• Ragi has a high fibre content.
• Ragi has a rich source of Minerals like Calcium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Iron.
• Calcium in the cereal helps to strengthen the Bones.
• Iron and other Minerals in Ragi helps to fight against Osteoporosis and helps to improve the haemoglobin level in the body.
• Ragi is one cereal grain which has high Protein Content.
• It is also one of the cereal grain which is gluten-free.
• As Ragi has highly complex Carbohydrate and high fibre content, it is suitable to control Diabetes
• It regulates blood sugar levels.
• Ragi also has antimicrobial properties and fight against Bacterias which causes Food Poisoning, Typhoid.
• It also helps to fight against soft tissue infections.
• Ragi helps to maintain a healthy skin and also helps to keep you young.
• The Anti-oxidants in Ragi helps to fight against Cancer.
• Ragi reduces Bad Cholesterol and also prevents from Cardio-vascular diseases.
• Ragi drink is a great recipe for Kids.

HOW TO MAKE RAGI HEALTH DRINK/ RAGI MALT

RAGI HEALTH DRINK/RAGI MALT - SWEET VERSION

INGREDIENTS :

METHOD :

• Mix Ragi Flour with few teaspoons of cold Water and make a paste out of it.
• Mix well until there are no lumps.
• Pour in the remaining water to the Ragi paste and mix well.
• Add the sweetener of your choice along with a pinch of Salt and mix well.
• Boil this mixture on a low flame stirring continuously.
• After few Minutes pour in the Milk and mix well.
• Cook for another few minutes until the Ragi Malt boils.
• Switch off the flame and allow it to cool.
• Serve the Sweet Version of Ragi Health Drink hot or cold.
• Can sprinkle few teaspoons of grated Coconut and a pinch of Cardamom powder to the Ragi health drink, if preferred.

RAGI HEALTH DRINK/RAGI MALT - SALTY VERSION

INGREDIENTS :

METHOD :

• Mix Ragi Flour with few teaspoons of cold Water and make a paste out of it.
• Mix well until there are no lumps.
• Pour in the remaining water to the Ragi paste along with Salt and mix well.
• Boil this mixture on a low flame stirring continuously.
• Cook the Ragi Malt until it boils.
• Switch off the flame and allow it to cool.
• Once the Ragi has totally cooled, pour in the Curd/Yoghurt/Buttermilk to the Ragi health Drink and mix well.
• Serve the Salty Version of Ragi Health Drink, cold.

RAGI PORRIDGE/RAGI HEALTH DRINK FOR WEANING BABIES :

INGREDIENTS :

To Soak :

To Cook :

To Serve :

METHOD :

• Clean for any impurities and wash the Ragi Grains.
• Soak Ragi overnight or at least for 8-10 hours with ample of water.
• Drain the Water and wash the Ragi Grains well.
• Grind the soaked Ragi Grains with few teaspoons of water in a blender into a fine paste.
• Collect the ground Ragi Paste and sieve it through a clean Muslin Cloth or a fine-meshed colander.
• Squeeze the Ragi paste and collect the Ragi Milk in a bowl, add water accordingly.
• Repeat the process until you could squeeze out all the extract out of the Ragi Paste.
• Pour fresh Cow Milk to the drained Ragi milk extract along with Rock Sugar and mix well.
• Boil this Ragi Mixture on a very low flame stirring continuously.
• Allow it to boil.
• Adjust the consistency of the Ragi Drink.
• The consistency of the Ragi Drink should be thin if you are feeding it for weaning babies.
• Allow the Ragi Drink to cool down.
• Serve it warm with a drizzle of Ghee, if preferred. 

NOTES :

• If using Ragi Flour, mix it with water to make a paste and sieve it through a clean muslin cloth and extract the milk.
• Follow the rest of the steps above.
• There should be no lumps in the Ragi Paste. Mix well with cold water.
• Can sweeten the Ragi Drink with Sugar too.  Adding Palm Sugar/Rock Sugar is a healthier option.
• Serve the Ragi Drink Warm to weaning babies, this will aid easy digestion.
• Serving the Ragi Drink with a drizzle of Ghee is purely optional.
• If you are feeding this Ragi Drink to kids of 1 year of age, there is no need to sieve the Ragi paste.
• Also can add few Roasted Gram Dhals(Pottukadalai) while grinding the Ragi Grains.
• Adjust the consistency to suit your preference.

   I have grown up eating Idli & Dosa more than Puttu & Appam. Maybe a fringe benefit being a Malayali & living in Tamilnadu for nearly half a decade has made our parents cook more or less in a Tamil style. When it comes to Idli & Dosa, it is the simple straightforward ones made with Rice & Urad Dhal. My Mom ventured into making Adai Dosai, which she had learnt from our neighbours, & it was a new recipe at home then. I slightly pondered out & tried Rava Idli, Rava Dosa & gradually tried hands with new Dosa varieties like Kal Dosai, Tomato Dosai, Ilaneer Dosai etc. But all these years it has never occurred that we could make Idli & Dosa with Millets.

   Trying my hands with these Millets and converting it into Idli & Dosa has become a new craze. So, when I tried Ragi Dosa with whole Ragi/Finger Millets and got it as perfect as we prefer - crispy & thin Ragi Dosas, my next trial went out with Ragi Idli. To my awe, Idlis were far more, softer than I imagined and it had a wonderful airy texture in it. So this Ragi Idli recipe is the one from scratch, made by grinding Ragi & Urad Dhal, like how you grind for a normal Idli but substituting Ragi with Rice. Even some recipes call for adding Idli Rice along with other ingredients. But this Ragi Idli Recipe uses just Ragi/Finger Millet & Urad Dhal.

   And when it comes to soaking, you don't require much time for this batter. If you are planning to make this Ragi Idli/Dosa for Dinner, you can soak it up first thing in the morning. It is enough to soak the ingredients for a couple of hours. Normally, it's enough to soak the ingredients for 3 hours. But I prefer to soak it for at least 6 hours or overnight. Soaking also facilitates in proper fermentation of the batter.

   While grinding the batter for RAGI IDLI, I would suggest you to grind it in a GRINDER. Batter ground in a wet grinder yields you with a fluffy & thick batter and also helps in the fermentation process. If you do not have a Grinder or if you are grinding a small batch then no worries, go ahead and grind it in a Mixie/blender.

    Whereas, if you are grinding the Ragi Idli Batter in a Mixie(Blender) then remember to follow these tips for soft & fluffy Ragi Idlis:

• Use about 4 Tspns of Cooked Rice along with other ingredients.
• Use Cold(ice) Water to grind the Ragi Idli Batter.

    And make sure that you do not add too much water while grinding. We need a thick batter so that the batter ferments well and we get perfect Ragi Idlis. Leave the ragi idli batter aside to ferment for about 6-8 hours/overnight and there you go with a foamy textured batter ready for breakfast/dinner.

    The climatic condition in the region I live though tropical and hot doesn't felicitate fermentation process. So I usually add Salt to Idli/Dosa/Appam Batter just before making Idli/Dosas. Add Salt & thoroughly mix the batter before making Ragi Idli. Can dilute the batter slightly and can make crispy Ragi Dosas out of it. This is an easy recipe, and the same batter can be used to make both Ragi Idli, dilute a bit and make Ragi Dosa out of it. Serve these soft & fluffy Ragi Idli with your choice of Chutneys, Sambar or any other Curry of your choice.

 HOW TO COOK RAGI IDLI - FINGER MILLET IDLI

RAGI/FINGER MILLET IDLI

INGREDIENTS:

For Ragi/Finger Millet Idli Batter :

METHOD:

GRINDING THE RAGI/FINGER MILLET IDLI BATTER IN A WET GRINDER:

• Clean, & Wash Ragi/Finger Millet 2-3 times or until water runs clear.
• It may contain dust & small particles, make sure to remove them. 
• Clean & Wash Blackgram Dhal/Urad Dhal 2-3 times or until water runs clear.
• Soak Ragi/Finger Millet with enough water separately.  
• Soak Urad Dhal along with Fenugreek Seeds separately for about 2-3 Hours. 
• Once soaked, drain and discard the water used for soaking the ingredients. 
• First, grind the soaked Urad Dhal & Fenugreek Seeds in a Grinder, adding very little water at intervals.
• Once the Urad Dhal turns fluffy and is ground into a fine paste, remove it and keep it aside.
• Grind the Ragi/Finger Millet in a Grinder adding enough water at intervals. 
• Grind it into a smooth & thick batter. Pour the ground Ragi paste to the Urad Dhal and mix it thoroughly.
• Leave it aside & Allow the batter to ferment for about 6-8 hours/overnight.
• Once the batter has fermented, add salt and give a thorough mix.
• The fermented batter would have increased in volume and would have a foamy texture.

  GRINDING THE RAGI/FINGER MILLET IDLI BATTER IN A MIXIE/BLENDER:

RAGI DOSA - FINGER MILLET IDLI BATTER

• Clean, & wash Ragi/Finger Millet 2-3 times or until water runs clear.
• It may contain dust & small particles, make sure to remove them. 
• Clean & wash Blackgram Dhal/Urad Dhal 2-3 times or until water runs clear.
• Soak Ragi/Finger Millet with enough water separately.  
• Soak Urad Dhal along with Fenugreek Seeds separately for about 2-3 Hours. 
• Once soaked, drain and discard the water used for soaking the ingredients. 
• First, grind the soaked Urad Dhal & the Fenugreek Seeds in a Grinder, adding very little water at intervals.
• Use ice-cold water at intervals to grind the batter.
• Once the Urad Dhal turns fluffy and is ground into a fine paste, remove it and keep it aside.
• Grind the Ragi/Finger Millet along with cooked Rice adding enough water at intervals. 
• Grind it into a smooth & thick batter.
• Pour the ground Ragi paste to the Urad Dhal and mix it thoroughly with your hands.
• Leave it aside & allow the batter to ferment for about 6-8 hours/overnight.
• Once the batter has fermented, add salt and give a thorough mix.
• The fermented batter would have increased in volume and would have a foamy texture.

RAGI IDLI - FINGER MILLET IDLI (FERMENTED BATTER)

How to Cook Ragi/Finger Millet Idli

RAGI/FINGER MILLET IDLI

 

• Pour some water into the Idli Vessel/Steamer. Cover & Boil the water in Medium-high flame.
• Grease the Idli moulds. (Some lay Muslin cloths over the Idli Moulds)
• Pour a ladle full of Ragi Idli batter into each mould. Follow suit with the rest of the Idli Plate/Moulds.
• Carefully place the Idli Moulds into the Idli Vessel and cover it tightly with the lid.
• Steam cook the Ragi Idlis for about 4-5 Minutes on a High flame, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for another 3-5 Minutes. 
• Do not overcook the Ragi/Finger Millet Idlis.
• The right time to remove the Ragi Idli is when the steam emanates a wonderful aroma of steamed Idlis. 
• Remove the Idli Moulds from the Idli Vessel/steamer and leave it aside for a few minutes.
• Do not remove the Ragi Idlis from the Idli moulds immediately, they would be sticky.
• Once the Ragi Idlis slightly cooled down, gently dip a spoon in cold water and carefully remove the Idlis from the mould.
• Serve Ragi Idlis hot with Sambar or any Chutney of your choice. 
• Ragi/Finger Millet Idli goes well with Coconut Chutneys, Allam Pachadi(Ginger Chutney) Groundnut Chutney etc.,

NOTES:

• Grind it into a smooth & thick batter.
• Can dilute the same batter and make Ragi Dosas out of it. 
• Adding Salt at the initial stage slows down the fermentation process, so I usually add it before making Idlis/Dosas. 
• Adjust according to the climatic condition of the region you live in.
• If you have any leftover batter, leave it in the refrigerator.
• Use the batter within two days. 
• For a healthier choice, can sprout the Ragi/Finger Millets and then grind it into a batter.

RAGI KOOZH/RAGI KANJI - FINGER MILLET PORRIDGE

HOW TO MAKE RAGI KOOZH/RAGI KANJI - FINGER MILLET PORRIDGE

RAGI KOOZH/RAGI KANJI - FINGER MILLET PORRIDGE

INGREDIENTS :

METHOD :

• In a wide bowl, preferably in an Earthen Pot add pre-cooked Ragi Kali along with ample of Water.
• Pour a Cup of Thick Curd/Yogurt to the Ragi Kali.
• Sprinkle some Salt(optional).
• Add finely chopped or slightly crushed Shallots, Green Chillies, Ginger and Curry Leaves.
• Cover and keep this aside, Overnight.
• Next morning simply mash up the ingredients with a wooden ladle(hand works best for the purpose).
• Serve along with your preferred condiments or side dish.

NOTES:

• Adding the seasonings like Shallots, Green Chillies, Ginger and Curry Leaves are purely optional.
• Can make this Ragi Koozh by just adding Curd/Yogurt. Alternatively can add Buttermilk too.
• Dilute the Ragi Koozh to suit your preferred consistency.
• Ragi Koozh already has salt in it, so adjust the amount of Salt accordingly.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS :

Chammanthi/Thogayal/Condiments :

• Paruppu Thogayal
• Kollu/Horsegram Thuvaiyal
• Peanut/Nelakadalai Chutney
• Nelakadalai Thogayal
• Chuttaracha Thenga Chammanthi
• Pacha Manga Chammanthi 
• Unakka Chemmeen Chammanthi
• Mor Milagai/Sun-dried Green Chillies

Pickles :

• Garlic Pickle
• Gooseberry Pickle/Nellikka Achar 
• Avakkai Urugai
• Mangai Thokku
• Tomato Thokku
• Mango Pickle - Kerala Kadu Manga Achar
• Vadugapuli Naranga Achar/Wild Lemon Pickle
• Kanni Manga Achar/Tender Mango Pickle
• Naranga Achar /Lemon Pickle
• Green Apple Pickle

Stir-fry/Curries :

• Kadanja Keerai
• Kadanja Pachai Payar Kuzhambu
• Thatta Payar Kuzhambu
• Mochai Kottai Kuzhambu
• Mutton Kuzhambu
• Nattu Kozhi Kuzhambu
• Thick Fish Curry (preferably a day old)
• Karuvattu Kuzhambu/Dry Fish Curry
• Dry Fish - Fried/Curry

FOOD AS MEDICINE:

• This, day-old fermented Ragi Koozh/Ragi Kanji is not only delicious but also nutritious.
• The Fermentation process provides more nutrients and energy to the body.
• Ragi Koozh/Ragi Kanji has Potassium and it is also rich in Iron.
• It also has Calcium, Magnesium and Selenium which proves beneficial for Bones.
• Ragi Koozh/Ragi Kanji also prevents High Blood Pressure.
• Anti-oxidants in  Ragi Koozh/Ragi Kanji is believed to prevent Cancer.
• It is rich in Vitamin B6, B12 & Vitamin D.
• The healthy probiotics from the Curd/Yogurt help maintain a healthy gut.
• This dish is easily digestible thus controlling the acidity level as well as ulcers and also eases constipation.
• It is also beneficial for Lactating Mothers.

RAGI VADAI

HOW TO MAKE RAGI VADAI

INGREDIENTS :

To Deep Fry :

METHOD :

• In a small Blender Jar, crush the Roasted Peanuts and 1 tablespoon of Pottukadalai into a coarse Powder and keep it aside.
• In a Bowl, add in the Ragi Flour along with the Coarsely ground Peanuts and Pottukadalai.
• Add finely chopped Onions, Green Chillies, Ginger, Curry Leaves and Coriander Leaves to the Ragi Flour mix along with a dash of Salt.
• Add the remaining Pottukadalai ( no need to grind) to the Flour mix.
• Pour in the Hot Oil to the above & Mix well.
• Sprinkle a little bit of Water, just enough to moisten up the flour mix.
• Loosely knead the flour into a stiff dough.
• Heat Oil in a Deep pan, allow the oil to smoke-off.
• Reduce the flame to Medium.
• Shape small flat Vadais out of the Ragi Dough.
• Carefully drop few Ragi Vadais at a time into the hot oil.
• Deep fry the Ragi Vadais, on a medium flame for about 2-3 Minutes.
• Flipping it once, fry on the other side of the Ragi Vadai until it turns crispy and the sizzling sound stops.
• Once done, remove the Ragi Vadais from Oil with a slotted spoon.
• Drain the Ragi Vadai on a Paper Towel.
• Serve Ragi Vadai hot as such or with any Chutney of your choice. 
• Ragi Vadai goes well with Hot Tea/Coffee.

NOTES :

• The dough for Ragi Vadai should neither be too wet nor dry.
• Care should be taken not to add too much water to the flour mix, which will totally spoil the texture of the dough and Ragi Vadais.
• Adding Roasted Peanuts and Pottukadalai to the Ragi Flour will help you get crispy Ragi Vadais.

RAGI DOSA - FINGER MILLET DOSA

 HOW TO COOK RAGI DOSA - FINGER MILLET DOSA

RAGI DOSA - FINGER MILLET DOSA

INGREDIENTS :

For Ragi/Finger Millet Dosa Batter :

METHOD :

For Ragi/Finger Millet Dosa Batter:

RAGI DOSA - FINGER MILLET DOSA BATTER

• Clean, & Wash Ragi/Finger Millet 2-3 times or until water runs clear.
• It may contain dust & small particles, make sure to remove them. 
• Clean & Wash Blackgram Dhal/Urad Dhal 2-3 times or until water runs clear.
• Soak Urad Dhal & Ragi/Finger Millet for about 2-3 Hours.
• Soak both the ingredients separately.
• Drain and grind the soaked Urad Dhal in a Blender/Grinder adding about 1 - 11/2 Cups of cold water at intervals.
• Once the Urad Dhal turns fluffy and is ground into a fine paste, remove it from the blender and keep it aside.
• Grind the Ragi/Finger Millet in a Blender/Grinder adding about 3/4 - 1Cup of water at intervals.
• Grind it into a smooth batter.
• Pour the ground Ragi paste to the Urad Dhal and mix it thoroughly.
• Leave it aside & Allow the batter to ferment for about 6-8 hours.
• Once the batter has fermented, add salt and give a thorough mix.
• The fermented batter would have increased in volume and would have a foamy texture.
• The batter shouldn't be thick.
• The consistency of Ragi Dosa Batter should be like that of a Dosa/Appam Batter.

RAGI DOSA - FINGER MILLET DOSA (FERMENTED BATTER)

How to Cook Ragi/Finger Millet Dosa:

• Heat the Dosa Griddle on a high flame and then lower the flame to low.
• Smear the Griddle with Oil.
• Thoroughly mix the Ragi/Finger Millet Dosa Batter and pour one big ladle of batter over the Dosa Griddle.
• Spread the batter evenly around the Dosa Griddle.
• Keep the flame at medium-low while cooking Ragi/Finger Millet Dosa.
• Drizzle few teaspoons of Oil over the Dosa.
• Cook the Ragi/Finger Millet Dosa on a low flame until it is cooked.
• Flip the dosa and cook until the Dosa turns into light brown in colour.
• Carefully remove the thin & crispy Ragi/Finger Millet Dosa from the griddle.
• Serve Ragi/Finger Millet Dosa along with your choice of Chutney/Sambar.
• Ragi/Finger Millet Dosa goes well with Coconut Chutneys, Allam Pachadi(Ginger Chutney) Groundnut Chutney etc.,

 

RAGI DOSA - FINGER MILLET DOSA

NOTES:

• The ingredients should be finely ground into a thin batter.
• Adding Salt initially slows down the fermentation process, so I usually add it just before making Dosas. 
• Adjust according to the climatic condition of the region you live in.
• If you have any leftover batter leave it in the refrigerator.
• Use the batter within two days. 
• Can also use sprout the Ragi/Finger Millets and then grind it into a batter.