I love Raagi malt, particularly on cold rainy days like today. It’s May, still so cold here. It is like this since last week. I am waiting for the Sun to shine again.
Raagi (Finger millet, Raagi, Kelvaragu, Muthari, nachni) is a Sanskrit word, and the grain is a type of millet cultivated from ancient times in India. Proved to be rich in protein, calcium, iron and further it is gluten free. How we use ragi in our everyday cooking back in India is we roast ragi grains frist, and then they are milled to fine powder. Freshly milled powder gives off fragrant smell and is quite popularly prepared as a drink called ragi malt or ragi ganji.
Ragi flour, milk and water boiled together and sweetened with sugar or jaggery is ragi malt - popular as poor man’s or farmers health drink because of ready availability, low prices for the grain and nutritious, filling quality. If it is good for a farmer and to an ancient Sanskrit speaking person, then it must be good for me too, so I often prepare this drink in place of coffee and tea.
Image courtesy of this site
Raagi flour is available at Indian grocery shops. I brought mine from India, freshly milled, needless to say so much better than the store bought flour. Back home, my mother and mother-in-law, both prepare this drink daily. It’s a routine for them, nothing fancy or special like for us here. And they always flavor the drink with cardamom.
Recipe:
for two cups
1 tablespoon of ragi flour
1 glass of water or milk
2 tsp of sugar or powdered jaggery
1/2 tsp of powdered cardamom
Preparation:
First take the flour in a cup, add water slowly, mixing it into smooth paste.
In a vessel, take one glass of water or milk. Preparing this drink with milk alone is too rich for me so I usually add few drops of milk to water.
Heat till the water reaches boiling stage, and then add the dissolved flour solution slowly to the boiling water (milk), stirring it with a spoon to avoid the formation of lumps. If you add the flour mix to water before the boiling stage, the flour will separate and you have to throw it away, so wait for water (milk) to start boiling, then add the flour mix. This step is very important in preparing the good raagi malt.
Reduce the heat and boil it for 5 minutes, stirring in-between. Add sugar or jaggery per your taste and pinch of cardamom (Elachi) powder.
Let it cool for a while until warm, and then pour into a glass or cup.
When your body needs a break from caffeinated drinks like coffee and tea, this is the perfect warm beverage.
Great job on the details of the preparation process.
Comment by guest — September 6, 2005 @ 12:15 am
Great stuff.
We used to eat it when we lived in a village in Andhra/
Comment by Liz — October 10, 2005 @ 12:59 am
Ragi Malt beverage for general and special for Diabetics is the need of the hour. vauum dehydrating of Ragi malt is posing problems
Comment by Ramesh Rao — October 17, 2005 @ 12:55 pm
Very good
Wanted Nutritional value of Ragi Malt
Comment by M.Seetharmulu — October 24, 2005 @ 7:13 pm
Two wild and eight domesticated cultivars of Ragi (finger millet) were analyzed to determine their proximate composition and calcium, iron, and amino acid content. Wide variations were observed in the protein (mean values ranged from 7.5 to 11.7%), calcium (376 to 515 mg/100 g), and iron (3.7 to 6.8 mg/100 g) content of the wild and domesticated cultivars. A wild progenitor of finger millet, E coracana subsp. africana was significantly higher in protein than four of the six domesticated accessions analyzed. The calcium and iron content of the wild progenitor was also significantly greater than that of two domesticated cultivars. The wild species was also found to be higher in lysine and five other essential amino acids. These results indicate that the nutritional value of finger millet may be significantly improved by selective crossbreeding of the cereal’s wild and domesticated cultivars.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, Blacksburg 24061-0430.
Plant Foods Hum Nutr. 1993 Mar;43(2):97-104.
Comment by M.Seetharamulu — October 26, 2005 @ 10:54 am
Nice recipe…if u add more raagi…it will kind of become a porridge and u can have it as breakfast(snack) and that tastes good tooo
Comment by Chris — November 29, 2005 @ 9:30 am
Alrite Indira, had to let you know ever since I saw this recipe I have had Ragi malt every single day! Extremely satisfying and forgive me previously I thought it infra-dig.
But the Ragi dosa did not turn out anything like the pic. I must admit I am a foodie but a not-so-great cook. Anyway is there some trick to it I am missing. Would adding a little bit of rice flour help?
Indira says…
Hi Tilo, infra-dig, no way.
About ragi dosa, what went wrong? is it taste, appearance? Did you follow the recipe?
Comment by tilo — November 29, 2005 @ 10:05 pm
wonderful information
Comment by ram — December 2, 2005 @ 9:49 am
It just did not become a dosa at all - with this batter. I had to discard the batter, again like I said I am not a great dosa-maker but I was wondering if you have any helpful hints with the making process just like in the case of the malt
Indira says…
aahh Tilo, discarding the batter, I feel bad.
This recipe with ragi flour is more like adai or utappam, little bit of thick, unlike dosa.
I made the batter to medium consistency, not too thin or not too thick and I just poured the batter onto a very hot iron skillet, first seasoned with oil and onion.
Don’t spread the batter with laddle like dosa. Do you know how to make utappam, do the same here. Don’t try to spread it too thin. The batter, when you pour onto a hot skillet, spreads like muddy water after floods. (Can’t seem to think of any other analogy here). Just smooth out (the onions etc.,) with a spoon, that’s all. Hope you find these tips helpful. Are you really gonna give this recipe another try?If you do, please let me know how it turns out. Thanks!
Comment by tilo — December 2, 2005 @ 10:06 pm
hi indira, thanks for raagi malt receipe. i would like too know i can feed to my baby, who is 16months old…is it suggestable.
Comment by SHIL — February 26, 2006 @ 11:30 pm
Actually if you want to retain all the rich nutritive values of ragi you can follow this recipe
Soak ragi[grain] over night in water. Then drain them and tie in a fine muslin cloth. Once ragi starts sprouting, remove from the muslin cloth and spread it out on cotton cloth till it is slightly dry [remove excess moisture].
Now dry roast this sprouted ragi. When u r roasting ragi u get sweet smell. Then remove from fire and after it is slightly cool grind it into fine mixture.
Now make the ragi malt as given in the recipe.
To enrich this u can add roasted almond powder too…
Indira replies:
Hello Rajini, that’s a very useful information about ragi. Thanks for sharing that here with us. Appreciate it.
Comment by Rajini — May 4, 2006 @ 7:00 am
great efforts.thank you for complete details on Ragi. all the best for future assignments.
Indira replies:
You are welcome and thanks.
Comment by B Chandan Kumar — May 21, 2006 @ 10:04 pm
Hi Indira….
Iam so glad that I came across your website…I wanted the recipe to make Mudde (That’s what we folks back in Karnataka call it by the way)…I was very happy to find it on ur site..
Indira replies:
Let me know how you like this recipe, if you try, thanks Sneha.
Comment by Sneha — June 8, 2006 @ 6:47 am
its great for babies as well. i used to give my baby from when he was 6 months old,now 1yr old. he absolutely loves it
Comment by Sara — June 29, 2006 @ 12:04 pm
Hi,
I am so glad I came across this recipe of Ragi Malt. Thank you so much, Indira, for sharing this with us. I have a 5.5 months old daughter. I want to give her Ragi malt but don’t want her to have sugar or jaggery till she is about 2 years old. Would the malt taste as good without sugar? Also, I read about sprouting the ragi. I read somewhere that I should blend the sprouted ragi and sieve it to make milk. Then, dry it up and it becomes milk powder for my baby. Do you have any details on this recipe as well?
Thank you very much. Will really appreciate a response.
Warm regards
Deepti
Comment by Deepti Gogia — July 6, 2006 @ 3:11 am
Hi,
Is it advisable to feed this malt for 13months baby.
Please suggest.
Thanks and regards
Comment by Praveen — July 17, 2006 @ 8:39 am
Hello Indira…
Usefull information…
Great job…
Thanks.
With love
Padma Naidu
Comment by Pama Naidu — August 25, 2006 @ 2:01 am
Hi Indira, thanks for the info. I bought Ragi powder from a food shop in Hyderabad. Can I use it as suggested by you for making Ragi malt?
Comment by M Prem Kumar — September 8, 2006 @ 12:10 am
Hi Indira,
I was in search of this kind of drink for last ten days,iam so glad that i came across this website,this drink has great nutritional value which helps students who are preparing for IAS examinations who have little time to look after the balanced diet,like me.And others who stays in hostels. thanks for receipe.
Comment by Bheema Rao Jhade — September 8, 2006 @ 8:51 am
HI,
i am looking for the ragi Ambil recipe..it seems its soaked overnight and fermented..anybody knows this recipe.
thank you,
neeta
Comment by neeta — October 3, 2006 @ 1:15 pm
I copok mine with water and add curry leaves, salt, red onion, chopped cabbage and lime juice to it. I top it with some yogurt ( curd) and it becomes a healthy meal.
Comment by shoba pillai — October 10, 2006 @ 11:31 am
Hey Indira, did u know that this is the old indian version of health drink…like the bournvita or boost!Thanks for the recipe.
Comment by sri — October 31, 2006 @ 10:48 am
Hi Indira,
I tried your raagi malt and loved it. Didn’t know it was soo easy to prepare. Thanks for the recipe. I might really cut down a lot or maybe even stop my Tea/coffee..
.
My wishes to you and Vijay.
Regards,
Sujatha.
Indira replies:
Hi Sujatha, glad to hear that you tried and liked this recipe. Good drink to have during these cold winter months, isn’t it?:)
Thanks and best wishes to your family as well!
Comment by Sujatha — November 2, 2006 @ 3:39 pm
This Raagi malt is very differnet from anything with which I am familiar. I will certainly plan to make some this winter. I hope I am not embarrassing you too much if I say that this blog has become an absolutely invaluable resource for me. Thanks so much.
(I also like to look at the pictures)
Indira replies:
Dear Chocolate Lady: Thanks! I too feel the same way about your blog. I always find interesting material to read and to learn.
Comment by the chocolate lady (eqj) — November 11, 2006 @ 5:35 pm
hi, i was curious if anyone knew where i could possibly find the ready made raagi malt? i called a few stores in jersey but everyone kept saying that they’re out of it and will get more in soon, any help would be appreciated. THANKS!
Comment by chirag — December 20, 2006 @ 9:03 pm
Hello…..
Can you please tell whether I can get the whole raagi in USA?
Thanks
Priya
Indira replies:
Hi Priya, I have seen whole ragi for sale at Subji Mandi, New Jersey. I think you can also get it at South Indian grocery shops in all major US cities. Hope this helps.
Comment by Priya — January 5, 2007 @ 12:48 pm
Ragi is supposed to be rich in calcium and calcium when ingested in the morning is absorbed better by our bodies,so a good b’fast recipe!!!
Comment by Rajeshwari — January 12, 2007 @ 12:27 am
Thanks for providing excellent information about ragi and jonnalu. I have a couple of questions:
1. Do you know how many calories are there in a cup of Ragi malt (with water)
2. I tried to make Jonna rotte, but I failed . Any other easier way or recipe to eat jonnalu.
Thanks,
Suresh
Comment by suresh — January 28, 2007 @ 12:46 pm
Dear Indra,
Very useful information. Can I get help an processing milk powder from sprouted Raggi.
Thanks and Warm regards.
Satynarayanan.K.
Comment by K.Satyanarayanan. — January 28, 2007 @ 11:22 pm
Somebody told that if we have Ragimalt, it will increase our body weight. Is that true. Pls reply
Comment by Sudha Sathyanarayanan — March 13, 2007 @ 3:37 am
hi indira..
this site really rocks loads of info abt ragi……
thank u for the info
Comment by david — June 21, 2007 @ 8:40 am
Hi Deepti Gogia,
See the comment no 11, given by Rajini. He has explained how to sprout and make ragi flour.
I am giving my 9 months old daughter ragi malt right from 5 months, but i add salt to it as she dislikes sweet taste. I add 2tbsp roasted omam(i dono what do we call it in English, in Tamil we call it omam, it helps in digestion for babies and has a peculiar smell like asafeotida) to 1kg sprouted, roasted ragi and then grind it. She loves this taste. You should be careful about getting the best quality grain, as there might be some mud/sand in the grains with the same color. If you plan to give it for your baby, take more care in getting the best brand grain. Hope this helps.
Indira, Nice recipe… My husband used to prepare this for me, when i need a break from kitchen.
Comment by Latha — June 29, 2007 @ 6:30 am
Thankyou so much for the recipe.
Comment by Asha — July 16, 2007 @ 10:12 am
RESPECTED SIR/MADAME,
IS THIS AVAILABLE IN INDIAN STORE IN U.S.A.
ALSO PLEASE ADVISE WHAT IS THE “GUJARATI” WORD FOR THIS RAAGI MALT.
THANKS & REGARDS
KIRAN
Comment by KIRAN — August 20, 2007 @ 11:35 am
Ragi is also called “Red Millet Flour”. Amount per serving
Calories : 400
Saturated Fat : 2 gms
Trans Fat : 0 gms
Cholestrol : 0 gms
Sodium : 10 milligrams
Fiber : 7 grams
Sugar : 0 grams
Protein : 10 grams
Calcium : 4%
Iron : 10 %
Ragi is an excellent food for people with diabetes
Comment by Manjula — September 16, 2007 @ 12:21 pm
Can someone tell me which store has the cheapest price on ragi in usa.
I know getting it from India is the cheapest, but other than that is there anyway where the price is cheap. I find that the price is 2$ for 400 grams of the flour in the local store.
Comment by Manjula — September 16, 2007 @ 12:25 pm
Thanks for the recipe. Does anyone know what is ‘roasted ragi’ that you get in some of the Indian stores here in US? Is it same as a normal ragi?
I bought it thinking that it was ‘hurittu’ in Kannada (have no idea what its called in other languages..)
Comment by vidya — December 30, 2007 @ 1:06 pm
hi indira,
your blog is so wholesome and nice. i love it, keep it up!!!
and yes, the raagi malt and raagi mudde have been explained very well, i can feel the goodness reach out to me:)
Comment by sneha — January 12, 2008 @ 9:29 pm
Hello,
I am glad I found your website when googling ragi. I am in Kuala Lumpur(KL) Malaysia, a Breast Cancer survivor and trying to re-define my dietary needs to include more healthful items. We get Ragi flour and grains in KL and I am a great fan of Ragi Puttu that our Indian Restaurants sell for tea. It is delicious steamed with grated coconut, and gives good fibre. I am thrilled to try out your recipe for Ragi malt as I have to go easy on coffee and any other caffeine drinks, so Ragi will be my new “coffee”!
Thank you very much and keep on with the recipes!
Greetings from KL, Azmi
Comment by azmi — January 13, 2008 @ 2:29 am
Hello Indira mam,
I live in Bangalore, i want to know whether can i get readymade ragi malt product in market? if yes, what are the brand names available? where i can get it? Can u plz reply me. i’ll be waiting..,
Comment by Basavak — January 27, 2008 @ 2:17 am
Dear Indira,
I have been a silent lurker on your website for a while. On days when I feel too tired to cook, I get on your website and I feel rejuvenated. Excellent descriptions and pictures. Mom used to make Raagi malt with buttermilk, crushed jeera and dry red chilly (roasted in a drop of oil), mix everything and add a pinch of salt. Let it cool in the fridge. On hot summer nights, Dad likes this with fire roasted pappads on the side, bliss. I hated it when I grew up, but now I long for it. Great that you have innovative recipes and good old traditional soul food recipes. Great site. Thanks for your wonderful service.
Sudha
Comment by Sudha Rajagopalan — March 5, 2008 @ 6:39 am
hi indira,i heard this ragi malt has a cooling effect. my mom told me to drink this during summers. otherwise in winters it can give u a cold.is it her perception or true?
Comment by srividya — March 14, 2008 @ 10:26 am
Hi Indira
Its very refreshing to see Raagi Malt is so famous even in Andhra. I thought, its only Karnataka product.
We make Raagi Upma, Raagi sweet like you add milk, jaggery, make small balls and make a small whole in the centre for Ghee. Little by little pieces dip in ghee and eat. Its very delicious.
My last trip to Bangalore…I came to know, they are making Raagi biscuits, Raagi papadam and many more items made out of Raagi.
We just love Raagi Mudde (Raagi Balls) with tasty curries, especially Avarekai(Some kind of Beans). My mouth id watering::)
Wav Wav there is much more to learn…
Thanks Indira.
Delicious eating.
Bangalorean
Comment by Bangalorean — April 1, 2008 @ 7:22 am
Hi!
I’m from Andhra Pradesh.
I know nutritional values of Ragulu(They are called in Telugu).
I tasted this in a Udipi Hotel with a friend.
From that day I’m trying to know the details of preparation.
Thanks a lot for the details of preparation.
Thanks,
–Srikanth
Comment by Srikanth — April 23, 2008 @ 11:55 pm
Taking raagi malt in the morning will increase the weight or wil reduce the weight..?? Plse do suggest me on this.
Comment by Raj — June 8, 2008 @ 11:05 pm
Hi Indira,
First of all..amazing blog.
I have never tried ragi malt but I will try this recipe. Infact I was looking for something like this because I am on totally dairy free diet for coming some months and looking for food alternatives.
Comment by Meghana — September 30, 2008 @ 2:06 pm
Hi Indira,
Thank you very much for this great recipe.
Me & my wife Vidy are based in Singapore.
We just found out that she’s is pregnant & I wanted her to obtain a good amount of calcium & iron from natural sources - essentially milk, jaggery & raagi flour that we’ve started mixing with wheat flour for chappati’s.
We found your recipe & tried a variant - I boiled milk, added ragi flour & jaggery to it, stirred for a few min’s & voila, the ragi porridge is ready - tastes really good - chewy & filling - the jaggery makes the ragi taste wonderful.
Thank you so much - this has turned out to be great & filling breakfast recipe for us.
Thanks,
Prakash.
Comment by Prakash — October 7, 2008 @ 12:15 am
thanks…my grand ma used to giv us…i love it…now i iwll make it for myself…..thanks..
Comment by harini — October 7, 2008 @ 11:12 am