Ragi or finger millet is an ancient crop of Indian kitchen. Containing a lot of calcium, iron, and fiber, it is a healthy substitute to rice and is particularly appropriate to the children and health-conscious families. The most appropriate way of consuming ragi in your daily regime is by coming up with soft and fluffy ragi idlis. The trick is to make an ideal ragi idli batter.
In this blog post, we will guide you through all there is to know, from creating a batter and preparing idlis step-by-step to making idlis perfect each time with pro tips.
Why Ragi Idli Batter Stands Out
As compared to the conventional rice idli batter, ragi idli batter is:
- Extremely nutritious: rich in calcium, iron, and protein, and have a high content of dietary fiber.
- Gluten-free & diabetic: friendly - crude Ragi has a low glycemic index, which makes it suitable for diabetic people.
- Light and easily digestible: this is ideal kid-friendly food, as well as something that the elderly and diet-conscious people can eat.
- Flavorful and earthy: Ragi has its own nutty taste, which goes extremely well with chutneys and sambars.
Ingredients for Ragi Idli Batter
In order to get soft and fluffy ragi idlis, you will need the following:
- 2 cups ragi flour (or whole ragi, in case you are going to grind it yourself)
- cup idli rice
- half a cup urad dal (split black gram)
- 1 tbsp pinch fenugreek seeds (methi)
- To taste, Salt
- As required, water
Lift lightly, floating in simmering water and add a pinch of salt (Optional: A few pieces of poha can be thrown into it to give it extra softness.)
Step-by-Step Guide to Making Ragi Idli Batter
Here is what you need to do to make your batter perfect:
Soak the grains
- Wash and soak idli rice and urad dal and fenugreek seeds each separately in 4 6 hours.
- Wash and soak the whole ragi, in case using this. In case of using ragi flour, keep it away.
Grind the dal
- Soak urad dal and grind to a smooth frothy paste with very little water. This is essential to fluffy idlies.
Grind the rice
- Soak the rice in water until it sprouts, beginning the process of grinding into a somewhat grainy paste
Combine with ragi
- Add ground rice batter to the batter to urad dal in a big bowl. Add ragi flour, or ragi rubbed to a powder, and sufficient water so as to make a thick yet pourable mixture.
Ferment overnight
- Cover and leave the batter to ferment in a very warm place (8 to 10 hrs.). The batter is supposed to increase and become fluffy.
Add salt & steam
- Once it is fermented, add salt. Pour batter in greased idli Moulds and Steam it on a low flame for 10-12 minutes.
Your nice fluffy ragi idlis are done!
Troubleshooting Common Issues
- it did not rise? – the urad dal was probably not grounded into as fine a fluff as it should have been, or the room was too cold. Add some baking soda to ironing.
- Idlis turn hard or flat? – Check fermentation. Also, adding a little poha during grinding can help.
- Too much sour batter? – Fermented for too long. Next time, reduce fermentation time.
Serving Suggestions and Accompaniments
Ragi idlis taste delicious with:
- Coconut chutney
- Tomato-onion chutney
- Vegetable sambar
- Peanut chutney
- Drizzle of ghee to children
For toddlers and babies, you can mash ragi idli with a little ghee or sambar to make it easy to eat.
Storage Tips for Ragi Idli Batter
- Refrigeration – Prepared batter that is going to sit in the fridge should be left stored in an airtight container.
- Freezing Useful information – You can freeze the batter in small portions (up to 2 weeks). Thaw prior to use
- Prevent excessive fermentation – Ideally products should be stored in the fridge as soon as they have finished fermenting this prevents souring, unless you want sour flavours.
Expert Tips for Fluffy Idlis Every Time
- Use of fresh urad dal will result in better fermentation.
- Grind urad dal separately at light and airy.
- You do not want to make your batter runny.A thick pourable consistency will do the trick.
- In cooler areas, ferment in an oven that has been turned off but the light left on.
- Add some poha, when grinding to get an additional softness.
Final Thoughts
You may think that making ragi idli batter at home is difficult but with the appropriate technique, you can get soft and fluffy idlis every time. They are not only delicious but also nutritious- thereby being the most appropriate in the diet of your family members.
When you are thinking of serving something healthy next time in the breakfast, simply serve idlis made of ragi and accompany it with a chutney or a sambar.
