Ragi idlis: The best way to add millets to your diet

Ragi, known by different names such as panjapullu, koovaraku, and muttari, is indeed a nutrient-rich food. A safe-to-eat millet for people of all ages, it is a rich source of iron and calcium. It also contains vitamin A, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin phosphorus, etc. Ragi is an ideal food for diabetic patients as well. Consuming food made of ragi instead of wheat also helps reduce body weight. While including finger millet in your diet is a healthy choice, how to add it can be a headache. One sure way is to make soft, fluffy idlis with them, as they are both tasty and healthy. Here's how to prepare ragi idlis.

Ingredients
1 cup ragi
½ cup urad dal
2 tablespoons rava (semolina)
Salt (as required)
1 teaspoon oil/ghee

Preparation
Take ragi and urad dal in a big vessel and rinse the grains and lentils
Soak them together for 4 to 5 hours
Drain the water, put the same into a mixer, and grind well
Add rava to the mix and grind again
Keep it covered overnight and let it ferment
Next morning, add salt into the batter and pour it into the idly vessel after greasing the moulds with some ghee or oil
Steam-cook it for some 25-30 minutes and take it off the stove
Open the lid after 15 minutes and enjoy the idlis hot with chutney or sambar