London-based Parna shares the virtuosity of Finger Millet or Raagi. Know more about the super cereal, exclusively in Different Truths.

There is a lot of awareness among people these days to consume whole grains because of their health benefits. Basically, a whole grain is one which contains all three parts of the kernel – the bran, germ, and endosperm, whereas refined grains are processed to retain only the endosperm. This makes whole grains healthier as they contain the fiber-dense bran and along with other essential nutrients that are not lost due to processing. Finger Millet is one such super grain, popularly known as Raagi or Nachni in India. This grain is too tiny to be polished or processed that it is mostly consumed in its purest form.  It actually originated in Africa and has been cultivated in Uganda and Ethiopia since many years. It is majorly produced in Karnataka, South India.

Raagi is a rich source of good carbohydrates and is packed with calcium, iron, amino acids (protein) and Vitamin D. It is naturally gluten-free which makes it ideal for consumption by the gluten intolerant and lactose intolerant people. According to the National Institute of Nutrition in India, 100 grams of Raagi contains 344 mg calcium. Also, it is rich in fiber that helps with weight loss and controlling diabetes.

The most common way of consuming Raagi is by the Raagi flour. Though there are many recipes of Raagi flour available for e.g., Steamed Raagi balls, Raagi porridge etc, my favourite one is Raagi Dosa.

So here I present the recipe for the same.

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp Raagi Flour
• 2 tbsp of gram flour (besan)
• 1 tbsp rice flour
• 1 tbsp semolina (sooji)
• 2 tbsp curd
• Coriander leaves
• Small piece of ginger
• 1 green chilli
• 1 tsp olive oil
• Salt as per taste

Directions:

1. In a bowl mix the Raagi Flour, the gram flour, the rice flour and the semolina.
2. Mix the curd with it.
3. Slowly add water and make a smooth batter without any lumps.
4. Add salt, chopped coriander, ginger, green chillies to the batter
5. Heat a non-stick fry pan and smear it 1-2 drops of olive oil. 
6. Add a ladle full of batter to the hot pan and spread it round to form the dosa.
7. When one side is done, flip it over to cook the other side as well.
8. Once done, serve hot with Sambhar and chutney.

©Parna Mukherjee

Photos by the author

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Parna Mukherjee

Parna Mukherjee, founder of RitLean, is a mom, certified nutritionist and health coach. She lives in UK and works with health enthusiasts of all age groups all over the world, helping them to set fitness and health goals and achieve them. Her goal is to help people find easy ways to make healthy choices and live a better healthier life.

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