Finger Millet Laddoo | Ragi Chimli Recipe | Ragi Simili Urundai | Ragi Simli | Ragi Laddu

Our traditional recipes are always healthy. Healthy ingredients are picked to make a tasty blend. One such is this Ragi Simili. A natural calcium-supplement in shape of laddoos rather than capsules! Iron and other minerals are add-ons!!

This recipe was from my SIL‘s mom, Mrs.Shanthi Ramalingam. She is a great cook from Aarani.

Make this healthy laddoo for this Diwali. Happy, healthy and safe Diwali to all my readers 🙂

Lactating moms can have this as it boosts milk supply and maintains calcium level. Pregnant ladies can have this too. Do not afraid as it has sesame seeds. Experts advice that pregnant ladies can have sesame seeds in moderate quantity. As sesame generates more heat, people advice to avoid it. Moderate eating would cause no harm and I had ellu during my pregnancy.

Preparation

1.Add 1/2 cup water to 1 cup Ragi flour and knead to a non-sticky dough. Divide them into 4 equal balls.2.Grease banana leaf with ghee and press each ball with fingers to shape into thick circles. Carefully take from banana leaf and transfer to heated dosa tawa.3.You shall directly shape in dosa tawa too. Add a tsp of ghee in the corners and brush it throughout. In 2 mins, flip to the other side. Cook in medium flame. Brush more ghee in dry places.4.Flip both sides and make sure they are completely cooked. transfer the cooked rotis to tissue paper. Once it is cooled, tear them roughly and grind it in mixie in batches. Grind as smooth as possible. It will look like a coarse texture but soft when touched.5.Grind dry roasted peanuts to creamy or crunchy texture. I like coarse texture and so didn’t grind so smooth. Take a tbsp of cleaned black sesame seeds(Ellu).6.Dry roast ellu till it nicely pops up. Cool and grind ellu to coarse or smooth paste. I did it coarse.7.Add Ragi, peanuts and sesame to a bowl. Mix well with hands.8.Add 1/8 cup water to 1 cup jaggery. Add 1/4 tsp cardamom powder and boil well to let the jaggery dissolve fully.9.Filter the syrup and again boil in a clean vessel until nicely thickens to honey-like consistency. Beginners can pour it into a bowl of water and if the jaggery stands still in water without dissolving, then its the right consistency.10.Pour jaggery syrup into the mix. Mix well with a ladle. Then, shape them into laddoos in ghee-greased hand.     Healthy and tasty laddoos are ready !! Store them in air-tight container and enjoy for a week!

Tips/Tricks

• Few more drops of water might be required to make the dough, depending on the flour. When you take a pinch(a small ball) and press in your palm, the corners shouldn’t break. If it breaks, you need to add lil more water.
• When you directly shape in dosa tawa, the tawa should not be in heat. You can shape only when tawa is warm/cool.
• Do not worry if your rotti breaks while turning or cooking as anyways you are going to break after cooking 😉
• Grinding ragi rotti is much important. If it is coarse or hard to touch, your laddoos will be chewy or hard to eat. After grinding, it should be so soft like cooked puttu.
• For babies and kids, you shall grind peanuts and sesame seeds to smooth paste so that they can easily eat.
• Do not pour the whole jaggery syrup. Pour 3/4th and mix. Add more, if required.