Introducing Health Via Traditional Food Grains in Langar

Tickling the Taste Buds with Traditional Food

Ludhiana, April 14, 2018; US based non-profit, EcoSikh organized millet langar stall to spread awareness about traditional food grains and their health benefits to sangat, at Gurdwara Sarabha Nagar as a part of Vaisakhi celebration with a mission to revive health in Punjab. EcoSikh millet food stalls included Ragi Ladoos and Kangni (millet) khichdi and lassi. New millet recipes were introduced with sangat to tickle their taste buds while awakening them about nutritional and environmental impacts of millets.

News coverage: Punjab Post , SikhNet

Liaison Satvir Kaur stated, “Millets are farmer friendly grains that grows without pesticide and are naturally grown. They can be grown on marginal lands without much investment. These forgotten foods are our answer to current malnutrition and nutritional hunger and water threat for Punjab.”

Millets now, mostly grown in South India were part of Punjabi kitchen before green revolution, are today an alien in the state.EcoSikh Project Manager, Ravneet Singh said, “Our mission is to introduce the traditional healthy grains in the langar to promote health and additionally benefit our farmers and our soil, air and water. The millets need 70% less water than paddy and grow faster, and saves all investment that our farmers do on fertilizers, pesiticides and insecticides. They have higher fiber, mineral and vitamin B content.”

Devotees showed overwhelming response to the traditional food’s tastes, they took recipe book from EcoSikh and shared their willingness to cook the recipes at home. Jatinder Singh Sandhu, Gurdwara Committee member said, “Soon we can cook these foods in langar hall as people are becoming more aware about health and millets are non-allergic and gluten free. We recommend that such awareness campaigns become regular in Gurdwaras to spread health in Guru’s langar.