As I sat in the office of Shree Anna Gourmet at Jubilee Hills in Hyderabad to try their millet menu, I wasn’t exactly excited. A preconceived notion that I had nurtured about millets is that they are boring and not meant for guts that cannot digest rocks. I have even nibbled ragi biscuits and described them as baked saw dust. So I wasn’t sure how Shree Anna’s food would make me change my opinion.
Shree Anna Gourmet (founded by K V Ramasubba Reddy) is in fact a cloud where ancient grains meet culinary excellence. The team’s passion lies in transforming millets into exquisite dishes, giving new life to traditional flavours and cuisines. Their menu of millet-based dishes is meticulously crafted by chefs.
Thankfully, there was no one trying to sweet talk about millets to me. Instead, I was simply handed ambali in a bottle. Hesitantly, I opened it and took a sip. Flavours of roasted jeera, raw ginger and chilli instantly won my Indian palate. Ambali is made with curd and a slurry made with the finger miller (ragi). With every sip, I saw myself looking forward to the spread. I decided to carry two bottles on my way back.
The team kept me glued with some hype. Chef P. Shiva Krishna Lahiri had apparently planned a menu that was exotic. Exotic and millets? The chef went on, “Beets and Millet Salad, Mix Veg Ragi Soup, Calcutta Kathi Roll, Millet Buddha Bowl, Tangy Tamarind Rice, Burnt Garlic Rice with Thai green curry, Mushroom Risotto. For desserts I am serving payasam, chocolate smoothie and dark chocolate crunchies,” chef Shiva informed.
The Buddha bowl made with millets | Photo Credit: Prabalika M Borah
As lunch arrived, I looked at everything and was eager to try them all.
Without going in for soup and salads, I tried the beetroot salad first. It left me pretty surprised at the soft texture of the barnyard millet along with the orange viniagrettedressing, health food lovers will lap it up. The slightly steamed beetroot as a garnish was a good addition.
After having the Buddha Bowl, that consisted of cooked small millet, sauteed veggies, lettuce, boiled peanuts and kidney beans, I was convinced about the menu presentation. Given a choice between the beetroot salad and Buddha bowl, I would go for the latter. The soup however is a must try. Tangy tomato puree with a fair amount of minced veggies, is spiced with peppercorns.. To this, ragi slurry is added to make an appetizing soup. I was already beginning to appreciate millets, and came understand that if treated well (soaked and cooked right), millets can surely be used to make interesting dishes.
Chocolate millet drink | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
The millet risotto again with barnyard millet was the ultimate eye opener, because it was made without any cheese. Shree Anna is trying to do away with cheese and butter as much as and wherever possible in their cloud kitchen menu. If the risotto does not seem too appealing. , remember the ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ adage.
The Calcutta Kathi roll with sorghum (jowar) flour was good. Though not as soft as one with wheat flour, it did not feel like chewy rubber either. To be honest, barring its appearance which gives away that it is jowar roti, it was like a regular Kathi roll.
The finale to the main course was a dish of little millets with Thai green curry. This is probably the only time I missed the usual jasmine rice. The Thai Green curry by chef Shiva calls for the extra gluten and i felt it cannot be paired with millet.
The payasam with the ghee roasted crunchy nuts should be had without thinking of calories, hoping the millets will take care of your health.
Shree Anna Gourmet available on food delivery platforms like Swiggy and Zomato. They are soon planning to come up with meal plans.
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