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Ragi ganji
Finger millet milk porridge
ರಾಗಿ ಗಂಜಿ: smooth finger-millet porridge simmered in milk and sweetened with jaggery, ready in 15 minutes
Across Karnataka and the Tamil country, a cup of warm ragi is often the very first grain a child tastes and the same drink a grandfather has before his morning walk. Finger millet (ragi) flour cooks into a silky, cocoa-brown porridge with an earthy, slightly malty taste that jaggery and a whisper of cardamom round off beautifully. Bengaluru mothers pour it into steel tumblers for school mornings; it is filling, naturally gluten-free and gentle on small tummies. Keep it pourable for drinking or cook it a minute longer for a spoonable bowl, and serve it warm with a ripe banana alongside. For children under one, most families leave out the jaggery and use water or the milk the baby already drinks. Chef's tip: always whisk the flour into cold water first; ragi flour dropped into hot liquid seizes into lumps that no amount of stirring will fix.
- Total time
- 13 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
- ¾ cup cold water
- 1 cup whole milk
- ⅞ oz jaggerygrated or powdered
- 1 pinch ground cardamom
To serve
- 1 tsp ghee (optional)
- 1 ripe banana (optional)sliced
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Put 1 oz finger millet (ragi) flour in a small saucepan and pour in ¾ cup cold water a little at a time, whisking, until you have a smooth, thin slurry with no dry specks.
2 minStep 2: Set the pan over a medium-low heat and stir constantly with a whisk or spoon. In 3–4 minutes the slurry thickens, turns glossy and darkens from grey-pink to a deep brown; that colour change means the raw taste has cooked out.
4 minStep 3: Pour in 1 cup whole milk, still stirring, and let it come to a gentle simmer. Cook for 3–4 minutes more until it coats the back of a spoon. Add a splash more milk or water if you want it thinner for drinking.
4 minStep 4: Take the pan off the heat and stir in ⅞ oz jaggery and 1 pinch ground cardamom until the jaggery melts. Common mistake: adding jaggery while the milk is still boiling can make it split; always add it off the heat.
Step 5: Pour into cups or bowls, let it cool to just warm for children, and finish with 1 tsp ghee and slices of 1 ripe banana if you like.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 190 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 30 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ragi ganji take?
- About 13 minutes in total: 3 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 2 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
- What can I use instead of jaggery?
- Dark brown or muscovado sugar, same amount.
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