Bajra Lassi: NDRI Launches a Milk-Pearl Millet Composite Based Beverage

Himanshu Pathak, Secretary DARE & Director General Indian Council of Agricultural Research, launched "Bajra Lassi," a fermented milk-pearl millet composite beverage, at the National Dairy Research Institute's (NDRI) milk parlour on March 26.

The product was developed by the Under-graduate (UG) students of the institute under Experiential Learning course. Pathak praised the hard works of the students & faculty of the institute in developing milk-millet composite based healthy products.

"By developing the technology of such innovative products, we can provide an array of millet-based products to domestic as well as global consumers," Pathak said.

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research is popularising and offering a wide range of millet products for healthy eating during the International Year of Millets.

ICAR-NDRI is committed to offering milk-millet products through student's Experiential Learning Unit," said Dheer Singh, Director & Vice Chancellor of ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal. 

Students will also learn about the complexities of business and the issues that arise in the food supply chain. According to him, an acceptable Bajra lassi is made by combining bajra flour and milk, then processing, inoculating with sufficient lactic culture, and fermenting to the correct acidity level.

The fermented mass is combined with drinkable water and additional additives are administered. Singh further said that the technology developed by the scientists of Dairy Technology Division of the institute is commercialized to three companies.