Ragi Ganji (Finger Millet Porridge)

Ragi (Finger millet) is a staple cereal, especially in rural parts of South India. It is a hardy crop and can be grown under low water conditions, and therefore has lower water footprint and environment-friendly. It is considered a wonder grain with many health benefits. 

A good friend and colleague of mine used to suffer from severe mouth ulcers in summer, which was relieved with Ragi Ganji; no wonder villagers in South India swear by this dish to cool the body, especially in hot summer. Can be eaten as a savoury or a sweet porridge. I eat it instead of curd rice at lunch time.

This dish has no added fat and hence suitable during dieting.

Let me know what you think of this recipe, share it with your weight-watching friends too!

Category: Rural South Indian dish

INGREDIENTS

  • Ragi flour : 2 tbsp for about 400 ml water

  • Milk : 1 cup (optional, adds to taste)

  • Curd or Buttermilk : as required

  • Jeera or Cardamom powder : pinch (optional) 

  • Salt or Sugar/jaggery : to taste

* measurements are not critical as the consistency can be adjusted with water/milk 

METHOD

  1. Boil ~ 300 mL water with milk in a thick-bottomed vessel or a non-stick pan.

  2. In another bowl take the remaining cold water and mix ragi flour, without any clumps. Add this slowly in to the boiling water/milk, stirring continuously with a wooden ladle. Leave it to boil well for 5-6 min min. Then turn off heat and let it cool. 

  3. If you like it sweet, add sugar/jaggery powder and cardamom and more milk.

  4. If you like it salty, add table salt and jeera powder (optional) and curd or butter milk

  5. This can be a breakfast food or can be a replacement for curd rice during meals. Also good during/after fasting.

PREPARATION TIME : 10-15 min 

VARIATIONS:

  1. The sweeter version can be made in to a wholesome dish by topping it with cut fruits like apple, banana, pomegranate, etc. While the salty ganji can be made interesting by adding finely diced palak or grated carrot during preparation. 

  2. This porridge can also be given to babies above 6 months age with slight modification. For easy digestion, ragi seeds are soaked, germinated, shade dried, roasted and then powdered.

INFORMATION

  • Vegan Friendly : Can be, if milk /curd is replaced with almond, coconut, soy milk.

  • Keto Friendly : NO

  • Gluten Free : YES

NUTRITIONAL VALUE:

  • Finger Millet is a starchy, gluten-free cereal rich in antioxidants, protein and calcium. It provides plenty of phosphorus and magnesium.

  • 100 g of ragi contains : Energy - 3.6 g/328 Cal, Protein - 7.3 g, Fat - 1.3 g, Carbohydrate - 72 g, Minerals: 2.7g, Calcium - 344 mg Fibre. It is also rich in iron and amino acids (Niacin and Thiamine)

Health Benefits:

Many authors report that Ragi has low GI and hence recommended for diabetics. It is also suitable for a gluten-free diet. 

It may lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels.

ORIGIN :

Ragi (Elusine coracana), family Poaceae is a domesticated cereal of African origin which spreads in prehistory to Asia. Some sources mention that Ragi is known to have originated in India and cultivated even before Aryans reached the sub-continent

Water footprint: (is litres of water needed to produce the food):

4478 L/Kg**

Ragi has a higher water footprint than wheat (1827 L/Kg) and Paddy (1673L/Kg). Yet, curiously, millet is known for its resistance to drought. Even though millet has a higher water footprint, the grain is hardier and its use of water is far more efficient and thus sustainable in arid lands than wheat. Plus, millet’s overall water footprint could be lowered by using farming techniques that use rainfall more efficiently.

TIPs : 

It is advisable to use wooden spatula/ladle for non-stick and aluminum/hindalium vessels. Metal ladles could create minute scratches exposing the plastic film in non-stick pans and leaching in aluminium vessels. It also avoids tinkering sound. 

DID YOU KNOW ?

Ragi is the richest source of Calcium among all cereals (including millets). It has ~344 mg/100 g dry wt. compared to 33 in rice, 30 in wheat, 36 in Quinoa and 42 in Pearl millet. 

**There are three types of water — blue, green and grey — that go into calculating a water footprint. Grown in arid regions like Africa and India, millet relies more on rainfall (“green” water), giving it a higher footprint than a irrigation (blue water) crop. While irrigation can improve water use efficiency and increase yields, it can be problematic when that water is not available in dry places.

Millets are hardy plants and can be grown with low or no chemical pesticides

Antinutrients in millet block the absorption of certain minerals, though this is unlikely to affect if we consume a balanced diet. Soaking and sprouting will reduce antinutrient levels.

Millet also has a long history of being fermented or distilled into alcohol. In Africa, malted millet is brewed into a beer known variously as kaffir beer or bantu beer. In Nepal and Tibet, Raksi is a traditional liquor distilled from millet.

REFERENCES:

https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007%2F978-1-4419-0465-2_2314

https://foodprint.org/real-food/millet/

https://waterfootprint.org/media/downloads/Report47-WaterFootprintCrops-Vol1.pdf