Millets of Mewar

Millets of Mewar (http://milletsofmewar.com/)

    I had walked by Millets of Mewar several times before I actually went in. They had a sign out front which listed ‘gluten free’ food as a menu options. A great thing for me. I arranged to meet up with my Australian friend at Millets of Mewar, which soon became to be known as MOM to me, for breakfast one morning. As I tried to select a breakfast option the server/ co-owner helped me make my decision suggesting millet pancakes with scrambled eggs on the side. As I came to know the owners of MOM I learned that they not only offered gluten free options out of demand but out of sustainability. The owners wanted to open a restaurant that focused on healthy, sustainable foods. As such they wanted to provide alternate grains such as millet and amaranth. In India the main cash crops are rice and wheat and the diet is inundated with it! I was beyond thrilled. Also included in their menu were vegan food options and some organic food options. Everything I tried from the menu, which was almost everything, was beyond scrumptious!
    After breakfast my Australian friend and I took a look around the restaurant, which is spread out amongst several levels, with a rooftop patio on the top floor, of course. In the restaurant they offered a wide assortment of books on cooking, food, grains, politics, socio-economic causes/issues in India. Additionally they sold arts and crafts from local vendors and neighbourhoods, as well as different spices and herbs for health and healing. Fabulous! I was in heaven. Not only did I find a great place to eat, but a place which had similar interests to my own, mainly being living a healthy and sustainable lifestyle with an infusion of social justice.
    MOM became a regular haunt for me as the food was delicious and well priced, there was lots to read, and much to discuss amongst the people I would meet there or introduce the restaurant to, which was many in number. I celebrated American Thanksgiving at MOM which a group of individuals from America, Europe, Canada, Japan, and India.
    In keeping with the theme of sustainability MOM also offered ‘sustainable walks’ through Udaipur. These were guided neighbourhood walks showcasing artisans, local gardens, or business focused on reusing materials, or creating products with little to no waste. MOM also offered to refill your water bottle with purified, filtered water to decrease buying the filtered water in plastic bottles, which is incredibly common amongst tourists, I am no exception! Great initiatives all around.
    After becoming somewhat of a regular at MOM I was approached by one of the owners one evening for my thoughts about the restaurant. Anoop, one of four part owners wanted to pick my brain about how to promote the restaurant to tourists. As we spoke I mentioned that when I travel I usually don’t look for places to eat online, but through word of mouth or in this case advertising ‘gluten free’ options. However I mentioned how much I appreciated their efforts towards offering different grains, like amaranth and millet, being able to refill your water bottles, the sustainable walks, etc. I emphasizes how impressed I was by all of this and so happy to see and learn that these initiatives existed in India. The more I blathered on I mentioned how food politics played into all of this and mentioned Dr.Vandana Shiva; an extraordinary Indian activist focused on keeping GMO’s out of India and encouraging seed saving for local farmers. When I mentioned Dr. Shiva’s name, Anoop said that he knew her and that she had been helping them with some of their social justice related initiatives!!! Fabulous. Through MOM and Anoop I was able to attend a workshop on organic gardening in India, learn more about  food based political issues in India and meet the amazing Dr.Shiva! What a great place!
    A very big thank you to MOM for providing my body with tasty, nutritious, and alternative foods while in Udaipur, as well as bringing me into the India world of food politics, and of course, allowing me the opportunity to meet, and see twice see speak, the incredulous Dr.Vandana Shiva!