Ragi Dosa / Finger Millet Crepes

Ragi is called finger millet. They are small grains that are red in color and are highly nutritious and packed with protein. It is commonly used in porridge and also to make crepes or savory pancakes such as this one. Ragi has a pleasant aroma and is extremely palatable.

Ragi dosas can be prepared with minimal effort and time. They require no fermentation and are really tasty and healthy alternatives to regular rice and black gram dosas. They even store well, so they can be stored for a few hours and had as left-over lunches or dinners. 

My mom is a big fan of ragi. Growing up, I think I have had as much ragi as I have had rice, and that's saying something if you are a South-Indian! Every breakfast of mine had ragi in it, and I am grateful for ingesting something whose nutritional value I am only now appreciating.

Please refer to the Glossary if you'd like more information on the Indian ingredients listed here

Ingredients (makes 10 dosas):

1. 1/4 cup whole skinned urad dal / ulundu / whole skinned black gram
2. 1/2 cup ragi flour
3. 1 tablespoon rice flour
4. salt, as needed
5. a few spoons of sesame oil

  
Preparation:

1. Soak urad dal in water for 1 hour. Drain, and grind the dal into a fluffy and smooth batter by slowly adding just a little less than 1/2 cup of water. 
2. To the batter, add ragi flour, 1/2 cup water, some salt, and rice flour and whisk until smooth. The consistency of batter will be similar to rava dosa batter, but slightly thicker. 
3. When the batter is ready, do not rest it for more than 15 minutes. Heat a skillet (preferably cast iron). When hot, ladle some batter and pour it in the center of the skillet. Then, just like you would spread a dosa, gently spread the batter into a circle (starting from the center and moving outward). Since the batter is thinner than dosa batter, do not spread it thin. Just a gentle and quick spread would do. 
4. Spoon a little sesame oil around the edges and flip and cook on both sides until crisp on one side and soft on the other side. 

Serve with chutney, sambar, milagai podi, etc.  To add more flavor to the dosa, add some green chillies, ginger, and finely cut onions to the batter.

Variation:

A similar batter with ragi can be prepared to make idlis (recipe coming up soon)

Jowar flour / Sorghum flour / White Millet flour can also be substituted for ragi (a few sorghum recipes are also coming up!)