Ragi is a wonderful ingredient and a rich source of calcium, protein and iron.  Ragi is also called as nachni, finger millet or red millet and an extremely nutritious millet.  It resembles mustard seeds in appearance.  Nowadays, after realising the importance of ragi in our diet, people have started mixing ragi with other grains for preparing dishes like idli, dosas, upma etc. 

Ragi is called as finger millet in English, ragi in Kannada, nachini in Marathi and mandika in Hindi.  The consumption of ragi is believed to help women in osteoporosis.  It also helps in weight loss, reduces cholesterol, indigestion or constipation.  

Ragi (finger millet) ladoo is a very healthy sweet dish made from ragi flour, jaggery and nuts. They are good and nutritious for all, especially during winter time. Ragi ladoo is also nutritious since ragi is rich in iron, fibre, protein, calcium and different minerals and jaggery is rich in iron.  This ragi ladoo is a quick and easy ladoo recipe made with few ingredients and prepared in less than half an hour.

HOW TO MAKE OR PREPARE RAGI LADOO RECIPE

Heat 2 tablespoons of ghee in a  pan on medium flame.  Add 1 cup of ragi flour and roast them on a low to medium flame.  Keep stirring while roasting the flour to ensure even roasting.

Keep roasting the flour till you get a nice aroma.  After 6 to 7 minutes, the flour will slightly change its colour.  Now transfer the roasted ragi flour to a separate plate and allow it to cool down.

To the same pan, add almonds, peanuts, cashewnuts and sesame seeds and roast for 2-3 minutes on a low flame.

Once down, switch off the flame and allow the roasted mixed nuts to cool down completely.  Now grind the roasted nuts in a small mixer grinder to a fine powder.  Take care as to not to overrgrind the roasted nuts and it will release more oil and have a buttery texture.

Keep the ground powder aside.  Heat a pan again on low flame.  Add 100 gms of jaggery  and just little water to melt the jaggery.

Cook the jaggery on a low flame till you get a nice froth and jaggery is melted completely.  Then switch off the flame.  No need for a one string consistency.

Strain the jaggery liquid into a wide bowl with the help of a strainer, to remove the impurities if any.  Keep the strained  jaggery syrup aside.

Now take a separate vessel and add the roasted ragi flour and roasted mixed nuts.

Add 1 tablespoon of ghee and 1/4 tsp of cardamom powder.  Mix all the ingredients together.  Add the jaggery syrup little by little, enough to bind together and make a soft dough.

Bind the mixed ingredients to a make a soft dough.  Take a small portion of this dough and make ladoos.  Make the ladoos when the dough is still warm,

Healthy ragi ladoos are now ready to be served.  Store them in an airtight container and enjoy as and when required,

TIPS/NOTES

• You can try making this ladoo with sugar or cane sugar too instead of jaggery.
• Bind the ladoos when the mixture is slightly warm, else it becomes difficult to make the ladoos.
• You can store this ladoo for a week in an air tight container in the refrigerator.
• Ensure to roast the ragi flour well to remove the rawness.
• Always use fresh ragi flour for making ladoos for good taste as well as for long shelf life.
• Peanuts when added gives a nice flavour and taste to the ladoo and also helps to reduce the amout of ghee used in making the ladoos.  Peanuts when ground to a powder oozes out oil.