Ragi Rotti

Ragi Mudde or Finger Millet balls have been a staple of rural Karnataka cuisine for ages. Ragi, long considered a working class millet, is storming into the menus of many a restaurants in Bangalore and Karnataka. This mustard like black grain has much up it’s sleeve than it’s fairer and more preferred rival, rice. This despite the fact that ragi packs in more punch than rice. ‘It is important to feed the eyes before you feed the stomach‘ wannabe chefs are told, and this is where rice edges out ragi.

Per an old Kannada adage, ""Ragi thindavinige roga illa" -- A person who eats Ragi will be free of roga - diseases.

Not being superficial to just the looks, we have decided to delve into the substance beneath the dark hard exterior of ragi or Finger Millet. And by the end of the post, we hope to make you give this wonderful grain a second chance if it is not a part of your menu already.

English: Finger millet, African millet, Ragi, Koracan
India: Ragi (Kannada, Telugu), Kelvaragu (Tamil), Maduva (in some parts of north INDIA), Nachani (Marathi)

ragi is rich in proteins. It also provides one of the highest levels of calcium, iron and antioxidants among cereals in addition to being high on dietary fibre content. All of the above makes ragi a super star grain. It is easily and slowly digested (hence helps control blood glucose and a staple with diabetics). The bulkiness of the fiber and the slower digestion rate keeps you full longer and all of this at far lower calories than say rice. Prepared well, it is great tasting and easy on the wallet. As if that wasn’t enough, ragi can be safely stored for years under normal farm household conditions. So, what’s not to like ?

In Karnataka, ragi gets used in a variety of dishes :

• Ragi Mudde :‘ The Ragi dish‘ made by adding ragi flour to boiling water to make soft fluffy balls(pic above).
• Ragi Malt : mixed with other whole grains and nuts to be used with milk.
• Ragi Hurittu (roast popped & powered ragi corns) :
• - Mixed with milk and sugar to make an instant porridge — a favorite fix when fasting.
• - Mixed with water and jaggery to make bellada gojju - belgojju
• - A dash of tadka/vaggarane (oil seasoning with a peanuts,mustard,curry leaves, chillies )
• for a dry savory snack.
• Ragi Rotti: on the lines of Akki(rice) Rotti, has ragi flour mixed with chopped chillies, chopped coriander, ginger, fennel in water ; patted onto a tawa and roasted with a dash of oil.
• Ragi Dose - You typical dosa with a ragi base.

Fortunately, ragi was a staple where I grew and I have loved all of the above dishes. There are quite a
few websites on the net that showcase interesting articles in the blogosphere about ragi mudde — the ragi dish.

• Shruthi talks about some common perceptions(and mis-perceptions) with a funny undertone. She starts out with a reference to ragi muddeand Deve Gowda — who put the commoner’s dish on the national map with this
  tickler when Gowda was PM :
• Q. Aaj Pradhan Mantri kis mudde par baat karenge?
  A. Ragi mudde par (a word play on the word mudde meaning a lump in Kannada vs an issue in Hindi..)
• more of her post here..

• Ruchi’s post with some good pictures of Ragi mudde & Palak Huli ..

If you are looking for a low calorie, fiber rich, high protein whole grain that is packed with goodness, you ought to give ragi a chance. For diabetics, ragi is a godsend. Go give some of these a shot and let us know how it turned out …..

• Shankar (please check out his posts in www.indimag.com) had these very important points to add :

1. Ragi needs very less water to grow. So, It is very easy to grow and can be grown during draught. Ragi is the life saver in these weather conditions (Global warming and no proper pattern of rains)
2. Paddy needs a lot of water and care, which adds more pressure on our already depleted water table.
3. My grand fathers are 85 to 90 years old, to this date have no major disease, and are still productive. Thier diet includes 2 big Ragi mudde in the morning.
4. Another way of eating Raagi ball is with ‘pckle & curd’. This is real yummy to eat..
5. Ragi flour is available in USA but it is almost double the cost of Rice.
6. Rice wins with its color & aroma ; as with anything, most people go with external beauty.

Photos Courtesy : http://www.flickr.com/photos/lathanarasimhan/1400447401