Ragi Flour: Finger Millet Flour for Roti, Porridge and More
Ragi flour is made from finger millet, also known as nachni.
Ragi flour is made from finger millet, also known as nachni. It is used in flatbreads, porridge, mudde and other preparations, and is a different ingredient from pearl millet flour or sorghum flour.
For a first bag, choose a dish developed for ragi rather than replacing the flour in an unrelated recipe. The grain has plenty of uses without auditioning for every job performed by wheat.
Two different kinds of ragi flatbread
Swasthi Shreekanth describes a plain ragi roti based on flour and hot water, and a masala rotti containing vegetables, herbs and seasonings. The shaping methods differ, so use the instructions for the version you intend to make.
A hot-water dough should first be mixed with a sturdy spoon. Knead only when the mixture has cooled enough to handle safely; “work while warm” is not an invitation to burn your hands.
Check whether a recipe includes wheat
Some ragi roti recipes add atta to make rolling easier. Others use ragi alone with a particular hot-water method. Both can be legitimate recipes, but they produce different doughs and have different ingredient requirements.
If you need a wheat-free preparation, inspect the whole ingredient list rather than relying on ragi in the title. Changing a blended recipe to all ragi also requires a compatible method.
Beyond flatbreads
Ragi is also used in cooked porridges and in dough-like mudde. These aim for different consistencies from a batter for dosa or a biscuit dough. Follow a recipe for the actual preparation instead of assuming that one flour-to-water ratio covers them all.
The existing finger millet guide introduces the grain. For cooking with the flour, the most useful starting choice is the dish and the texture you want at the end.