Recipe: Ragi Rotti
Ragi Rotti is a delicious, easy to make, gluten free and vegan flatbread. While I love to have it with some pickle and plain yogurt, one can enjoy it some sambar, lentil curry or vegetable stew. Enjoy it hot for breakfast or as a part of your main meal. Makes an ideal lunchbox item as cold ragi rotti tastes equally good.
While I have added chopped onion and grated carrot, one can add any vegetable of their choice. Add grated bottle gourd, zucchini, spring onion,cabbage, radish, fresh fenugreek, etc. The options are endless. Just make sure you grate the vegetable or chop it finely.
MEMORIES – MEGA BLOGGING MARATHON#92
It was on September 18th 2018 that I posted the recipe of Ragi Rotti for the A-Z FLATBREADS AND MORE theme for the Mega Blogging Marathon Group. I had opted for Indian Flatbreads. I first came across this ragi rotti on a cookery show. Since then had wanted to try it out and got the opportunity for this wonderful theme. In total, for this theme I have 26 different flatbreads recipes from all over India.
This flatbread was easy for me to make as it uses the same technique of patting it as I do for methi na dhebra. So out came my famous ladies’ handkerchief. Read on to find out why. I will not go into the benefits of including ragi in your diet as I already mentioned that in my previous posts and you can easily find the info on the internet. However, its a gluten free flatbread.
SHARING RAGI ROTTI WITH SUNDAY FUNDAY GROUP
Sunday Funday is a group of like minded food bloggers who share a recipe every Sunday. Recipes can be breakfast, main meals, snacks, dessert ones according to the theme suggested by fellow members. This Sunday’s theme is Millet suggested by Renu who blogs at Cook With Renu.
I took this opportunity to redo my Ragi Rotti Recipe. Ever since I made it the first time, this finger millet flatbread has become a popular breakfast option for my family. I am so glad as it is an excellent way to enjoy the health benefits of finger millet or ragi and also because of the versatility of the recipe.
What Is Millet?
Millet, an ancient pseudo grain is the least popular of all the other ancient grains in spite of having so many nutritional benefits. Millet is not actually a grain but it is a grass seed. In ancient times millet was more widely used than rice in Asia and Africa. Slowly this ancient grain got replaced by other grains. Millet actually does not require that much water and can be grown in semi arid areas too. No wonder places like semi arid Rajasthan have bajra rotla as a part of their staple diet. With world weather changing, with more countries becoming warmer, many of them will have no choice but to go back to growing ancient grains like millet. Water scarcity will change our eating habits.
Millets like samo, thinai (foxtail millet), proso(chena, bariga,variga) and kodo millet can be cooked like rice. Its a good alternative to rice. They are also used to prepare idlis, dosa, uttapam and upma.
Millets like ragi(finger millet) are usually used as porridge or malt drink. But nowadays they are used to make cookies, flatbreads, idli, dosa, etc.
Millets like pearl millet are usually ground into flour and used to prepare flatbreads, parathas, etc.
Why you should include millet in your diet:
- Gluten free
- It is alkaline
- Digests easily
- Helps lower the effects of Diabetes 2
- Its rich in magnesium and potassium, both which help to keep your heart healthy
- Contains dietary fiber, therefore good for your digestive system
- Reduces bad cholesterol
- Prevents premature ageing. It has amino acids methionine and lysine both which help to build collagen
- Helps you to relax. It has the amino acid called tryptophan which is a natural relaxant
- A good source of calcium and Vitamin D, so good for strong bones.
- Prevents anaemia. Millet is a rich source of iron and Vitamin C.
Some Millet Recipes You May Find Interesting
Pearl Millet And Almond Cookies are perfect for teatime or as edible gift.
Check Out What Fellow Members Have Made With Millet
- Buttery Herb Millet by Food Lust People Love
- Puffed Millet Granola by A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Ragi Idli With Drumstick Sambar/Murungakkai Sambar by Sneha’s Recipes
- Ragi Rotti by Mayuri’s Jikoni
- Porso Millet Idli by Cook with Renu
A Bit About Ragi Rotti
- Ragi Rotti or Finger Millet Flatbread is a popular flatbread from the state of Karnataka, India. Usually served with sambar or vegetable stew as breakfast or along with some curries for lunch or dinner. To make the dough a bit pliable, it is important that you use hot water. Be careful when you mix the dough as the water is boiling hot. Use a wooden or steel spoon or a spatula.
- When it comes to adding vegetables and spices, feel free to substitute the carrot and onion. We’ve enjoyed ragi rotti with spinach and corn, bottle gourd and fenugreek, cabbage and spring onion, zucchini and coriander, to name a few.
- Sometimes I add some minced garlic. Often I add extra fresh ginger. It is difficult to get regular Indian green chillis in Magog, so I use jalapeno.
- I have tried patting the soft dough on foil and parchment paper. It is a bit difficult as the dough does not come off quickly. I prefer using wet cotton cloth. For this purpose, I keep a stock of the ladies’ handkerchiefs as they are a perfect size for my frying pan or griddle. If you’re an expert at patting the roti directly on the griddle, pan or tawa then by all means use that method.
- While roasting the rotti, feel free to make them in ghee. They do taste really good.
Ingredients Required For Ragi Rotti
- Ragi Flour – also known as finger millet and wimbi in Kiswahili. Ragi is flour is easily available in Indian Stores and online. In Kenya it is easily available in the supermarkets as Wimbi.
- Rice Flour – easily available in Indian Stores or online. When in Magog I prefer to order my Indian Groceries online from Singals. As the quantity required is quite small you can easily grind some rice in your spice blender.
- Water – to make the dough more pliable you need to use hot water. After mixing the dough the with hot water, (using a spoon or spatula), you need to allow the dough to rest for 10-15 minutes or till the dough is cool.
- Oil – use any oil of your choice. It helps to make the rotti softer. Also need oil or ghee for roasting the rotti.
- Onion – peeled and finely chopped. Use any – white, red or yellow.
- Carrot – peeled and grated. Can easily replace it with grated cabbage, zucchini, radish, potato, etc.
- Fresh Coriander or Fenugreek – whenever I don’t have fresh fenugreek, I replace it with fresh coriander or spinach.
- Green Chillis – as hubby and I don’t like chopped chillis in our food, I tend to make a paste. Use whatever you prefer, chopped or paste. Add according to your taste.
- Ginger – peeled and grated or minced.
- Curry Leaves – When in Kenya and India I use fresh curry leaves. Difficult to get that in Magog, so I tend to use dried curry leaves powder. If you have an Indian Store near you then it is easy to get fresh curry leaves. If you use fresh curry leaves, chop it up finely.
- Salt – add according to your taste.
- Cumin Seeds – jeera, jiru. Easily available in most supermarkets, Indian Stores or online.
- Coconut – use fresh coconut if possible. Can use frozen or desiccated too.
Watch How To Make Ragi Rotti |Finger Millet Flatbread
RAGI ROTTI
Ingredients
- 2 cup ragi flour finger millet
- ¼ cup rice flour
- 1½ cup hot water
- 2 tsp oil
- ½ cup onion finely chopped
- ½ cup carrot grated
- ¼ cup fresh fenugreek / coriander chopped
- 1 tsp green chilli paste
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- 2 tbsp coconut grated
- 6-8 curry leaves finely chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- extra oil for frying
Instructions
- Boil water in a pan. Add oil to it.
- Mix flours, salt, cumin seeds, grated coconut together.
- Add chopped onion, coriander, chilis, ginger and grated carrot. Mix well.
- Add the hot water and using a spoon or spatula, mix the flour.
- Cover and let it cool down a bit till you're able to touch it without getting burnt.
- Knead it into a soft dough, more softer than a normal roti dough.
- Heat a tawa or frying pan over medium heat.
- Wet the handkerchief with some water.
- Lay it out flat on a work board or top.
- Divide the dough into 10-12 equal parts.
- Take one part of the dough and roll it into a ball.
- Put it on the wet handkerchief.
- Pat it using your wet fingers into a circle of about 5-6 inches in diameter.
- Smear the tawa or frying pan with very little oil.
- Holding the handkerchief at the two upper corners, lift it and flip it over in the pan.
- Peel off the handkerchief.
- Let the roti cook for 2 minutes.
- Flip it over. Let it cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Smear little oil, about ½ tsp, flip it and cook till brownish red spots appear.
- Smear little oil on the upper side of the roti and flip it over.
- Cook till spots appear.
- Put the cooked rotti on a wire rack or serve immediately.
- Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Serve hot rotti with some chutney, pickle and yogurt. Or with some rasam, sambar and vegetable stew.
Notes
- You can use any clean cotton cloth instead of a handkerchief or use a piece of aluminum foil.
- Make sure the onion is finely chopped.
- Even when cold this flatbread tastes really good.
- Use vegetables of your choice like zucchini, bottle gourd, radish, cabbage, etc.
- Use fresh fenugreek, dill, spinach, spring onion etc.
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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
Check out what other Blogging Marathoners have made:
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