EVENT: SHHH COOKING SECRETLY
THEME: MILLETS
RAGI AND OAT PANCAKES
A bit about the group:
Members of this group give their partners two secret ingredients according to the theme decided and prepare a dish. Once the dish is ready we add the photo only and other members try and guess the secret ingredients. Towards the end of the month the secret is revealed when we share the recipe link. This month’s theme MILLETS was suggested by Aruna. Check the delicious Ragi Peanut Ladoo she has made using finger millet.
My Partner
For this theme my partner is Swaty who blogs at Food Trails. Swaty gave me ragi and oats as my secret ingredients while I gave her jaggery and ghee as we both wanted to make something sweet. I initially wanted to make cookies but what are the chances that two partners think of the same dish? After a few days remembered that I wanted to also try out the Ragi and Oats Pancake recipe.
Using the ingredients I gave Swaty, she made some super delicious cookies using ragi (finger millet). Eggless Ragi Chocolate Cookies that she baked look superb. What a wonderful way to get kids to enjoy millet.
What are Millets?
Millets are cereals or grains and small seed grass belonging to the Poaceae family. Widely grown in African and Asian countries, millet is a drought resistant crop. Predominantly used as animal fodder in other countries, different types of millets are a part of the the diet in many African and Asian countries.
Types of Millets:
These grass family grains vary from each other in size, texture and colour. There are two main types:
- Unhusked or Naked Grains or Major Millets like Pearl Millet (bajra), Finger Millet (ragi, nachni) and Sorghum (Jowar). These seeds don’t have a hard indigestible husk, hull or covering.One can use them as they are.
- Husked Grains or Minor Millets like Proso Millet (Chena), Foxtail Millet (thinai), Little Millet (samai), Barnyard Millet (sanwa, samo) and Kodo Millet (Varagu). These grains have a hard covering called the husk or hull. Therefore, these grains need to be hulled and is usually appears like coarse or fine semolina or broken rice.
Unhusked millets are easier for the farmer to process while the husked ones require processing tools like roasters, grinders, ovens etc.
Why Include Millets in Your Diet?
Millets are high in many nutritional minerals and vitamins, digestible fibre and are gluten free.
- Including millets in your daily diet keeps you feeling full for a longer period than other carbohydrates do and yet it feels light on the stomach.
- Low glycemic index means that millets help to control blood sugar levels in the body.
- The magnesium in millets helps to reduce frequencies of migraines and helps to control asthma.
- Millets are rich potassium and therefore help to regulate blood pressure and helps with good circulation of the blood.
- Millets are a good source of protein especially for vegetarians.
- Millets have good digestible fibre which helps to keep the digestion system function well, prevents bloating, constipation and cramps.
- Millets contain antioxidants that help to flush out toxins from our bodies.
Some Of The Most Popular Millets:
- Pearl Millet (Bajra)
- Sorghum (Jowar)
- Finger Millet (ragi)
- Barnyard Millet, (samo, sama rice, sanwa, moriyo)
- Foxtail Millet (thinai)
- Little Millet, (samai, garjo, sava,samalu)
- Proso Millet, (chena)
- Kodo Millet (Varagu, Kodri)
- Another forgotten known millet that is making a comeback in Karnataka is Browntop Millet or Signal Grass (korale). Will have to check this millet out next time I visit Bangalore.
Some recipes ideas to include millet in your daily diet:
Most of the grains, can be cooked like rice, some take longer to cook than others. Millet flours can be used to make flatbreads, breads, cookies, snacks, etc.
As Breakfast or a Snack:
- Strawberry Finger Millet Smoothie
- Raab/Bajra Flour Porridge
- Bajra Idli
- Ragi Vermicelli Upma
- Ragi Sevai (homemade)
- Uji (Kenyan Millet Porridge)
- Instant Ragi Idlis by Swaty
Replace Normal Rice:
Side Dish:
As a snack:
Flatbreads:
- Savory Millet Pancakes
- Bajra Dhebra (Pearl Millet Flatbread)
- Onion and Carrot Ragi Bhakri
- Ragi Temae Tan
- Farali Uttapam
Dessert:
My Preparation: Ragi and Oat Pancakes
I’ve wanted to try out ragi pancakes ever since I saw them on Pinterest. However, most of them had wheat or plain flour combined with finger millet. I wanted to make a gluten free option. So decided to add oats flour. My first batch without eggs didn’t have the pancake texture and hubby thought I would have been better off making them into thin crepes or pudla. Second trial with egg and overripe banana added, the pancakes were soft and had the perfect pancake texture too. It is a wonderful way to enjoy two very nutritional ingredients all in one and enjoy the taste too at the same time. Did I mention they are sugar free as the banana adds the required sweetness. I served the pancakes with some chocolate sauce and honey.
Ingredients For Ragi and Oat Pancakes
- Finger Millet (nacho,ragi, wimbi) flour
- Oats flour
- Milk
- Plain yogurt
- Baking powder
- Egg
- Over ripe Banana
- Salt
- Butter or oil
- Serve it with:
- Chocolate sauce, or maple syrup or honey or any flavored nut butter
- Add some fresh fruits and nuts
Dietary Tip:
- Gluten Free
RAGI AND OAT PANCAKES
Ingredients
- ½ cup ragi (nachni, finger millet, wimbi) flour
- ½ cup oat flour
- 1 large overripe banana mashed
- ¾ cup milk
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ⅛ tsp salt
- ¼ cup plain yogurt
- ½ tsp cinnamon powder
Topping:
- 1 cup mixed fruit chopped
- honey, maple syrup or chocolate sauce
- ½ cup chopped nuts optional
- some butter or oil for cooking
Instructions
- Mix the oat and ragi flours together.
- Add baking powder, cinnamon and salt to the flour. Mix well.
- In another bowl whisk the egg lightly.
- Add mashed banana, yogurt and milk to the egg.
- Whisk well.
- Add the flour mixture and mix till the flour mixture is incorporated into the liquid.
- Don't over mix.
- Heat a skillet or frying pan over medium heat.
- Add a bit of butter or drizzle some oil in the pan or skillet.
- Add about ¼ cup of the batter, spread it little using a spoon into a round shape.Don't make it too thin.
- Drizzle oil or add a pat of butter around it.
- Lower the heat and let the pancake cook.
- As the top appears a little dry, flip it over.
- Add a little oil or butter and let the other side cook.
- Repeat with the remaining batter.
- Serve pancakes topped with chopped fruits and nuts of your choice. Drizzle chocolate sauce, honey or maple syrup over the pancakes.
TIPS:
- Don't let the batter rest for too long as the oat flour will soak up the liquid.Add more if required.
- Cover the pan with a lid so that the pancakes get cooked well without getting burnt.
Pin for Later:
A little request:
If you do try this recipe then please either
- add a comment below,
- send a picture to my email mayuri.ajay.patel62@gmail.com
- tag me as #mayuri_jikoni on Instagram
- or tag me on Twitter as #Mayuri1962