Earthy walls painted with kolam patterns and a thatched roof welcome one to the newly-opened all-millets meal destination of Millet Rasoi at Venkojipalem. Surrounded by urban residential apartments, the restaurant’s rustic appearance brings in the delightful feel of rural Andhra Pradesh. Brightly-painted images of Gangireddu (decorated bull) and a Haridasulu are the first things you notice as you enter.
Millet Rasoi is Sahithi Tirumareddy’s one-stop solution for all things healthy and gluten-free. A few years ago when Sahithi Tirumareddy visited Visakhapatnam with her mother from Canada, she struggled to find a restaurant that could address the diet needs of her diabetic mother. “There were a few breakfast options, but I struggled to find a millet-based lunch and dinner menu in the city,” she says.
When she returned to India to be with her grandmother in Visakhapatnam during the pandemic, she decided to start a millet-based restaurant. “I spent my childhood with my grandmother and millets were a staple in her diet. My idea was to recreate the childhood flavours and also offer popular snacks with a healthy twist that would appeal to all age groups,” says Sahithi.
Keeping in mind the essence of Andhra Pradesh, especially the rural side of the State where millets are popular, Sahithi designed the decor to bring out the traditional culture of the region.
The restaurant has a limited seating capacity of 12 people, with about eight people at its outdoor area. Inside there is a section dedicated to handmade eco-friendly products, artefacts, home decor and millet snacks.
Millet Rasoi offers monthly meal plans and customised meal solutions. “We refer the customers who want to take up our monthly subscription meals to a clinical dietician for an analysis and also do some basic blood tests. Once we get these results, we categorize the customer into one of the meal plans based on parameters like levels of blood pressure, blood sugar and body mass index,” says Sahithi. The monthly meal cost starts from Rs 12,000 and includes two meals on a day.
The popular millet thali is available in both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. Served in copper plates and bowls, the non-vegetarian thali comes with two flavours of millet biryani, a jowar or multi-millet, a wholesome vegetarian curry with beans, beetroot and the day’s freshly available produce, chicken curry, chicken fry and a traditional vegetable-based dessert, along with beetroot raita and sesame papad. “We ensure that seasonal organic vegetables are used in our dishes. Salt and oil content are also reduced in the preparations,” says Sahithi.
Ragi mudha with pappu (dal) or chicken pulusu (curry) is nutrition rolled into a ball and a must-try. This hearty meal is ideal for customers yearning for a filling, wholesome dish. Eaten in in tiny bits after dipping it in the pappu or curry, this is comfort food on a tiring, busy day.
The millet noodles are mildly spicy, and pleasingly crunchy, tossed with generous portions of vegetables. At Millet Rasao, the pani puri undergoes a transformation with millet filling and mashed potato dipped in water rich with dates, coriander and mint.
Handmade and eco-friendly
Swasa by Sahiti is a collection of handmade, eco-friendly home decor. The products, which include bamboo toothbrushes, neem combs, terracotta lanterns and pots, are sourced from artisanal, women-led groups .
