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Ruchik Randhap

Food & Memories of Mangalore

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Ragi Idli (Steamed Finger Millet Cakes)


Although I don’t believe in the past life and rebirth theories, if I ever had one, I probably was a farmer somewhere in North Karnataka ๐Ÿ™‚ How else can you explain my love for cereals especially the Finger Millet? Ragi as it’s widely called across India, this humble millet is known as Nachni in Maharashtra and Nathno in Konkani. It is probably one of the earliest foods that most of us have had as babies are often weaned with the first semi solid food being the Ragi porridge.

 

Did you know that Finger Millet is originally native to the Ethiopian Highlands and was introduced to India 4000 years back? There are numerous health benefits of Ragi. Besides being a good source of protein it aids bone development and weight loss just to name a few benefits. While the most popular way of eating the Ragi is either in the form of porridge or steamed balls called as Ragi Mudde in Karnataka, some people eat it in the form of rottis (dry flat bread) or even steamed and eaten in the form of Puttu (famous in Kerala). Try the Ragi Dosa & Carrot Garlic Chutney for a complete power packed breakfast. The Ragi Idli is a lovely variation to the regular rice idli. You can skip the rice if you wish in the below recipe, but it tastes very nice with the rice in it.

 


Ragi Idli
(Printable Recipe)
Yield: 14-15 Idlis


Ingredients:

  • 1 cup finger millet flour (ragi flour)
  • 1/2 cup split black gram dal (udad dal)
  • 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds (methi seeds)
  • 1/2 cup idli rice (parbpoiled rice called as Mutambo in Konkani, you can also use raw rice called as Kolam rice)
  • salt to taste

Method:
1. Soak udad dal, rice and fenugreek seeds separately for at least 2 hours. Soak the ragi flour for 10minutes before mixing the batter.
2. Grind the udad dal first until it turns fluffly. Grind the rice and methi seeds to an almost fine consistency – leave it a bit grainy (rawa consistency). In a deep pan mix the ground batters along with the soaked ragi flour adding a little water to arrive at a idli batter kind of consistency – should not be too runny nor too thick like cake batter
3. Leave it overnight for fermentation. Cover the mouth of the pan with a muslin cloth.
4. Place sufficient water in a cooker & bring it to a boil. Grease idli moulds with a little oil & pour batter into each mould. Place the mould into the cooker, cover the lid and steam without adding the weight (whistle) to the cooker for about 15-18 minutes. Alternatively if you own a Mangalorean style Tondor (steamer) and classic Sanna moulds (Ginduls) the same process can be followed.
5. Remove the moulds after 20minutes and allow them to cool a bit before gently turning them over to remove the idlis out.
6. Serve hot with Sambar or coconut chutney (recipes to follow)

Adapted from:ย Mahanandiย andย Aayis Recipes

 


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Comments

  3. sailaja says

    Am glad you liked the tomato salad. I added sugar to cut the tartness of tomatoes. Love the pics of ragi idli. Inspires me to bake over the weekend. ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply

  4. Shireen says

    Great! The idlis are yummy especially if you like to start the day with some healthy breakfast – it's an absolute treat! Yes, the tomato salad was a real treat cuz i've only eaten round slices of tomatoes which is the most popular form of a 'salad' lol! Thanks & i'll watch out for more lovely recipes from ur blog!

    Reply

  6. sailaja says

    I meant to say 'inspires me to steam some ragi idlis over the weekend'. I guess I was drooling over the brownie pics that I had 'bake' on my mind while writing the comment..lol

    Reply

  7. Shireen says

    @ Sailaja: lol! even I didnt realise the 'bake' cuz even I was looking for some cake recipes to be baked for today ๐Ÿ™‚
    @ Aruna: Thanks so much ๐Ÿ™‚ yes, they are nutritious too, even better if you can use sprouted ragi grains & then grind them – takes away the mild bitterness! enjoy!

    Reply

  15. lydia says

    How to use whole Ravi. I am absolutely Sim about it. My mom always would make porridge and gv us,now that she is no more leaving ล•agi grains behind.please help me how to use them.

    Reply

  16. Shireen says

    @ Lydia: For this particular recipe you need to use ragi flour. You can use them up to make Ragi Manni, recipe is on the blog. It is a kind of a pudding. I will share other recipes using whole ragi soon!

    Reply
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