Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma unveiled a new millet-focused cookbook titled Everything Millets on November 9, 2026, at Lok Sewa Bhawan in Guwahati, marking another initiative to encourage the consumption of traditional grains.

The cookbook, jointly authored by Pallavi Baruah and Lakshmi Muralidharan, features 75 quick and easy recipes designed to help households incorporate millets into everyday meals.

The launch ceremony was attended by Assam Finance Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah and other participants.

The publication seeks to address a common challenge associated with millet consumption: the perception that traditional grains are difficult to prepare or unsuitable for modern cooking.

By presenting accessible recipes, the authors aim to demonstrate how millets can be used in familiar and convenient food preparations.

The cookbook also draws inspiration from India's traditional food culture, incorporating selected verses from the Upanishads to connect contemporary cooking practices with broader ideas about nourishment and nature.

According to the authors, the publication is intended to make millet-based cooking approachable for households with different levels of culinary experience.

During the launch, Chief Minister Sarma congratulated the authors and highlighted the importance of encouraging traditional grains as part of everyday diets.

The event was presented as supporting India's broader Shree Anna initiative, which promotes millet awareness, consumption and agricultural development.

Millets include grains such as finger millet, pearl millet, foxtail millet and several other traditional cereals.

Different millet varieties provide varying amounts of dietary fibre, minerals and other nutrients. Their nutritional contribution depends on the particular grain, processing method and overall meal composition.

Many millets are also recognised for their ability to grow under relatively dry conditions, although water requirements and environmental performance vary by species and cultivation system.

Assam has previously introduced initiatives to promote millet production and consumption.

In November 2022, the state launched the Assam Millet Mission to support agricultural diversification and increase awareness of traditional grains.

The state subsequently introduced a millet café at its secretariat in 2023 as part of efforts to familiarise consumers with millet-based foods.

The release of Everything Millets adds a culinary and educational dimension to these earlier initiatives.

Rather than focusing solely on agricultural production, the cookbook addresses how consumers can prepare and use millets in their homes.

This distinction is important because increasing millet cultivation does not automatically lead to greater household consumption.

Consumers also need convenient recipes, reliable product availability and familiarity with cooking techniques.

Recipe books, cooking demonstrations and food-awareness programmes can help reduce practical barriers to trying traditional grains.

The publication may also create opportunities for wider conversations about food diversity, traditional agricultural knowledge and sustainable diets.

However, the launch itself does not establish that millet consumption has increased or that farmers have already benefited from additional demand.

Those outcomes would require subsequent evidence about consumer adoption, sales and agricultural markets.

For the millet sector, the cookbook illustrates how culinary education can complement agricultural programmes.

By presenting 75 accessible recipes, Everything Millets aims to encourage households to explore traditional grains through everyday cooking.

The initiative reflects continuing efforts to connect India's millet heritage with contemporary food preferences and strengthen public awareness of these crops.