Instructions: Utensils play an important role in an indian kitchen. Crafted out of brass iron steel wood stone or clay each item is used for a specific purpose or a particular dish. For example rotis which are made from a range of cereals in some form or another all over India are cooked on a tava or concave iron griddle in the tandoor or clay oven on an open fire or on flat earthenware pots. Jowar rotis called bhakris are moulded and patted pat by hand and roasted on a hot griddle. They are then stored until needed in a flat brass box tied in a clean cloth.

how it grows
Jowar grows all over peninsular and central India. When the ears of grain mature the tender stalks of jowar are cut and the tiny green seeds roasted in a shallow pit made in the soil. These are eaten with many accompaniments like jaggery coconut and lemon. After the harvest threshing cleaning and drying makes the grains ready for the market. The grains are further milld into flour.

appearance and taste
Often compared to creamy round pearls jowar fields glisten with a pale yellow radiance. The grains are about the size of sago and have a slight indentation on one side like a grain of corn. The flour is creamy white to yellow.

buying and storing
Although in India most people buy jowar whole and have it ground into flour bags of jowar flour are becoming increasingly easy to find. Store in a dry airtight jar for up to 4 months.

culinary uses
It is used to make bread traditionally eaten with a chutney made of desiccated coconut garlic and dried red chilliest This bread is served piping hot with a dollop of butter for extra taste. The flour is also used for coating foods before frying to give a aispy outer cover.

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