Ragi Porridge or Finger-Millet Porridge

Ragi or Finger Millets:

The millets falls under the category of cereal crops or grains widely cultivated worldwide for food and dried hay. Finger Millet or Ragi do fall under the same category.

In India Finger Millets or Ragi are also called as ragi (in Kannada, Telugu and Hindi), Taidalu (in Telangana region), Mandia (Oriya), Kodra (Himachal Pradesh),  Ariyam(Tamil) and so on.

Finger-Millet or Ragi

Nutritional Values of Ragi / Finger Millets: 

Research on finger-millets or ragi have proven that they have excellent amounts of Iron, Calcium, complex protein,Vitamin B (B6), Phosphorus, Magnesium and Potassium.
These millets are considered to be a very good nutritious diet supplement for babies or infants from the age of 5+ months in the form of a porridge.
Pediatricians today are more towards recommending finger-millet or ragi based food for infants because of its high nutritional values, high in iron and calcium.

Ragi Porridge or Finger-Millet Porridge

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons of Sprouted Ragi Flour (Sprouted Finger-Millet Flour)
  
• 200 ml / 1 cup of water

Cooking Directions:

1. Boil 150ml (3/4 cup) of water
2. Mix 2 tea spoons of sprouted ragi powder in 50ml (1/4 cup) of cold water separately. This is done to avoid formation of lumps that develops if the powder is added directly to the boiling water.
3. Add the above prepared ragi solution to the boiling water and stir it simultaneously. (Make sure to keep the flame low through out)
4. Keep stirring the porridge slowly until it gets closer so as to match the porridge consistency.
5. Take the porridge into a baby bowl and feed the infant subsiding the heat.

Variations or Alterations:

If needed, we can add jaggery to the porridge as per taste. Never use sugar for Ragi Porridge, as it causes cold to the infants.
Butter or ghee can also be added as per taste, if needed.

NOTE: Never use Ragi flour or powder available in market for infants. Better prepare Ragi flour at home. It is a very simple process.