{"product_id":"foxtail-millet-thinai","title":"Foxtail Millet – Thinai (Unpolished)","description":"\u003ch4 dir=\"ltr\"\u003eFirm grain, and why that matters\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eMillets differ more than people expect. Barnyard collapses soft and rice-like. Thinai doesn't — it stays firm and separate, closer to a good bhat or couscous than to steamed rice.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThat makes it the better choice wherever you want distinct grains: upma, pongal, lemon rice, pulao, biryani, tamarind rice. It works as plain rice too, but that firmness is what it's actually good at, so cook to its strength.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4 dir=\"ltr\"\u003eWhat unpolished means\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003ePolishing scrapes the bran layer off the grain to make it whiter, quicker to cook and longer-lasting on a shelf. It also takes most of the fibre with it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eMuch of the millet sold in India is polished, sometimes heavily. Ours isn't — which is why the grain is a warm, uneven gold rather than a uniform pale white, and why it needs a soak and a few extra minutes in the pot.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4 dir=\"ltr\"\u003eWhy customers choose ALAI\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cul dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eUnpolished, bran intact.\u003c\/strong\u003e No polishing to whiten the grain.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCleaned and hand-sorted.\u003c\/strong\u003e Destoned and sieved before packing.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSourced from Tamil Nadu growers.\u003c\/strong\u003e Thinai grown where it has always been grown.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePacked in small lots.\u003c\/strong\u003e Unpolished grain keeps best fresh.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNo additives, no polish, no colour.\u003c\/strong\u003e Just the grain.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch4 dir=\"ltr\"\u003eHow to cook it\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRinse and soak.\u003c\/strong\u003e Rinse twice, soak 30 minutes. Thinai is firmer than barnyard, so the soak matters more here — skip it and you get a hard centre.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePressure cooker\u003c\/strong\u003e — 1 cup thinai to 2 cups water, 2 whistles, natural release. Grains stay separate.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOpen pot\u003c\/strong\u003e — 1 cup to 2.5 cups water, simmer 15–20 minutes, rest covered 5 minutes, fluff with a fork.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFor upma\u003c\/strong\u003e — dry roast the millet for 2 minutes before adding it to the tempering, then 1 cup to 2.5 cups hot water. The roast is what stops it going lumpy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFor pongal\u003c\/strong\u003e — 1 cup thinai to 3 cups water with the dal. Softer is right here.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFor idli or dosai\u003c\/strong\u003e — replace the rice in your usual batter with thinai at the same ratio to urad dal. Ferment as normal. The dosai comes out crisper than an all-rice one.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4 dir=\"ltr\"\u003eWhat to make with it\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThinai pongal · Thinai upma · Lemon millet · Curd millet · Thinai pulao and biryani · Puliyodarai · Thinai idli and dosai · Thinai kozhukattai · Thinai payasam\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eFor festivals: thinai maavu payasam and thinai kozhukattai are the traditional preparations, and this is the grain they were written for.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4 dir=\"ltr\"\u003eProduct details\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cdiv dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003cthead\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth scope=\"col\"\u003e\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth scope=\"col\"\u003e\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/thead\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBrand\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eALAI\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrain\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eFoxtail millet (Setaria italica)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAlso known as\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eThinai, thinai arisi, kangni, korra, navane\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProcessing\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDehusked, unpolished, machine-cleaned\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIngredients\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e100% foxtail millet. Nothing added.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAvailable in\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e500 g \/ 1 kg \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePackaging\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eFood-grade sealed pouch\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShelf life\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e12 months from packing\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStorage\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eAirtight container in a cool, dry place\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFSSAI Lic. No.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e22426306000092\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003ch4 dir=\"ltr\"\u003eA note on colour and shelf life\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eUnpolished thinai is golden and varies between batches — that's the bran, not a defect. Because the bran carries natural oils, it keeps for less time than polished grain. Six months in an airtight jar is realistic. If you buy 5 kg, decant into smaller jars rather than opening one pack over and over.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Alai","offers":[{"title":"500 g","offer_id":52882193580344,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"INR","in_stock":false},{"title":"1 kg","offer_id":52882193613112,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"INR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1013\/0381\/2408\/files\/foxtail-millet-thinai-500g.png?v=1788175017","url":"https:\/\/alaistore.in\/products\/foxtail-millet-thinai","provider":"Alai","version":"1.0","type":"link"}