Ragi Adai

Eleusine coracana is an annual plant widely grown as a cereal in the arid areas of Africa and Asia. Earliest records of its cultivation in India show that it was cultivated in the Hallur region of Karnataka in the later Iron Age. It remains one of the main ingredients of the staple diet in Karnataka.

It is commonly known as finger millet,  African finger millet, red millet,caracan millet, koracan, and ragi. It is native to the Ethiopian Highlands. It is very adaptable to higher elevations and is grown in the Himalaya up to 2,300 metres in elevation.

Finger millet have been cultivated in India from as far back as 4000 years ago. Now the Indian states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Bihar and a few others produce ragi. Karnataka is the top producer of Ragi and has 58% share in India's export of this crop.

Finger millet is especially valuable as it contains the amino acid methionine, which is lacking in the diets of hundreds of millions of the poor who live on starchy staples such as cassava, plantain, polished rice, or maize meal. Finger millet can be ground and cooked into cakes, puddings or porridge. The grain is made into a fermented drink (or beer) in Nepal and in many parts of Africa. The straw from finger millet is used as animal fodder. It is also used for a flavored drink in festivals.

Now lets prepare an Adai with Ragi flour. Its a simple,easy and healthy breakfast.

                                     Ragi Adai recipe

Recipe Cuisine: Indian  |  Recipe Category: Breakfast/Dinner
Prep Time:20 mins    |  Cook time: 10 mins     |  Serves: 2

Ingredients

Ragi flour - 1 cup

Salt - as needed

Onion - 1 no

Tomato - 1 no

Green chilly - 1 no

Coriander leaves - few

Oil - 1tbsp
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Method:

• First chop the onions, tomatoes, chillies. Take flour in a cup and add salt and mix well.
  
• Now heat a non-stick pan and add little oil. Now saute the finely chopped onions, tomatoes and green chillies, coriander and add it to the flour.
  
• Add little water and form it into a smooth dough and set it aside for 5 mins. Then take a small portion out of it and pat it on a greased sheet using ur hands or a flat plate. Pat it equally into a round shape.It should not be very thin like paper but like chappati.
• 
• Now reheat the same pan with 1 tbsp oil and when its hot, transfer the adai to the pan. You can transfer it from the sheet directly into the pan or into ur hands. Take care while transferring coz there should not be any broken parts.
  
• Similarly, turn the adai to the other side when its cooked on 1 side slowly. Cook it with lid closed. Serve it hot !!!