Hotels to offer wholesome menus

Visakhapatnam: As India braces up for the ‘International Millet Year-2023’, hotels are whipping out sustainable menus to promote healthy eating culture. A few weeks from now, chefs intend to introduce traditional recipes that have long been forgotten and aim to deliver a ‘wholesome’ message that foods incorporating millets are not just healthier but also sumptuous to savour.

Working in tandem with the United Nations’ goals as it declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets and collaborating with the agri and tribal tourism, chefs at Novotel across Andhra Pradesh are bringing out fresh menus.

As a part of it, millet-based breads, idli, upma, pasta, desserts along with main course items will be served to the diners. “The idea behind the move is to bring back climate-resilient wholesome millets into our daily diet and nudge people towards adopting healthy eating habits. We grew up relishing such authentic stuff made by our ‘dadi’ (grandma). However, with Western culture playing a predominant role in our consumption pattern, inclusion of wholesome grains took a hit. Through the introduction of millet-based menus across Andhra Pradesh, we want to revive such foods,” explains Ravi Rai, cluster general manager of Novotel-Visakhapatnam Varun Beach, Vijayawada and Bheemili Resort.

Currently, the chefs are getting busy to include Amarnath, foxtail, finger, pearl, sorghum millets, among a plenty of others, in the menu. “Despite their availability and nutritional value they offer, millets are grossly underutilised. They are climate-smart crops and serve as a powerhouse of nutrients. With many making healthier choices these days, we want to tweak the millet-based recipes aligning with the current consumption needs,” says Rahul Bhale, executive chef of Novotel-Visakhapatnam Varun Beach.

Given their nutritional content a number of hotels team up to bring in millet-dominated versions to their menus. “Since millets are grown extensively in Andhra Pradesh by the tribal communities, creating a fusion of agri-tribal tourism will help people understand the journey of millets from the farm to the plate. The move also empowers tribal communities to a substantial extent,” shares K Vijay Mohan, president of Tours and Travels Association of Andhra. Contributing to the endeavour, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation too plans to customise its menu with millet-based food.