The Millet Bakery Women of Jashpur

The oven door opens with a rush of warm air in a hall in Jashpur, northern Chhattisgarh.

- ‘TDG NETWORK NEW DELHI

Inside, trays of small, cracked biscuits are just turning golden at the edges. They look like nankhatai, smell faintly nuttybut the flour is not wheat.

It is a blend of ragi, jowar and other millets, mixed, weighed and shaped by women who, until recently, had never measured ingredients on a digital scale.

Around the table, 25 women from different Self-Help Groups wipe their hands on aprons and lean forward as a trainer explains how long the cookies should cool before packing. They take notes, ask about shelf life, and discuss whether schoolchildren will prefer chocolate chips or chopped nuts. This is not just a cooking lesson; it is a crash course in becoming food entrepreneurs.

FROM COARSE GRAINS TO COOKIES

Over the past week, these women have been part of a millet-based bakery training program conducted in Jashpur district by the National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM), Haryana. The sessions, held at a Centre of Excellence for mahua, were designed to turn local familiarity with "mote anaj" into business skills.