Sasi and family have recently moved over to a millet based diet, for obvious health reasons. With his characteristic thoroughness, Sasi has developed an informed view on the various ways in which millet can be consumed and benefit us. Here is the introduction he sent me
(1) Ragulu (Finger Millet) - Can mix it in with other millets, grains, mung dahl, and vegetables in a kitchdi type of preparation. Can also make the traditional Ragi 'Sankati' - just boil in water till ti becomes porridge, and add salt / jaggery.
(2) Korralu, Arikelu, Samarlu (Foxtail Millet, Kodo Millet, Little Millet) - All three are the same family, but have slightly different colors. All can be use in place of Rice in traditional Telugu cooking. Korralu (Foxtail) is the most available, and when cooked just looks like Rice. Make sure you buy them with the Hulls removed - which is the usual way they are sold 90% of the time. Occasionally, at least in India, they come with the hulls, with which they are very difficult to cook. Mind that removing the hull of any grain is different from removing the surface nuitrients of the grain through polishing etc., which removes some essential ingredients. So the difference between Brown (unpolished) rice and White Rice is also that the former is whole grain without any polishing, and the later is polished.
(3) Varigalu (Proso Millet) - Can be used to substitute Quinoa, but much, much cheaper. Cook in a cooker with plenty of water and vegetables and little spicing. It becomes like vegetable upma with a nice taste, somewhat like Quinoa.
(4) Jonnalu (Jowar in Hindi) (Sorghum, Great Millet) - Ubiquitous throughout India and other dry land crop areas in the tropics. Excellent in minerals & vitamins. Not very tasty by itself, so mix with other grains & millets along with vegetables and spices, and cook in cooker. Takes a lot of water, and cooking time.
(5) Sajjalu (Bajra in Hindi) (Pearl Millet) - Grown in the African and Indian subcontinent from ancient times. High in nutrients, calcium, etc. Has a reasonably good (acquired) taste. Cook like Jonnalu above - along with other grains and millets, as it takes a lot of water and cooking time. If possible, soak in water for four hours before cooking.
(6) Barnyard Millet - This is also another type of millet, but I haven't used it yet. Cooking methods will be similar to Proso Millet above.
(7) Thothakura Ginjalu (Amaranth Seeds) - These are the seeds of the traditional Telugu spinach - thotakura. Now it is preferred all over the world as a ! It is a tiny light seed, which even floats in water. One way of cooking it is to add it in kitchdi along with other grains & millets (but don't wash them as they will float in water, and many of them will be drained away along with the water). Another is to pop them - they pop and become like tiny popcorn or puffed rice grains. These popped amaranth seeds can also be added to jagerry or sugar pakam, and made into small cakes - somewhat like sesame seed 'jeellu', or groundnut 'chikki' available in villages.
(8) Kusuma noona (Safflower Oil) - Is a substitute for other oils, and is supposed to be much healthier for the heart. Use it in place of other cooking oils.
Besides the basic cooking methods mentioned above, one can actually make dosa, vada and idli type of preparations from many millets like korralu and ragulu. Those who are into millets know a variety of dishes that can be made, by substituting heavier grains. Most of these were / are staple dishes in many regions of India.
Important Note on Cow Ghee - By the way, don't have any misconception that Cow Ghee (not buffalo ghee) is comparable to Oil. It is much easier to digest compared to oils, and is actually very good for the body - for the digestion, for the skin, and for the heart as well. It is actually essentially needed for children - it is a must to have some cow ghee (and Cow Milk) every day. Of course for adults, use in moderate quantities according to the level of exercise we get, so that it is actually digested. It won't cause any heart problems or other issues like oils can. So if you want to get rid of oil for maintaining a healthy diet, the same does not apply to Cow Ghee. You can even remove all other oils and use only cow ghee in cooking Indian dishes. It will only help, not harm.