ರಾಗಿ ಮಣ್ಣಿ/Finger Millet Halwa

Ragi/Millet is most well known for its rich calcium content than any other cereals. In South India it is the most common food fed for growing children. This is even given as one of first cereals to babies for its rich nutrition filled with calcium and iron and protein content. Moreover it is easily digestible from young age to old age even suitable for diabetic patients due to its low sugar content. It is also considered as a poor man’s food too due to its low price compared with other grains available.

Though the nutritious content many of them do not love this as one of the common daily food due to the bland taste or due to not knowing how to make use of them in the right way. I have tried several ways to make use of this grains in our daily food but somehow it has still been a rarely used grain. Making kids love the food has taken the top priority and though there are several ways of cooking Ragi like Ragi Malt, Ragi Roti, Dose, Ragi Mudde, Ragi Kai Unde… Ragi Manni is one of the best ways that my kids love which forms a semi solid state and feel of taste is similar to jelly.

All you need

Ragi - 2 cups

Jaggery - 4 cups

coconut grated - 1 cup

cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp

salt if required

Method

• Soak Ragi for 3-4 hrs after washing cleanly
• Grind Ragi with adequate quantity of water
• Strain the liquid and grind the pulp again with 1 cup water
• Strain the liquid again, straining the milk from Ragi must be done 2-3 times until the milk goes very light. Discard the millet pulp
• Heat Jaggery with half cup water until dissolved and strain to remove any dirt
• Add the Jaggery solution to the milk extract from ground millet
• grind grated coconut to extract the milk about half cup
• Add the coconut milk to the Jaggery+ Ragi milk and keep on medium flame stirring now and then
• The Ragi will start to form slight lumps as you keep stirring the whole liquid will form as a smooth lumpy halwa consistency.
• Now add a tbsp of ghee and cardamom powder stir well
• Remove from fire and spread on a plate greased with ghee
• Let it cool or alternately you can refrigerate for half an hour
• Now the halwa would have set and ready to cut and serve.

note: This can also be made from Whole Wheat/ Raw Rice