Members of Auckland's Indian community gathered on Saturday for a culinary competition highlighting the health benefits of millet. Photo: Supplied
Eighteen women gathered in Auckland last weekend to showcase their culinary skills and highlight the power of millet - India's so-called super grain.
The cooking competition, organised by the Wahine Charitable Trust and hosted by the Consulate General of India, aimed to promote both the nutritional value of millet and women's wellness.
Titled "Culinary Chronicles - Madam Shef's Millet Magic," the event at India House featured innovative recipes, live demonstrations and a cultural exchange through food.
"At the heart of the celebration was the 'table of unity', featuring dishes from seven Indian states," said Mallika Janakiraman, founder of the Wahine Charitable Trust. "It represented 25 percent of India's regional diversity and celebrated the glory of its culinary heritage."
The table included cuisine from the Indian states of Bihar, Karnataka, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
"We wanted to initiate this culinary chronicle as a narrative woven around tradition, women's wellness and wisdom passed down through generations - for themselves, their families and their communities," Janakiraman said.
While millet had long been part of an Indian diet, Janakiraman wanted to introduce them to mainstream New Zealand.
"Millets are wholesome foods, nutritionally superb, and not only nutrient-rich but also nutrient-dense," she said.
"They are gluten-free, diabetic-friendly and, most importantly, affordable."
Organised by Wahine Charitable Trust, the cooking competition aimed to promote the nutritional value of millet and support women's wellness. Photo: Supplied
Millet is a cereal belonging to the Poaceae, or grass, family.
It varies in colour, texture, grain size and species, and are classified into two categories: large (or major) millet and small (or minor) millet.
Large millet includes jowar (sorghum), bajra (pearl millet), finger millet (ragi), foxtail millet (kagni) and proso millet (cheena).
Small millet includes kodo millet (kodra), barnyard millet (sama), browntop millet (hari kagni) and little millet (kutki).
Millet, popularly known as Shree Anna, has been regaining popularity in India in recent years.
The Indian government declared 2018 to be the National Year of Millet.
The United Nations then designated 2023 to be the International Year of Millet following a proposal by India that was supported by 72 countries.
India is currently the largest producer of millet in the world, contributing 38.4 percent of global production.
In the 12 months to July 2025, India has achieved a total millet production of about 18 million tonnes, around 440,000 tonnes higher year on year.
Back in Auckland, Anjali Behera was crowned Madam Shef 2025 in the competition last weekend, with Shweta Jaisawal finishing as runner-up and Diksha Arora securing third place.
Janakiraman said the inaugural event generated much support and they were already planning on organising another event next year.
"We wanted to bring everyone together and showcase India's rich culinary traditions - the whole tapestry," she said.
