Sadhguru's 7 ragi recipes that are a must try

In his blog post on the Isha Foundation website, Sadhguru has mentioned ragi, or finger millet, as one of the most nutritious and healthy cereals. Calling it a super cereal, he states that finger millet originated in Africa and has been cultivated for many thousands of years in Uganda and Ethiopia. In India, the crop was probably introduced 4000 years ago and has been found in archeological excavations in the Harappan Civilization. He further explains the benefits of adding ragi to a daily diet and states that ragi can be an especially good source of protein for vegetarians because of its methionine content that constitutes about 5% of the protein.He also states in the blog that ragi is a very rich source of minerals. It has been found to have between 5-30 times the calcium content found in other cereals. It is also rich in phosphorus, potassium and iron. Take a look at his 7 ragi recipes that one can try at home.

To make the flour, soak ragi grains for 12 hours. Germinate by tying them in a thin/muslin cloth for 2-3 days. Dry the germinated grains, remove the roots and dry roast them. Later, grind to a fine powder and sieve and use as desired.

Ingredients: 4 tp ragi malted flour, 1 cup water, salt to taste and 1 cup buttermilk
Method: Mix ragi malted flour with a little bit of water, enough to make a paste. Boil 1 cup of water, add salt and the ragi paste and cook for 2-3 minutes. After it cools down, add buttermilk/yogurt. Enjoy.

Ingredient: 4 tsp ragi malted flour, 1 cup water, 3 tsp jaggery, 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
Method: Mix 3-4 tsp of ragi malted flour with a little bit of water, enough to make a paste. Boil 1 cup of water, add 3-4 tsp of jaggery, 1/4 tsp of cardamom powder and the ragi paste and cook for 2-3 minutes. Can have it either hot or cold.

Ingredients: 1 cup ragi flour, 1/2 cup ghee, 1/2 cup palm sugar, 1/4 cup grated fresh coconut, 2 tbps black sesame, 2 tbsp groundnuts, 8-10 almonds, 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
Method: In a shallow pan and low heat, dry roast black sesame, groundnuts and grated fresh coconut separately. Keep them aside to cool. Remove the skin from the groundnuts. Add a tsp of ghee to the pan and toast the almonds for a minute or two and keep them aside. Add the Ragi flour to the pan along with 2-3 tbsp of ghee and roast for 15-20 minutes. Add more ghee if needed. Add the roasted almonds, groundnuts, coconut and black sesame. Keep stirring. Add the palm sugar and cardamom powder. Stir for another 2 minutes. Take off the heat and let it cool. Apply ghee on your palm; take 3-4 tbsp of the mixture and roll into a ladoo. Add more ghee if needed to make a firm, round ladoo.

Ingredients: 1.5 cups ragi flour, 1.5 cups jaggery, 1/2 cup coconut oil, 1/2 cup cashews, 2 cardamoms, 3 cups water, 1 tbsp coconut oil,
Method: Sauté the cashews in 1 tbsp. coconut oil or ghee. Keep aside. Mix ragi flour and water into a paste. Heat the mixture in a thick-bottomed vessel on medium heat, stirring constantly. After 3 minutes, mix in the powdered sugar and cardamom powder. Start adding the coconut oil (or ghee), 2 tablespoons at a time. Keep mixing until all the oil (or ghee) is used. Lower the heat and keep stirring for another 3–4 minutes. The mixture will start coming together – from a pasty consistency to a ball. Add the sautéed cashews. Cook for another 2–3 minutes, mixing constantly. As the mixture cooks, the oil will start to separate from the ragi ball. Drain the excess oil and transfer the halwa to a glass bowl. Serve warm.

Ingredients: 2 cup ragi flour, 1/2 cup gram flour, 2 cups cabbage, 1/2 cup bell pepper, 1 tbsp curry leaves, 1/4 cup coriander leaves, 1 inch ginger, 1/2 cup cashew pieces, 1 tbsp white sesame seeds, 1/2 tsp black pepper powder, 200 ml peanut oil, 1 tsp salt, anf 1/2 tsp chaat masala
Method: Peel and mince the ginger. Coarsely chop the coriander and curry leaves. Mix the veggies and herbs – cabbage, capsicum, ginger, coriander and curry leaves – in a bowl.
Mix the dry ingredients – ragi flour, besan, cashew pieces, sesame seeds, salt, and black pepper powder/chili powder – in a large mixing bowl. Heat the oil for frying. Add 2 tablespoons of this hot oil to the dry mix. Now add the vegetables to the dry ingredients and mix well. Add just enough water to form a dough. Make bite-sized ragi pakoda pieces and fry them in hot oil. Sprinkle with chaat masala before serving.

Ingredients: 2/3 cup ragi flour, 2/3 cup whole wheat flour, 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 tbsp curd, 1/4 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp cardamom, and 1 tsp vanilla extract.
Method: Mix the flours and spread them in a flat baking pan. Roast the flour in the pre-heated oven (180°C) , shaking the baking pan every few minutes, until toasted (6-7 minutes.) Meanwhile, beat the butter and sugar until soft and creamy. Dissolve the baking powder in the yogurt, then add the spices. Once the flour mixture is cooled, mix all the ingredients together to form a ball. Divide the ball into 4 equal pieces. From each piece form five balls. Place each one on a greased cookie sheet (baking pan) and use a fork to flatten each ball, making crossed lines on top. Bake for 12 minutes at 180°C. Let the cookies cool before removing. Keep in an airtight tin for one day to let the flavors develop.

Ingredients: 1 cup ragi flour, 1/2 cup rice flour, 1/4 cup sooji, 1/2 cup curd, 1 cup water, salt to taste and oil for cooking
Method: Mix all the ingredients, let it rest for 20 mins. Heat a tawa and add a ladleful of the dosa mix onto the tawa. Gradually spread the mix a thin circle by lifting and rotating the tawa. Grease with some oil on the edges and middle. Flip over to the other side after a few minutes. Transfer to a plate after a few minutes. Enjoy with coconut chutney.

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