Ragi idli or nachni idli recipe – Soft, fluffy idlis made of ragi flour also known as red millet or finger millet flour. We consume ragi in various dishes like ladoo, porridge, dosa, payasam, halwa, upma, mudde etc. Ragi idli is not made often at home since we consume a lot of it in ladoos, dosas and porridge. This ragi idli recipe is from a friend of mine who makes very fluffy and soft ragi idli which I got to taste sometime ago.
I do not make ragi idli batter from scratch since we have different tastes and preferences at home. Some at home prefer the regular idli & don’t like to eat ragi idli. So I make the regular idli batter first and then add up ragi flour to a part of it. Since the steaming time is same for both, I steam plain idli and ragi idlis in the same pot at one time.
You can also make these with leftover or over fermented idli batter. These are best served hot for Breakfast or dinner with a Chutney.
More Ragi Recipes,
Ragi ladoo
Easy ragi dosa
Ragi malt
Eggless ragi biscuit
Easy ragi idli or Nachni idli recipe
Ragi idli recipe | How to make ragi idli recipe | Nachni idli recipe
Ingredients (1 cup = 240ml )
- 2 cups idli batter (fluffy batter)
- ½ cup ragi flour or nachni flour (can use lesser but not more)
- ¼ cup water + 2 tbsp warm (add 1 tbsp more if needed)
- Salt as needed
- ½ tsp oil for greasing
How to make the recipe
Preparation for rag idli
- Warm up ¼ cup water first. Add flour to a bowl and pour water as needed and mix well to make a thick paste.
- Next pour in the fermented idli batter and salt. Please use only well fermented batter. Give a gentle stir until just combined. The batter must be thick.
- Set this aside for 15 to 20 minutes for the flour to absorb water.
- Bring water to a boil for steaming in a idli steamer or cooker.
Making ragi idli
- Meanwhile grease the plates and pour the batter in the moulds.
- When the water begins to boil rapidly, open the lid and place the ragi idli stand in it.
- Cover and steam for exactly 10 mins. You may need to adjust the timing based on your pot.
- Switch off and allow to cool.
- Dip the edge of a spoon in water and remove the idlis using it.
- Serve ragi idli hot with sambar or chutney.
NUTRITION
Notes
Preparation to make ragi idli recipe
1. Add ragi flour to a bowl.
2. Pour warm water and mix.
3. Make sure there are no lumps.
4. Add idli batter.
5. Give a gentle stir. Do not over mix since the batter is already fermented & has air bubbles. Allow this to rest for 15 to 20 mins.
How to make ragi idli
6. Bring water to a boil in a idli steamer or cooker. Meanwhile grease and pour the batter to idli plates.
7. When the water begins to boil, then place the idli stand in the steamer. Cover and steam for 10 mins.
Allow them to cool down for 5 mins. Remove them with the help of a wet spoon.
These are best served hot with chutney.
Aswani nakkina says
I have made idli today and yesterday using your recipe,it came really well.Tomorrow i will be trying for ragi idli with left over idli batter.Thanks for all step by step procedure and precautions,it is very helpful for new generations who does not know cooking.
swasthi says
Welcome Aswani,
Glad your idlis turned out well. Thank you.
🙂
Jasmin says
The traditional podi iddli is yum thanks for sharing the recipient for podi which is slightly different from regular
shravani says
Hi Swasthi…for making ragi idli and dosa, instead of using powder can I directly soak ragi just like urad dal? Because I bought ragi seeds and as we stay in Canada (cool weather) not sure I can sprout them and make powder.
swasthi says
Hi Shravani
Sorry for the delay. I am on a vacation hence the late reply. Yes you can soak ragi along with urad dal or seperetaly as well. For half cup urad dal use half cup ragi and 1.5 cups rice or rava and 2 tbsps of poha. Make them the same way as we make the idli. You don’t need to sprout ragi. You can also blend ragi to a slightly coarse texture. Hope this helps. Do share the results after trying.
Amina says
Hi man I m amina and I m mother of two kids 3years and 1month.mam as I live in joint family I do a lot of work so I get tired because of which my daughter has to suffer as I get tired so I sleep and wake late amnd I m not able to make breakfast for my daughter .so plss mam tell me some healthy diet so that I can stay active and helthey I also do breastfeeding
swasthi says
Hi Amina
Take rest at regular intervals. Since you have just delivered You should be getting enough rest as well. After every 2 hours of work, just take a break and relax. Regarding food try these
Drink a cup of ragi porridge after you wake up everyday. Make sure it is warm, just add 1/2 tsp of dry ginger powder & ur baby will not catch cold.. This will keep your body warm. You can find the recipe of ragi porridge here.
Try to eat whole grains, nuts, gond, dried coconut, lot of fresh fruits and veggies
Just before you go to bed, have a cup of warm badam milk. You can also make little more milk in the night and refregerate. Just heat up and serve your daughter for breakfast along with poha. Soak poha in almond milk and give her. Badam milk must be consumed warm. Hope these help.