Finger Millet or Raagi as commonly known is regularly used in the South kitchens. It’s in fact the staple diet in many villages across South India! People down South draw their strength heavily through consumption of Raagi porridge (Kanji) or Raagi balls which is quite popular there.

Raagi is rich in calcium, rich source of fiber and helps lower cholesterol level, best food for weight control, diabetes and a cooling the body.

I cooked Raagi Methi Thepla (Chappati) today.  Healthy and Tasty.  Here’s the Recipe.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • Fresh Methi (Fenugreek) Leaves – One large size bunch. Take only the leaves and wash it properly under running water.  Keep it aside.
  • Raagi Flour (preferably use Organic) – 700 grams.
  • Whole Wheat Flour – 300 gms.
  • Ajwain seeds – 1 tbs.  Dry roast it on a Tawa or flat pan for 2 to 4 seconds only on slow or medium flame.  Allow it to cool.  Crush it mortar and pestle into fine powder.  Keep it aside.
  • Jeera seeds – 1 tbs.  Dry roast it on a Tawa or flat pan for 2 to 4 seconds only on slow or medium flame.  Allow it to cool.  Crush it mortar and pestle into fine powder.  Keep it aside.
  • Dry Fenugreek Leaves – 2 tbs. Dry roast it on a Tawa or flat pan for 2 to 4 seconds only on slow or medium flame.  Allow it to cool.  Crush it using your palm or finger into fine powder.  Keep it aside.
  • Green Chilli – One piece.  Finely chop it.
  • Onion – 2 medium sized.  Finely chop it.
  • Ginger paste – 1 tbs.
  • Garlic Paste – 1 tbs.  (or Ginger & Garlic paste mix – 2 tbs.)
  • Chat Masala powder – Half a tbs.
  • Coriander powder – 1 tbs.
  • Black Salt – Half a tbs.
  • Normal Salt – To Taste.
  • Garam Masala powder – Half a tbs.
  • Red Chilli powder – 1 tbs.
  • Tumeric (Haldi) powder – Half a tsp.
  • Ghee – 2 tbs.
  • Cooking Oil as required for roasting Thepla on Tawa.
  • Yoghurt – Half a cup.
  • Butter – cubes as required to be served along with the Thepla.
  • Water in a large bowl or utensil and lots of ice in it.
  • Yoghurt Based Dip : To prepare Yoghurt based Dip, take 250 gms of yoghurt and mix it well to remove any lumps.  Add half tsp of chat masala, half tsp of red chilli powder, salt to taste, half tsp of sugar and mix them well until sugar is dissolved in yoghurt.  Once done, serve it with just a little sprinkle of red chilli powder.  Keep it in the fridge and serve it chilled.

Method:

  • Take a large Kadai or deep Pan and add water (half of the kadai) to it.  Heat up the water properly.  
  • Keep the water in a large bowl or utensil and lots of ice in it, ready for use.
  • Add cleaned Methi leaves into the hot water.  Immerse them for only a minute or two.  
  • Immediately remove the Methi from hot water and immerse them in cold water with ice.  Leave it for atleast 5 minutes.  After 5 minutes, remove the Methi leaves from cold water and squeeze all the water out of Methi leaves.  Chop the Methi leaves into fine size and keep it aside.
  • The above hot water can be used again to kneadinng the dough.
  • Take a large mixing bowl or any utensil.  
  • Add to this large mixing bowl – Raagi flour, Whole Wheat flour, Ghee, chopped onoin, chopped green chilli, red chilli powder, dried fenugreek powder, salt to taste, black salt, garam masala, Tumeric (haldi) powder, ginger paste, garlic paste, crushed jeera powder, crused ajwain powder, chat masala, coriander powder, yoghurt, and chopped fresh Methi leaves.  Mix them well without any water.
  • Keep mixing the above ingredients wells without adding any water.  Keep it aside and a closed lid for 15 minutes.  Water from onion and yoghurt will be released.  Again after 15 minutes, mix them well using your palm and fingers.
  • Add warm water as required slowly, and keep kneading the dough.  Keep in mind that the dough should be hard, not soft.
  • Knead this dough to hard consistency and add 2 tbs of oil to it and knead it well againg for a minute or so.
  • Cover this dough and keep it in Freezer for 10 to 15 minutes.
  • Remove this dough from freezer after 10 to 15 minutes and make small balls of it.
  • Keep extra wheat flour in another bowl for rolling these balls into flat Theplas.
  • Keep cooking oil ready as required in a small bowl to fry/roast the Theplas on Tawa/Frying Pan.
  • Take a flat Tawa or frying pan and heat it up on medium flame.
  • Roll the Raagi Methi Thepla dough balls on Chakla (Rolling Board) using Belan (Pin) into a round shape.  Roll the dough ball into a thin thickness, should not be too thick.
  • Transfer this flat rolled Raagi Methi Thepla dough to the hot Tawa.  Cook / Roast the Thepla from both sides on medium flame.  Apply cooking oil on the surface of the Thepla on both sides while cooking it on Tawa.  Cook it from both the sides until deep golden brown.  Don’t allow it to burn.
  • Raagi Methi Thepla is ready.
  • Repeat the above four steps to cook remaining Raagi Methi Thepla dough balls.
  • To serve Raagi Methi Thepla, take a serving plate and place hot cooked and crisp Raagi Methi Thepla on it. Add a dollop of butter on the hot Thepla. Take some Yoghurt Dip prepared earlier along with the hot Thepla.  Allow the butter to melt.  Enjoy the Raagi Methi Thepla bite by dipping it in Yoghurt Dip.
  • Happy Eating.