More than a hundred home cooks gathered in Tumakuru on Wednesday as the district-level millet and forgotten foods cookery competition served as a public demonstration of the culinary potential and health benefits of traditional grains. The event, organised by the agriculture department, took place at Ravindra Kalaniketan in the R.T. Nagar area and drew entries from 106 contestants representing communities across the district.
Millets in India gain profile at Tumakuru cookery contest
The competition displayed an array of dishes that blended age-old recipes with contemporary tastes. Judges and visitors sampled ragi cake, millet idli, navane chitranna and ragi halva, alongside rotis made from sajje and jola, ragi uppittu and navane pulao. Sweets such as sajje laddu and agase laddu were showcased alongside regional preparations including avare kalu tambittu and agase majjige. One unusual entry, a fruit-based kebab, attracted particular attention for its texture and flavour.
Organisers said the aim was twofold: to celebrate local food heritage and to encourage wider adoption of millet-based diets as a nutritious and climate-resilient alternative to refined staples. Competitors also used the platform to explain preparation techniques and to offer health tips to the public in attendance.
The event highlighted contributions from elder cooks who carry traditional knowledge. Seventy-eight-year-old Kamakka from Madhugiri brought a homemade tokku and demonstrated its preparation to onlookers. Many young women in the audience watched and asked questions, underscoring how culinary traditions are passed between generations.
Several contestants drew attention for their innovative, health-focused recipes. Kavya from Madihalli, Tipaturu taluk, gained praise for a ragi cake prepared without sugar or maida. She explained that she has been baking for years at home and that her children enjoy the millet cake. “Millets offer a simple way to protect health without sacrificing taste,” she said.
Winners were selected in three categories. In the forgotten foods segment, S. Anita of Tumakuru took first place, followed by Radha of Chikkanayakanahalli and Rupa of Tumakuru. In the millet savoury category, the top three were K.S. Pushpalata (Tumakuru), Vanitha Bhat (Gubbi) and Kavita (Tipaturu). The millet sweet category was won by Kalavati (Turvekere), with Rekha (Chikkanayakanahalli) and Sharadamma (Kunigal) completing the podium.
As part of awareness activities, organisers held a public procession through the city to promote millet products, launching the jatha from the Town Hall roundabout with a balloon release to mark the start. Agriculture department officials who attended included Joint Director Lakshman Kallannavar, Deputy Director Huliraj and assistant directors Ashajyothi and Girijamma.
Event coordinators emphasised that promoting millets is not only a cultural exercise but also a public-health and agricultural priority. Millets require less water and are well suited to local conditions, making them a resilient crop as climate pressures increase. By showcasing both traditional and inventive recipes, the competition aimed to make millets more appealing to urban and younger consumers.
Participants, officials and visitors agreed that the contest achieved its goal of raising awareness. The demonstrations and recipe exchanges offered practical guidance for households interested in incorporating millets into daily meals, and the organisers said they planned further outreach to expand interest in these grains across the district.
Key Takeaways:
- District-level cookery contest in Tumakuru highlighted millets and forgotten grains, with 106 participants from across the district.
- Traditional and innovative dishes—from ragi cake to navane pulao—demonstrated the versatility of millets in India.
- organisers used the event to raise public awareness about millet-based diets and health benefits.
- Winners were announced across three categories: forgotten foods, savoury millets and millet sweets.
