Ragi dosa is a healthy breakfast from South Indian cuisine made with finger millet. Nachni, Ragulu, kezhvaragu, marwa are the other reginal names to finger millet or red millet. This whole grain is a staple in many parts of Karnataka and Andhra pradesh. I make ragi dosa often at home for breakfast, brunch or even for dinner. In this post I am sharing 3 different ways of making them.
3 ways to make Ragi dosa
1. First one is the Instant ragi dosa that can be made in minutes just by mixing up ragi flour with curd and water or buttermilk. This method is good if you are a small family of 2 to 3. It is similar to the Oats dosa.
2. Second one is to soak the whole grain ragi, blend it and then ferment it. This method has several health benefits as the ragi is soaked, ground and fermented. It is good if you are focusing into healthy whole grain diet or have elderly folks at home who are diabetic.
3. The third method is to just mix some ragi flour to the dosa batter. This one is good to make when you have people with different choices at home. Plain dosa VS Ragi dosas.
Whichever method you make the dosas will taste good if you like the earthy flavor of this grain. Serve ragi dosa with any chutney or sambar.
More Ragi Recipes,
Ragi ladoo
Easy ragi rotti
Ragi idli
Chocolate ragi cake
Ragi dosa recipe
Ragi dosa
Ingredients (1 cup = 240ml )
Ingredients for Instant ragi dosa – Method 1
- 1 cup ragi flour (fine ground)
- ½ cup rice flour or wheat flour (¼ cup works if using fresh rice flour)
- ½ cup rava or semolina (optional)
- ¼ to ½ cup curd
- 1¼ to 1½ cup water (use as needed)
- ¼ teaspoon salt (or as needed)
- 1 green chili (finely chopped)
optional tempering
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 1 pinch mustard
- ½ teaspoon jeera
- ½ teaspoon ginger (grated or chopped)
- 1 tablespoon curry leaves (fine chopped or coriander leaves)
Method 2 – Ragi dosa
- ½ cup rice (any rice)
- ½ cup ragi (whole grain or ragi flour)
- ½ cup urad dal (or skinned black gram)
- ¼ teaspoon methi seeds (or fenugreek seeds or 2 tbsp poha)
- salt as needed
- 2 tablespoon oil (for drizzling)
How to make the recipe
How to make Instant ragi dosa (method 1)
- Add ragi flour, rice flour, rava (optional) salt and curd to a bowl.
- Pour water as needed and make a thin batter of pouring consistency. Rest this aside for about 15 mins.
- Chop coriander leaves, chilies & ginger very finely. Next add them along with coriander leaves to the batter.
- Tempering – optional – Heat a small pan with oil. Pop mustard and cumin. Then add curry leaves and ginger. saute for 30 seconds. Pour this to the batter and stir.
- Check the salt and water. Add more salt if needed. The batter must be runny and of pouring consistency. If needed add more water to bring it to consistency.
- Grease a nonstick pan well. Wipe off the excess oil with a tissue. Mix the batter well before making each dosa.
- When the tawa is hot enough then Pour the batter across the pan. Fill up the gaps if any. Do not spread the batter like normal dosa, the batter should be just poured.
- Pour a tsp of oil. Allow to cook on a medium heat until the sides begin to get separated from the pan. Flip and cook on the other side as well. Trying to flip an undercooked dosa will break it.
- Remove to a plate, grease well and repeat making the ragi dosa. Mix the batter once more before pouring.
Method 2 – Making fermented ragi dosa
- Rinse ragi and rice together and soak them for 8 hours. Later wash urad dal & methi seeds thoroughly and soak for at least 4 to 5 hours.
- Drain them and rinse well. Blend the urad dal with water as needed until frothy and thick. Transfer this to a bowl.
- To the same jar, add ragi and rice and blend well. Mix this well with little salt. You can avoid salt now and add after fermenting.
- Ferment this batter for 6 to 8 hours depending on the climate. The batter must rise at least slightly.
- Pour water and bring to a desired consistency. To make crisp dosas keep the batter slightly thick. For thin dosas make the batter slightly thin.
- Grease the pan and heat up. The pan must turn hot enough.
- Pour 1 ladle of ragi dosa batter and spread it as you like thick or thin. Drizzle some oil or ghee. When the sides leave the pan, flip it and cook on the other side.
NUTRITION (estimation only)
Notes
Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.
If you are new to cooking, follow my detailed step by step photo instructions for best results.
I have shared the first 2 methods in the recipe card.
Method 3 – Preparation
1. We will need fermented dosa batter. I used 1 cup batter. My dosa batter was made in the ratio of 1:3 (dal:rice). For more details you can check this post on Dosa batter.
2. Add 4 tbsp of ragi flour and little salt. You can also mix ragi flour and salt together with some water and then stir in with the dosa batter. My dosa batter was already runny so I added directly to the batter.
3. Mix them up together.
4. Pour water to bring to the consistency.
5. The batter must be of pouring consistency. To make crisp dosas make the batter slightly thick. For soft dosas make the batter slightly runny like mine. We feel the soft dosas taste better than the crisp ones.
How to make ragi dosa
6. Grease and heat a pan well as you do for normal dosa. Pour the batter.
7. Spread batter to a thin ragi dosa.
8. Drizzle some oil.
9. The edges of the ragi dosa will begin to leave the pan.
10. Flip it and cook.
Serve ragi dosa with chutney.
This is the picture of the instant ragi dosa.
Abinaya Narasimhan says
I tried the instant version with rava and curd. Turned out pretty good and we all liked it. Thanks for the instant recipe 🙂
But am afraid whether the calorie info u mentioned (436KJ) is for a single dosa?
swasthi says
Hi Abinaya
It is for 1 serving. The nutrition info is for the number of dosas you made divided by 2. I will look into it again
Abinaya Narasimhan says
Abinaya
Aparna Aggarwal says
Hi
I tried the second method of making ragi dosa with whole ragi.The ragi was not soft after soaking for 4..5 hours.So it didn’t blend in mixer and also it had a chewy texture while eating.Should I soak it for more time ?
Please help !
swasthi says
Hi Aparna,
Yes try soaking for longer next time, may be 8 hours or so. I use a high speed blender, mine gets done to very fine & smooth texture with 4 hours of soaking. Chewy texture – is it because the batter was coarse? I guess so. Soaking longer should help.
Pradeep Naik says
I made instant one with curd. Really tasty and simple to make. Thank you for the wonderful recipe.
swasthi says
You are welcome! Glad to know!
Subha says
I tried first method sis…its really awesome…😋thank for your recipes…
swasthi says
Hello Subha
You are welcome! Glad to know. Thank you!
Rukma says
Hi Swasthi!
I was looking for an instant ragi dosa recipe and your Method 1 worked out well. I didn’t use rawa since it was optional.
I wasn’t able to spread the batter like we normally do for a dosa, so they didn’t turn out very thin, but were not thick either. When I tried spreading it, it was getting stuck to the ladle and breaking off.
In your initial note, at point no. 7 you’ve suggested not to spread the batter, but later in the photographs section you’ve said the batter should be spread like we do for a dosa. Can you please clarify.
Thanks for providing easy and healthy recipes!
Rukma
swasthi says
Hi Rukma,
You are welcome. In this post I have shared 3 recipes to make ragi dosa. For the instant version you just have to pour the batter and not spread it. Please check the video in this neer dosa post to understand how to pour the batter. What I have shown in the photos is the 3rd recipe using left over dosa batter. So the method of making dosas is completely different. If you still have the batter please make them following that way. Hope this helps.
Annie says
I am living in Muscat. I don’t get ragi flour. But I get puttu flour of ragi. Can I use that instead
swasthi says
Hi Annie,
I don’t think puttu flour will work. I haven’t tried it any time.
Neethu Peter says
Tried instant dosa couple of times now. Came out so well every time. We tried making little extra for breakfast and have the same thing as snacks in the evening. It’s so tasty even then. Thank you so much Swasthi 🙂
swasthi says
Welcome Neethu,
So glad you liked them. Thanks much for the comment.
🙂
Elizabeth Chiramel says
Very useful tips , written with great care n thought, thank you so much God Bless. Elizabeth
swasthi says
You are welcome Elizabeth Chiramel
Thank you so much for the wishes.
🙂
Sai says
Excellent! Thank you
swasthi says
Welcome!
Mrs. Dinesh says
Tried the instant version. Was awesome. Had not expected my kids would love it, specially my infant!!
Thanks a ton.
swasthi says
Hi Mrs.Dinesh,
You are welcome. Happy your kids loved it. Thanks for rating the recipe.
🙂
Saranya says
The dosa was awesome! And very easy to prepare. Thank you for the recipe 😊
swasthi says
Welcome Saranya
Laavanya Rachakonda says
I tried making today. They were perfect! Thanks so much for the recipe.
swasthi says
Hi Laavanya
You are welcome. Glad your ragi dosa came out good. Thank you!
Pooja narayanan says
Hi Swasthi,
I make your instant ragi dosa often for dinner. This time I made with ragi flour and dosa batter. The outcome is so good that we started to eat 3 to 4 days in a week for dinner. Thank you so much for the healthy recipes.
swasthi says
Hi pooja
You are welcome. Thanks for the comment. Happy to know the recipe is useful.
🙂
Mariappan.A says
Hai I am Mariappan from tutucorin-628801.I made ragi does batter by method2. But in there the batter was fermented so quick which there 2or3 hours took for fermented. So how can I solve this problem?. Please suggest to me.
swasthi says
Hi,
I understand that the batter turned sour due to over fermentation. You can mix 1/2 to 3/4 cup rice flour with 1/2 to 3/4 cup water. Then mix with the ragi dosa batter.
Gau says
Ragi dosa did not cook evenly due to vegetables in batter. Next time will try adding vegetables on top rather than inside batter. Some pieces were overcooked, while others were undercooked and tasted like dough.
swasthi says
Hi Gautham
I think the onions were not fine chopped. You have to chop them very finely as mentioned in the recipe otherwise they will not cook. Thanks for the mention I will update it clearly.
Shimona Fernandes says
Love this instant ragi dosa recipe. My toddler loves it too. Such a yumny way to eat ragi. Thank you!
swasthi says
Welcome Shimona,
Glad your toddler too loved it.
🙂
Teena says
Hey swasthi
Lovely recipe!! I made the instant ragi dosa. My in laws were surprised 😮 at the instant dinner I made for them that too so healthy and delicious. I added 1 tbsp of semolina for one batch and it turned out good as well. I will be trying more healthy recipes for them from here. Thank you 🙏 for inspiring me.
swasthi says
Welcome Teena
Very happy to know you could make good dinner for them. Thanks for the comment.
🙂
Hema says
Thank you. This really helped me to try ragi dosa with dosa batter. Came out awesome!
swasthi says
Welcome Hema
Thanks for trying. Glad to know they came out good.