FIVE Easy and Healthy Ragi Recipes for Your Breakfast

Ragi (also known as finger millet) is a cereal crop that grows primarily in the eastern and southern parts of India. It is a highly nutritious grain rich in calcium, amino acids, fiber, and other essential nutrients. 

It is becoming increasingly popular in urban areas due to its health benefits and versatility in cooking. Some of the most easy to cook ragi dishes include porridge, roti, cookies, malt, etc.

Through this article let’s have a look at some of the most popular ragi dishes and their recipes. 

Recipe 1: Ragi Cutlets

Ingredients:

• 1 cup ragi flour
• 2 boiled potatoes, peeled and mashed
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 green chilies, finely chopped
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 1 tsp garlic paste
• ½ tsp red chili powder
• Salt, to taste
• 2 tbsp corn flour
• Oil, for frying

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, mix ragi flour, mashed potatoes, onion, green chilies, ginger paste, garlic paste, red chili powder, and salt.
2. Mix well and knead into a smooth dough. If the dough is too stiff, sprinkle some water and knead again.
3. Divide the dough into equal portions and shape into cutlets.
4. In a small bowl, mix corn flour and water to make a slurry.
5. Dip each cutlet into the slurry and coat well with corn flour.
6. Heat oil in a pan and fry the cutlets on medium heat until golden brown, turning occasionally.
7. Serve hot with homemade chutney or sauce of your choice.

Recipe 2: Ragi Milk

iNGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup ragi (finger millet) flour
• 3 cups milk
• 1/4 cup jaggery (or sugar)
• 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
• 1 tbsp ghee
• A pinch of salt

iNSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a pan, dry roast the ragi flour till it turns slightly brown and gives a nutty aroma. Keep it aside.
2. In the same pan, heat 1 tbsp ghee and add the ragi flour back in. Fry for a minute or so, stirring constantly.
3. Add 3 cups of milk, and mix well to avoid any lumps. Add a pinch of salt and cardamom powder to it.
4. Stir well and cook on low flame for 10-12 minutes, or until the mixture thickens and becomes smooth.
5. Add jaggery (or sugar) as per your taste and mix well.
6. Turn off the heat. Serve warm or chilled

TIPS:

• You can add some chopped nuts like almonds, cashews, or pistachios to enhance the taste and nutrition.
• You can use coconut milk instead of regular milk for a vegan version.
• Adjust the sweetness as per your preference.

Recipe 3: Ragi Uttapam

Ingredients:

• 1 cup ragi flour
• 1/2 cup rice flour
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/4 cup finely chopped tomato
• 1/4 cup finely chopped capsicum
• 1 green chili, finely chopped
• 1/4 tsp asafoetida
• Salt, to taste
• Water, as required
• Oil, for cooking

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a mixing bowl, add ragi flour, rice flour, finely chopped onion, tomato, capsicum, and green chili.
2. Add salt and asafoetida to the bowl and mix well.
3. Gradually add water to make a smooth and thick batter, free of lumps.
4. Let the batter rest for 5-10 minutes.
5. Heat a non-stick frying pan on medium heat.
6. Grease the pan with oil and pour a ladleful of batter in the center.
7. Spread it evenly into a thin circle with the ladle.
8. Drizzle a tsp of oil around the edges of the uttapam and cook it on medium heat.
9. Cover it with a lid and cook the uttapam for 2-3 minutes or until the base is golden brown.
10. Flip the uttapam and cook till the other side is golden brown too.
11. Remove it from the pan and serve hot with coconut chutney, tomato chutney or sambar.

Enjoy your healthy and nutritious ragi uttapam!

Recipe 4: Ragi Idli

Ingredients:

Instructions:

1. Wash the idli rice and urad dal separately. Soak both in water for 4 hours.
2. Drain the water from the urad dal and grind it in a mixer with a little water to make a smooth batter. Do not add too much water.
3. Mix fenugreek seeds into urad dal batter, cover, and keep aside.
4. Now grind the soaked idli rice to a smooth batter adding water as required.
5. Mix the urad dal mixture into the idli rice, add salt, and mix well.
6. Keep this mixture to ferment overnight.
7. In the morning, add ragi flour and baking soda to the fermented batter and mix well.
8. Grease the idli plates and pour a spoonful of batter into each indentation.
9. Steam the idlis in a steamer for about 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the idli comes out clean.

Serve hot with chutney or sambar and Enjoy your healthy and nutritious ragi idlis!

Recipe 5:  Ragi Halwa

Ingredients:

• 1 cup ragi flour (finger millet)
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup milk
• 3/4 cup jaggery
• 1/4 cup ghee
• A pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
• Nuts and raisins for garnishing

Instructions:

1. In a pan, roast ragi flour on low flame until it turns aromatic and crispy. Keep it aside.
2. In the same pan, add water and jaggery or desi khandsari. Cook until jaggery dissolves completely.
3. Add milk to the pan and stir well. Bring this mixture to a boil.
4. Add roasted ragi flour to the mixture and stir well so that no lumps are formed. Keep stirring continuously on low flame until the mixture thickens.
5. Add ghee, salt, and cardamom powder to the mixture and stir well.
6. Turn off the flame and let it cool for a while.
7. Take some halwa mixture in a serving bowl and garnish with nuts and raisins.
8. Serve hot or warm.

Note: You can adjust the amount of jaggery or desi khandsari as per your taste preference.

summing up

Ragi is a gluten-free grain rich in dietary fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals. Some popular ragi recipes include ragi uttapam, ragi idli, ragi porridge, ragi roti, ragi halwa, ragi cookies, and ragi-based beverages like ragi malt or ragi milk. 

These recipes are popular in India and other parts of South Asia as they are nutritious, super easy to prepare, and can be consumed as breakfast, lunch, snack, or healthy dessert!