Tuesday 23 September 2014

Ragi Hurittu

Ragi Hurittu

For centuries, the region of Karnataka has been the highest producer of Ragi(Finger millet). There are a couple of dozen dishes prepared out of Ragi in this region! Ragi is a very rich source of nutrition, especially calcium and iron. Its high dietary fibre content helps in slow digestion and hence is a suggested diet for diabetics. It is also used as a healthy substitute to milk-powder based food for infants of six months and above.

"Ragi Hurittu" is made from finger millet which is soaked and shadow dried, then roasted and ground. There are many ways to consume Ragi hurittu:

*Take 2 spoons of Ragi hurittu in a glass, add about 2 spoons of powdered jaggery, add water, stir well, and your healthy cool drink is ready to rejuvenate you!

*Take about a cup of Ragi hurittu, add about half a cup of freshly grated coconut, mix about 4 spoons of coarsely crushed jaggery, add tiny drops of milk or water and roll it into a ball. A healthy snack is ready to be packed.

*If you are the kind that do not like sweet dishes, then mix about 2 spoons of Ragi hurittu with a glass of buttermilk, add in a pinch of salt and gulp it away...

*Alternatively, mix about 2 spoons of Ragi hurittu in a cup full of water and stir well to make a solution. Heat a glass of water in a pan, add the solution of Ragi Hutittu slowly by constantly stirring the water. Add a pinch of salt, a pinch of coarsely powdered pepper and a pinch of coarsely powdered cumin to it and continue to cook on low flame. Bring it to a boil. Voila! a tasty and healthy "Ragi Malt / Ragi Ganji"(Porridge) is ready.