Ragi dosa (finger millet crepes)

Ragi (finger millet/nachani/kelvaragu/panjapullu), a nutritional treasure trove is a great source of the essential amino acid, methionine. Methionine is essential for vitality. Ragi, especially if sprouted, goes a long way in supplementing the nutritional deficiencies caused by a diet of highly refined cereals like white rice. My ragi dosa recipe owes its origin to my mom's aunt with whom I shared an apartment at Chennai, during my journalist days :-)


Ragi flour (you can buy it ready made, look for sprouted and ground varieties) - 2 cups (200 gms)
Black gram (urad dhal/uzhunnu) - 1/2 cup
Fenugreek seeds (methi/uluva/vendayam) - 5 gms
Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Soak the black gram for an hour and grind to a fluffy batter (as you would for idli/dosa). Mix in the ragi flour with sufficient water to make a thick batter. Ensure there are no lumps. Let ferment overnight. Next morning add the cumin seeds and salt to taste. Add a little more water if the batter is too thick. This should be thinner than the ordinary rice dosa batter.
Heat a dosa pan (flat girdle) and rub a little sesame oil on using a kitchen tissue or muslin cloth. Pour out a ladleful of batter and make a thin dosa. Simmer cook till the side is crispy, turn over and repeat other side. Use a little more sesame oil, if you like the taste.

PS: Serve hot. If you make the entire lot and let it cool, the dosa loses its magic. The picture shows ragi dosa served with spicy puthina (mint) chutney.

Ragi kool is off to the JFI - Ragi event on at Madhuram's Eggless cooking