in South India for preparations like Ragi Mudde, fermented foods such as ambali and koozh, and traditional alcoholic drinks such as landa and pej. In Ayurvedic medicine, millets (Kshudradhanya) are prized for their medicinal value and processed with techniques such as soaking, roasting, boiling, and grinding into items such as yusha (liquids) and saktu (powders). They are gaining renewed popularity due to their nutritional density, gluten-free status, and low glycemic index, and thus finding an important place in contemporary diet and health-conscious eating.

3.   Materials and Methods

Research design: The study was a cross-sectional study. It included interviewing various people at the same time period.

Sample size & location: The study sample constituted 30 women from Raipur city.

Sampling method: The sample was conveniently selected.

Tools for data collection: A self-prepared interview schedule was used to assess the knowledge of millets among the samples. After a careful review of literature, a list of recipes using foxtail millet was made. 4 of these were then used for sharing with the participants. The subjects were introduced with the benefits and usage of these foxtail-based recipes.

Recipes: Shortlisted recipes are mentioned below:

Kangni Lemon Rice: To prepare Kangni Lemon Rice, heat one tablespoon of oil in a pan and add one teaspoon of mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add two teaspoons each of urad dal and chana dal, followed by two tablespoons of roasted peanuts. Add curry leaves and two green chillies, sautéing them well. Meanwhile, boil half a cup each of foxtail millets and rice separately. Once cooked, add them to the pan along with salt to taste and mix thoroughly. Finally, squeeze in the juice of one lemon, mix again, and garnish with fresh coriander leaves before serving.

Kangni Dal Chila: For Kangni Dal Chila, soak one tablespoon each of mung dal, chana dal, urad dal, and kangni (foxtail millet) in water for about six hours. Drain the excess water and grind the mixture with one-inch ginger and two green chillies to form a smooth batter, adding water as needed. Mix in half a teaspoon of ajwain and salt to taste. Heat a shallow pan and lightly grease it with oil. Pour half a cup of batter and spread it evenly using the back of a spoon. Once it turns golden on one side, drizzle half a teaspoon of oil, flip, and cook the other side until golden brown. Serve hot.

Kangni Laddoo: To make Kangni Laddoo, roast one cup of kangni in an open pan until aromatic, then grind it coarsely. In the same pan, add half a cup of ghee and roast the ground kangni until it turns brown, stirring continuously to prevent burning. Allow it to cool slightly, then add half a cup of finely ground sugar and mix well. Shape the mixture into small round balls to form laddoos.

Vegetable Kangni Soup: Start the Vegetable Kangni Soup by heating oil in a pan and sautéing one tablespoon of ginger-garlic paste and one chopped green chilli. Add one chopped onion and cook until it turns light pink. Next, add one chopped tomato, salt, and cumin powder, followed by chopped carrots (20 g), beans (2–3),

While more recipes were collected, these were selected to be introduced to the population, in this initial study. Also, the fact that kangni can be incorporated into their daily life by mixing it with their day-to-day used flour was also emphasized.

 Statistical analysis: Simple statistical analysis was used to analyze the data collected, including, means and percentages.

4.       Result and Discussion

•     Out of the total population, 86.67% were generally aware of millets Fig.1; while 80% were aware of the general benefits of millets.

•     66.67% of the population include millets in their diets at least once a week.

•     Only 36.67% were aware of the kangni or foxtail millets Fig.2; and only 20% were aware of its benefits and uses.

Fig 1 Awareness of millets among the population

While more people are getting informed and aware of the variety, uses and benefits of millets, specially after year 2023 being declared “International year of Millets”, there still is lack of awareness among the general population about minor millets.

Fig 2: Awareness of foxtail millets among the population

5.       Conclusion

The study reveals a significant disparity in public awareness between millets as a general food category and foxtail millets, a specific variety.

The findings clearly indicate that general awareness of millets is high, with a large majority of respondents being familiar with them as a whole. This suggests millets are a well-recognized food group in the consumer landscape.

However, awareness drops substantially when considering foxtail millets. A smaller proportion of the population is familiar with this specific type, despite its significant nutritional benefits. This points to a crucial knowledge gap about individual millet varieties.

In conclusion, while the foundation of general millet awareness is strong, there is an urgent need for targeted educational initiatives. These campaigns should specifically focus on promoting the distinct health advantages and culinary uses of varieties like foxtail millets to bridge the current knowledge gap and encourage their broader consumption for public health benefits. The data strongly emphasizes that general knowledge doesn't translate into specific knowledge.

More work needs to be done to stimulate people to inculcating more minor millets in their daily diets. Methods to make millet-based dishes more palatable and appealing should be developed. Those who include millets in their diets, often include them grinded with their cereals, i.e. multi-grain flour. There is a need to inform the population about the nutritional benefits of millet and its possible uses in daily life.

Conflict of Interest

Author(s) declare no conflict of interest. The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Ethical Compliance Standard

No human experiments were done; therefore, the study had no ethical issues.

Acknowledgement

We are grateful to the Department of Home Science and Govt. D. B. Girls’ P.G. College, Raipur for their support in this study. We thank C.G. Laghu Van Upaj Nigam for providing us the opportunity to present our products to the local public to generate awareness.