Farm-Style Barnyard Millet with Pumpkin & Peanuts
Amit Ghorpode, head chef at Aragma, comes from a family of farmers. This recipe is a tribute to both his mother and the land.
The journey to my current role as head chef at Aragma, began within a family of farmers, at our grape farm near Sangli, Maharashtra. Mornings were spent foraging for fresh, seasonal vegetables that we could cook for lunch or dinner. Methi leaves and pumpkin vines, are a common feature in farms in Maharashtra. Millet bhakri is a staple at mealtime, paired with leafy greens and a curry. This dish is about recreating these flavours from my childhood meals.
On a recent trip thome, my mother steamed millets to serve alongside a peanut and coconut milk curry. Together with my team from Aragma, we feasted in the middle of the grape farm, and put together this recipe, in tribute to both my mother and the land.
This dish showcases Barnyard millet with crunchy peanuts and pumpkin: a sauce is made with fresh turmeric and methi leaf oil, and the millets are topped with red grapes to add a dimension of freshness. It is plated in neo-Nordic style to lend global appeal to our simple, rustic, homestyle meal.
Amit Ghorpode’s Barnyard Millet
Ingredients
150 g millets (varai or bhagar)
350 g pumpkin, finely diced
75 g peanuts, toasted, skinless, & crushed
600 ml coconut milk
1 ½ tbsp Malvani masala
250gm black grapes
1 tsp lemon juice
1 bunch fenugreek leaves
100 ml olive oil (for fenugreek oil)
100 ml ghee
2 tbsp refined oil
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp garlic, finely chopped
Salt, to taste
Method
For the sauce: Heat oil in a saucepan. Add garlic & sauté, then switch off the flame and add the Malvani masala. Sauté for 2 minutes. Then, add coconut milk and a pinch of sugar to balance it. Check for seasoning. Add fresh lemon juice just before serving.
For the Millets: Boil about 400ml of water in a saucepan and add 1 tbsp ghee in it.
Once the water is boiling, add the millets and cook them for 5 minutes on a medium flame; then cook for another 5 minutes on a very low flame.
Check for seasoning, remove and keep aside .
For the fenugreek oil: Blanch the fenugreek leaves, squeeze to drain all the water.
Next, grind the cold olive oil and blanched fenugreek leaves together, and then strain the mixture through coffee paper. Allow to rest until the oil drips out slowly. Transfer the oil into a squeezy bottle.
Final cooking: Sauté the millets and pumpkin in two different pans, in ghee, on a high flame. Combine just before plating. Add crushed peanuts and check for seasoning, mix methi oil with sauce for a marble effect. Top with sliced grapes as garnish.
Aragma is a space that fosters culinary innovation and cultural exchange, focused on creating elevated nostalgia-inspired food experiences over a multi-course degustation menu in the heart of Pune. You can find them here.
ALSO ON THE GOYA JOURNAL
