Millet

Little Millet

Panicum sumatrense

Also known as: Samai · Kutki · Sava · Chama · Saamak

India's smallest millet — fasting-approved, gluten-free, and among the highest niacin content of any grain at 3.2mg/100g.

Madhya Pradesh / Chhattisgarh / KarnatakaGI 54–58

Iron

9.3 mg/100g (among highest of all grains)

Niacin (B3)

3.2 mg/100g

Fiber

7.6 g/100g

Fasting-approved

Yes (accepted in all Hindu vrats)

About

What is Little Millet?

Little millet (Panicum sumatrense) is the smallest cultivated millet — tiny, round, cream-coloured grains with a mild, slightly nutty flavour. Like barnyard millet, it is accepted as a fasting grain (Vrat ka Dhana) in Hindu traditions — Navratri, Ekadashi, and Shravan. Its nutritional significance goes beyond fasting: little millet has among the highest niacin (B3) content of any grain at 3.2mg/100g, making it a critical plant-based niacin source. It also carries 9.3mg iron per 100g — exceptional even among millets. In Madhya Pradesh's Mandla and Dindori districts, Kutki is a primary tribal staple grown on marginal rain-fed plots with zero external inputs.

#gluten free#fasting#high iron#niacin#millet#central india#drought resistant

Key Compound

Niacin (B3) + dietary iron

Niacin is essential for energy metabolism via NAD+/NADH, DNA repair, and neuronal function. Little millet's 3.2mg B3 is one of the highest of any grain. Combined with 9.3mg iron — highest of commonly available millets — it provides exceptional dual-nutrient support for anemia and energy metabolism.

Nutritional Profile

What’s inside?

Protein7.7 g / 100g

Iron9.3 mg / 100g

Fiber7.6 g / 100g

Niacin (B3)3.2 mg / 100g

Glycemic Index54–58

Health Applications

Why it matters

Anemia

9.3mg iron per 100g — meaningful contribution to daily requirements when eaten with vitamin C-rich accompaniments (tamarind, lemon, amla) to maximise non-heme iron absorption.

Fasting nutrition

One of the few nutritionally complete fasting grains. Its iron, niacin, and fiber make it substantially more nutritious than the white rice consumed on non-fasting days.

Cognitive function

Niacin (B3) is essential for neuronal energy metabolism. Little millet provides a robust B3 source in communities where it is a dietary staple.

Ancient Wisdom

In Ayurveda

Dosha Effect

Kapha pacifying, Vata neutral

Guna (Quality)

Laghu (light), Ruksha (dry)

Best Season

Sharad and Varsha (autumn and monsoon)

Classical Note

Saamak (little millet) is the traditional Navratri fasting grain of North India — classified as a plant seed rather than a grain in the strictest Dharmashastra interpretation, hence permitted during all major Hindu fasts.

Origin Story

From the field

Madhya Pradesh / Chhattisgarh / Karnataka · Central & South India

Little millet has seen revival under the IIMR (Indian Institute of Millets Research) national millet promotion programme following India's declaration of 2023 as the International Year of Millets. In Bastar and Mandla districts, Kutki is intercropped with niger (Guizotia abyssinica) — a traditional combination that uses two ecological niches in the same field, maximising nutrition per acre while maintaining soil biodiversity. IIMR has developed 12 improved Kutki varieties since 2015, raising yields by 40% without compromising the grain's natural drought resilience.

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