Pearl Millet: What Bajra Is and How to Use It
Get to know pearl millet, or bajra, and learn how its grain and flour are used.
Pearl millet is a cereal grain grown and eaten in parts of Africa and Asia. In India it is widely known as bajra or bajri; other regional names include sajje and cumbu. You can find it as whole grain, cracked grain or flour, and those forms belong in different kinds of recipes.
What does pearl millet taste like?
It has an earthy, grainy flavor that works with savory seasonings. Its color can range from pale to gray or brown depending on the variety. Pearl millet flour is used for flatbreads such as bajra roti; the grain is also used in porridges and other regional preparations.
Flour and whole grain are not interchangeable by the spoonful. A flatbread recipe needs flour and a dough method; a grain bowl needs edible, processed grain and a cooking method suited to that product.
How do you cook it?
For a whole or cracked product, sort and rinse as the packet directs, then follow its soaking and cooking instructions. Pearl millet products differ in processing, so a generic instruction for “millet” may not give the same result. Cook until tender and add water if needed.
For bajra roti, use a recipe written for pearl millet flour. Its dough behaves differently from wheat dough because the flour does not contain gluten; shaping and hydration matter. Serve the cooked flatbread with a dal or vegetable dish.
Pearl millet versus finger millet
Both are millets, but they are different grains. Pearl millet is bajra; finger millet is often called ragi. Both can be milled into flour, but they have different flavors and are used in different regional dishes. In a recipe, check whether the writer intends the whole grain, flour or another form before substituting.
Is bajra gluten-free?
Pearl millet itself is naturally gluten-free. If you need gluten-free food, look for a product labeled suitable for your needs and check flour blends and prepared foods for other ingredients or cross-contact.