Millets for PCOS: jonna, ragi, korralu and how to cook them
Millets are part of the Telugu kitchen's history. Why they fit many PCOS plans, which ones to try, and simple ways to cook them so the family enjoys them.
Read in Telugu →Our grandparents ate jonna rotte, ragi sankati and korra annam long before "millets" became a trend. Many dietitians suggest bringing some of them back for PCOS, because millets usually have more fibre than polished white rice and can help you feel full longer.
Millets to try
- Jonna (jowar / sorghum): rotte, upma, or mixed into dosa batter
- Ragi (finger millet): ragi sankati (mudda), dosa, java with buttermilk
- Korralu (foxtail millet): cooks like rice; great for pulihora or pongal
- Sama (little millet) and arikalu (kodo millet): light, good for khichdi
- Sajja (bajra / pearl millet): rotte in winter
Easy ways to start
- Half and half: cook rice with a quarter or half korralu
- Breakfast swap: ragi dosa or millet upma twice a week
- One millet dinner: jonna rotte with dal and a vegetable curry
- Soak first: soaking millets for a few hours makes them cook softer
Cooking tips
- Rinse well; millets can have dust
- Use about 2.5 cups of water per cup of korralu or sama
- Add plenty of vegetables and a dal to make a complete meal
- Start slowly if you are not used to the extra fibre
A note on portions
A millet is still a grain. A big plate of millet is not automatically better than a small plate of rice. Keep the half-plate vegetables, quarter protein, quarter grain idea.
Related: PCOS-friendly swaps for a Telugu kitchen.
Talk to your doctor
This article is general information, not medical advice. Your body and your history are your own. Talk to your gynaecologist or doctor before you change a medicine, a diet or how you exercise.
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