Kochi, Dec 28 (IANS): Varieties of fusion dishes of millet-fish combinations took centre stage at the three-day Millet-Fish festival that got underway at the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) on Thursday.

The festival was inaugurated by ICAR-Indian Institute of Millets Research, Hyderabad, Director Dr C Tara Satyavathi.

On display was a delightful array of millet-fish dishes such as kodo millet-shrimp biriyani, little millet-seafood sadya, octopus fry, seaweed halwa, pearl millet smoothie, and millet sweats.

The highlight was sumptuous sadya which included a mix of little millet with shrimp, squid, clam, and three types of fishes, creating a rare delight for food lovers.

Another highlight of the festival is the Karnataka vegetarian millet food stall, run by a team of 12 farmers, including women, from north Karnataka. Their offerings included mouthwatering dishes like cholappam (bread with sorghum), finger millet poori, and sweets prepared using various millets.

The sale of live fish is another major attraction.

Seabass, pearl spot, red snapper and tilapia, all farmed in cages, are available live for purchase.

Adding an exciting competitive edge to the festival was a recipe contest that featured a wide range of diversified millet-fish combo dishes.

Innovations like fish nirwana, millet khawa and multi-millet steam cake, and different varieties of millet biryani were the highlight of the contest that brought out creativity as well as culinary expertise of the participants.

The festival also features a variety of activities, including a buyer-seller meet, sale of millets and millet-based products, nutrition and health talks and seminars. Farmers, farmers’ producer organizations (FPOs), self-help groups, agri-startups are attending the festival to exhibit their products, offering an opportunity for consumers, traders and distributors to foster business deals.