Cereals and millets · IFCT 2017
Bajra (pearl millet): nutrition per 100 g
Per 100 g, bajra flour gives 348 kcal, 11.0 g protein, 11.5 g dietary fibre and 6.42 mg iron, according to IFCT 2017. Its iron ranks 3rd of 14 cereals and millets and 30th of 242 foods, so a bajra rotla carries noticeably more iron than a wheat chapati or a plate of rice of the same weight.
About bajra (pearl millet)
Bajra, or pearl millet, is the grain of India's dry belt. It grows where little else will, on the sandy soils of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh and parts of Maharashtra and Karnataka. IFCT 2017 records it as bajri in Gujarati, sajje in Kannada, kambu in Tamil, sajjalu in Telugu and kambam in Malayalam, a spread of names that shows how far the crop travels.
In Rajasthan and Gujarat it is patted by hand into thick rotlas and eaten with garlic chutney, white butter, jaggery or baingan bharta. Winter brings bajra khichdi cooked with moong dal, and raab, a thin, warm drink of bajra flour, ghee and jaggery or buttermilk. In Tamil Nadu the same grain becomes kambu koozh, a fermented porridge thinned with buttermilk in the summer heat, and in Maharashtra it goes into bhakri and the mixed-flour thalipeeth.
Bajra is ground whole, bran and germ included, which keeps its fibre and minerals in the flour. That same germ is rich in fat, and it is the reason bajra flour does not keep as long as wheat atta. Farmers value the crop for another reason: it needs far less water than rice or wheat and tolerates heat that scorches other cereals, so it remains a safety crop in years of poor rain.
What bajra (pearl millet) brings to a meal
- 01
One of the iron-richer grains
At 6.42 mg per 100 g, bajra ranks 3rd for iron among cereals and millets. 100 g of bajra flour meets about 34 per cent of a man's daily iron and 22 per cent of a woman's, whose need is higher. Eating it with lemon, tomato or amla helps the body absorb more of it.
- 02
High fibre, steady fullness
Bajra has 11.5 g dietary fibre per 100 g, 4th of 14 in its group and 33rd of 256 foods. That bulk is why a bajra rotla sits in the stomach longer than a refined-flour roti of the same size.
- 03
Protein and zinc
Its 11.0 g protein per 100 g ranks 3rd among cereals and millets, and zinc at 2.76 mg ranks 4th. Together with dal or buttermilk, a bajra meal gives a fair share of both.
- 04
More plant omega-3 than most grains
Bajra carries 140 mg of alpha-linolenic acid, the plant omega-3, per 100 g, 2nd of 14 in its group. It also ranks 2nd for riboflavin at 0.2 mg.
Bajra (pearl millet) nutrition facts per 100 g
Every value IFCT 2017 reports for the edible portion, with the share of an adult's daily need that 100 g covers where ICMR-NIN sets a requirement.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Adult man | Adult woman |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy and macronutrients | |||
| Energy | 348 kcal | 16% | 21% |
| Protein | 11 g | 20% | 24% |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 61.8 g | ||
| Dietary fibre | 11.5 g | ||
| Free sugars | 0.8 g | ||
| Total fat | 5.4 g | ||
| Water | 9 g | ||
| Fats | |||
| Saturated fat | 0.88 g | ||
| Monounsaturated fat | 1.05 g | ||
| Polyunsaturated fat | 1.98 g | ||
| Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) | 140 mg | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | ||
| Minerals | |||
| Calcium | 27 mg | 3% | 3% |
| Iron | 6.42 mg | 34% | 22% |
| Zinc | 2.76 mg | 16% | 21% |
| Magnesium | 124 mg | 28% | 34% |
| Phosphorus | 289 mg | ||
| Potassium | 365 mg | ||
| Sodium | 4 mg | ||
| Copper | 0.54 mg | ||
| Selenium | 30.4 µg | ||
| Vitamins | |||
| Beta-carotene | 28 µg | ||
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.25 mg | 14% | 15% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.2 mg | 8% | 8% |
| Niacin (B3) | 0.86 mg | 5% | 6% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.27 mg | 11% | 14% |
| Folate (B9) | 36 µg | 12% | 16% |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.1 mg | ||
| Vitamin K1 | 2.8 µg | ||
Values per 100 g of the edible portion. Source: Longvah T, Ananthan R, Bhaskarachary K, Venkaiah K. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad. Daily-need shares use the ICMR-NIN 2020 recommended dietary allowances for a 65 kg man and a 55 kg woman doing sedentary work (ICMR-NIN brief note). Nutrients IFCT did not analyse for this food are left out rather than shown as zero.
Cite this page
NNWA Nutrition and Wellness Academy. Bajra (pearl millet): nutrition per 100 g. Data: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. https://nnwa.in/foods/cereals-and-millets/bajra/
Where bajra (pearl millet) sits among Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g against the other 13 cereals and millets and every food in the tables.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | In cereals and millets | Among all foods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein | 11 g | 3rd of 14 | 89th of 243 |
| Dietary fibre | 11.5 g | 4th of 14 | 33rd of 182 |
| Iron | 6.42 mg | 3rd of 14 | 30th of 242 |
| Zinc | 2.76 mg | 4th of 14 | 38th of 243 |
| Beta-carotene | 28 µg | 2nd of 9 | 87th of 160 |
| Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) | 140 mg | 2nd of 14 | 62nd of 202 |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.2 mg | 2nd of 14 | 21st of 241 |
| Energy | 348 kcal | 5th of 14 | 39th of 257 |
How bajra (pearl millet) is eaten
- Bajra rotla or roti: kneaded with warm water and patted between wet palms, then cooked on a tawa and served with garlic chutney and white butter.
- Bajra khichdi: whole or broken bajra cooked with moong dal, a Rajasthani and Haryanvi winter meal.
- Raab: bajra flour roasted in ghee and simmered with water and jaggery or with buttermilk into a pourable porridge.
- Kambu koozh: cooked bajra left to ferment overnight, then thinned with buttermilk and onion, a Tamil summer drink.
- Thalipeeth and mixed-flour rotis: a share of bajra flour in a multigrain dough with jowar, wheat and besan.
Recipes in the NNWA database that use it
Cooked dishes that use it, with calories per serving
Before you plan around it
Bajra flour turns rancid quickly. The grain carries 5.4 g fat per 100 g, and once it is ground, the oil starts to oxidise and the flour develops a bitter edge within days. Buy small quantities, grind fresh if you can, and store the flour in the fridge in warm months. Like other whole grains it contains phytate, which reduces how much iron and zinc the body absorbs; fermenting it, as in koozh, helps. It is still 61.8 g carbohydrate per 100 g, so the number of rotlas matters for anyone watching blood sugar.
Food composition is general information, not a diet plan. Anyone managing a medical condition should plan their diet with a doctor or a registered dietitian.
What people ask about bajra (pearl millet)
Is bajra good for iron?
Among grains, yes. IFCT 2017 lists 6.42 mg of iron per 100 g of bajra, 3rd of 14 cereals and millets, and well above wheat atta or milled rice. Absorption from grains is modest, so pair it with a vitamin C source and avoid tea with the meal. Anaemia needs testing and treatment by a doctor.
Is bajra gluten-free?
Yes. Bajra has no gluten, which is why its dough cracks and must be patted rather than rolled. People with coeliac disease can use it, provided the flour has not been milled in a chakki that also grinds wheat.
Why is bajra eaten mainly in winter?
In Rajasthan, Gujarat and Haryana, bajra is harvested after the monsoon, so it is plentiful through winter, and tradition calls it a warming grain. Nutritionally it can be eaten year round; in Tamil Nadu it is a summer staple as fermented kambu koozh.
How much protein is in bajra?
Bajra has 11.0 g protein per 100 g in IFCT 2017, 3rd among the 14 cereals and millets. Bajra's protein meets about 20 per cent of a man's daily need and 24 per cent of a woman's. Served with dal, curd or buttermilk, the meal's protein quality improves.
Related foods and tables
Jowar (sorghum)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Ragi (finger millet)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Wheat flour (atta and maida)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Green gram (moong)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Samai (little millet)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Bajra vs Wheat atta
Side by side, per 100 g.
Jowar vs Bajra
Side by side, per 100 g.
Protein content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by protein per 100 g.
Dietary fibre content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by dietary fibre per 100 g.
Iron content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by iron per 100 g.
All cereals and millets
14 foods in this group, compared.
Learn to use this data
Certification in Nutrition
Reading food composition tables and turning them into meal plans is taught in this NNWA course.