Ragi Porridge / Ragi Kurukku / Finger Millet Porridge

Here I wish to introduce a food, which can be used by a human being from 6 months after birth till the old age….

Do you know, why am I telling this food item can be used by everyone? It’s just because of the nutritious value of the Ragi or finger millet (the main ingredient in this kurukku or porridge), used in this food item.  Ragi or finger millet is a whole grain and which is higher in protein and minerals. Ragi or finger millet is helpful to cool our body. A porridge or kurukku made out of ragi or finger millet is good for everyone and preparation of the same also is very easy and quick.

I wish to introduce this to everyone especially those who are having small kids in the age group from six months onwards. I am sure that, this easy and quick recipe of kurukku or porridge is helpful for all of you…

I wish to introduce a number of preparation methods, so that you can use according your taste and requirement:

Method 1:

This method is the basic recipe.  This can be used from the 6 months old till the old age people.

Ingredients:

1.     Ragi / finger millet ------------ ½ cup

2.     Milk ------------------------------- ½ to one cup (as per the required consistency)

3.     Water ---------------------------- as needed

4.     Sugar ----------------------------- as needed

Preparation:

1.     Wash the ragi well and soak it for 3 to 5 hours (or overnight)

2.     Grind the soaked ragi in a mixer grinder, with water to cover the ragi

3.     Separates the milk from the ragi by using a sieve

4.     In a pan, add milk, a little water, a little sugar and milk from the ragi and mix well and adjust the sugar according to the taste

5.     Heat the pan with the content in medium flame and stir well until it become the consistency of porridge or kurukku

6.     Ragi porridge or Ragi kurukku is ready to serve

Method 2:

This method is for small kids, to whom you didn’t introduce cow milk yet and want to start solids.

Ingredients:

1.  Ragi / finger millet ------------------------ ½ cup

2. Rock sugar / Kalkandam ---------------- as needed

3. Water ---------------------------------------- as needed

4.  Nan / lactogen --------------------------- 2 tablespoon

Preparation:

1.      Wash the ragi well and soak it for 3 to 5 hours (or overnight)

2.     Grind the soaked ragi in a mixer grinder, with water to cover the ragi

3.     Separates the milk from the ragi by using a sieve

4.     In a pan, add ½ cup water, the ragi milk, and the rock sugar or kalkandam (if you powder it and keep, that will be very easy to dissolve) and mix well

5.     Heat the pan with the content and stir well in medium flame, until it become consistency of porridge and adjust the sugar as per your baby’s taste J

6.     Then allow it to cool for 5 minutes and add nan / lactogen powder and mix well

7.     Allow the porridge or kurukku to cool down and serve the same in a sterilized bowl

More recipes with Ragi / Finger millet / Panjapullu :- * Ragi milkshake * Ragi pakoda * Ragi puttu / Ragi steamed cake * Ragi ada

SWEET STUFFED POORI

In this recipe, I wish to introduce a new and easy recipe to you… Sweet stuffed poori, can be used either as breakfast or as evening snack…. In my childhood, my mother prepared sweet poori as evening snack… When we had reached home after school hours in the evening, my mother served hot sweet poori with lots of love in many days… I am sure this recipe will be helpful for those mothers’, who is having confusion of what to prepare for their children, in the evening after their school hours… This recipe is very easy and simple to prepare and tasty too… I love to eat this poori now also J… My husband likes to eat sweet recipes in the morning, so mostly I prepare the same as breakfast J.. As this is prepared with wheat powder, it’s healthy too…

Ingredients for poori dough:

Wheat powder ---------------------------- 1 cup

Salt ------------------------------------------- to taste

Water--------------------------------------- as needed

Oil -------------------------------------------- for frying

Ingredients for filling:

Grated coconut -------------------------------- ¾ to 1 cup

Sugar ---------------------------------------------- 3-6 teaspoon (as per the sweet requirement)

Preparation:

1.     Mix grated coconut and sugar well and keep it aside

2.     Make a dough with wheat powder, salt and water, in the same consistency of chappathi or poori dough

3.     Make small lemon sized balls out of it

4.     Roll or press each balls, just like poori balls (or if you have poori presser, use that and press)

5.     Then place 2-3 teaspoon of coconut and sugar mix into the one side of the rolled poori (as shown in the photo)

6.     Fold the poori and press the sides very tightly, so that avoid open it when fry in the oil (as shown in the photo)

7.     Make each balls into this form

8.     Heat the oil and put each poori into the hot oil and fry in medium flame like normal poori

9.     Now sweet stuffed poori is ready to serve

Notes:

Ø Make sure that the sides of the poori, after placing coconut and sugar mix, are pressed very well.  Otherwise, when you put the same for frying, the sides will open and oil enter into the filling, and taste will vary.

Ø Make sure that the poori is frying in medium heat.  Otherwise, the chances of burn the poori without cooking well are high

Ø If you like the taste of cardamom, add ½ to 1 teaspoon of cardamom powder into the filling and put, it will also be very tasty…. But in my home, everyone like the normal filling, so I prepared this without cardamom…J

I am sure that you and your children will definitely like this dish very well….. This is very simple and easy to prepare item in your kitchen…. Add this recipe to your daily cooking… If you have any question, feel free to ask…

I need your valuable suggestions, comments and criticisms…. Your words are my inspiration…. So before you go to the next page, leave your feedback

KOZHUKATTAI

Kozhukattai is a traditional evening snack or breakfast in almost all the houses in Kerala… Now-a-days, I am sure that ‘kozhukattai’ is a sweet snack all over the world…. We can prepare kozhukatti with rice flour, grated coconut and jaggery (sarkkara in malayalam) or even with sugar… Today I wish to introduce the easiest recipe of kozhukatti with sugar, instead of jiggery (vellam in tamil)….. When I was in school, my mother prepared kozhukattai as evening snack…. I am sure all the children loves to eat kozhukattai as evening snack…. Mostly this snack prepare in round or oval shape… We can prepare the same in any shape as per our taste…. J

The rice flour should be very fine powder, as we use for idiyappam.

Ingredients:

1.     Rice flour ------------------------------------- 1 cup

2.     Grated coconut ---------------------------- 1 – 1 ½ cup

3.     Sugar ------------------------------------------ 2-3 tablespoon (as per your taste)

4.     Salt -------------------------------------------- one pinch

5.     Cardamom (optional)-------------------- 1-2 (crushed)

6.     Water ---------------------------------------- 1 – 1 ½ cup (or as needed)

7.     Ghee / Oil ----------------------------------- to spread on palm while making balls

Preparation:

1.     In a pan, take the water and add salt to it and allow it to boil

2.     For filling, mix the grated coconut, sugar and crushed cardamom (optional) and keep it aside

3.     Take the flour in a vessel, and add the boiled water little by little to the flour and mix with a spoon (as its boiled water, don’t put your fingers inside), until the sufficient water added to become a soft dough and keep it aside for 5 minutes or until we can put our fingers and make the dough for kozhukattai (same consistency used for idiyappam dough)

4.     After it become soft dough, prepare medium sized balls out of the dough.

5.     Spread a little oil or ghee on your palm, then take each balls in your palm and flatten it with your fingers

6.     Put 1 – 2 teaspoon of filling and prepare shapes according to your requirement (ball, oval etc.,)

7.     Place the kozhukattai, in a steamer (appachembu or idli cooker) for 10-15 minutes in medium flame and allow it to cook well

8.     Kozhukattai is ready to serve

Notes:

Ø The water requirement for making dough, may vary according to the rice flour used for preparation

Ø You can add or deduct sugar as per sweetness required

Ø You can use either cardamom powder or crushed cardamom, mostly I won’t use cardamom at all

Ø Along with cardamom powder, you can add cumin seeds too, if you love the taste

Ø Make sure that don’t pour too much of boiled water first, adjust accordingly when you make soft dough

Ø Either you can use boiled water or hot water as per the rice flour used for preparation

Ø Mostly for the preparation of kozhukattai, jaggery or vellam or sarkkara is used

I will post the recipe for the preparation of kozhukattai with jaggery shortly…

I am sure that you will love the kozhukattai …. If you have any question, ask me…. I need your valuable comments, suggestions and criticisms…. Write your feedback after you prepare kozhukattai in your kitchen ……J