Little Millet
Panicum sumatrense · సామలు Samalu · कुटकी Kutki · Samai · Same
VegetarianWhole little millet: samalu in Telugu, kutki in Hindi, samai in Tamil. Packed in Hyderabad in a 500 g pouch with the pink Ishva label, the one you will find on the DMart shelf.
Little millet belongs to the Indian peninsula, where the evidence places its origin. Archaeobotanists find it as a crop at Harappa as early as its Ravi phase, and as a staple of protohistoric Gujarat.
Per 100 g of the raw grain, India's food composition tables (ICMR-NIN, IFCT 2017) give 346 kcal, 10.1 g protein, 7.7 g dietary fibre and 130 mg phosphorus. In the kitchen it makes curd rice, pongal, idli, kheer and biryani.
Hear it pour
Our own pack of little millet, opened and poured into a steel bowl — filmed on a phone, nothing added.
Turn the sound on: the grain has its own sound as it falls.
On the pack
- Ingredients
- Little Millet Grains
- Shelf life
- Best before nine months from packing
- Storage
- Transfer the contents to an airtight container after opening and store in a cool, dry place. Do not buy a pack that is open, tampered or punctured.
In the Vedic rituals
No verified mention of little millet in the Vedic rituals has been found.
In the old books
- The Tamil Lexicon records cāmai as little millet (Panicum miliare). (Tamil Lexicon)
Names in Hindi, Tamil and Kannada: ICAR-Indian Institute of Millets Research; Telugu name as on our pack.
Vegetarian recipes with little millet, each shared as its source gives it, with the source named.
- Little Millet Curd RiceTraditional · South India · lunch
- Little Millet Tamarind Pongal (Saamai Tamarind Pongal)Traditional · Tamil Nadu · lunch
- Little Millet Sesame RiceTraditional · South India · lunch
- Little Millet Jaggery Kheer (Kutki Kheer)Traditional · East India · sweet
- Little Millet Appe with Fresh Coconut ChutneyTraditional · South India · breakfast
- Little Millet IdliTraditional · Tamil Nadu · breakfast
- Little Millet Buttermilk PorridgeTraditional · South India · breakfast
- Kashmiri Little Millet Pulao (with Saffron and Dry Fruits)Traditional · Kashmir · lunch
- Little Millet Tomato RiceTraditional · South India · lunch
- Little Millet Mushroom BiryaniTraditional · South India · lunch
- Little Millet and Moong Dal KhichdiTraditional · Pan-India · dinner
- Little Millet Stir-Fry with Tofu and VegetablesModern · Pan-India (modern) · dinner
- Samai Salad (Little Millet with Corn, Sprouts and Raw Mango)Modern · South India · lunch
- Little Millet Ginger Murabba (Ginger Candy)Modern · North India · sweet
- Little Millet Date and Nut BarsModern · Pan-India (modern) · snack
- Little Millet Badam MilkModern · Pan-India · drink
- Little Millet LemonadeModern · Pan-India (modern) · drink
Nutrition of the grain, per 100 g (raw)
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 346 kcal |
| Protein | 10.13 g |
| Fat | 3.89 g |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 65.55 g |
| Dietary fibre (total) | 7.72 g |
| Calcium | 16.06 mg |
| Iron | 1.26 mg |
| Magnesium | 91.41 mg |
| Phosphorus | 130 mg |
| Zinc | 1.82 mg |
Source: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition · food code A016 (Samai). Energy converted from the tables’ kJ (1 kcal = 4.184 kJ). Published values for the grain, not a laboratory test of this pack.