Thursday, July 18, 2013

Ragi (Finger Millet) Cookies

These are both healthy and tasty cookies. Finger Millet has a very high calcium content. It is also high in iron and other nutrients. I first tasted this at the J.B. Bakery in R.T. Nagar, Bangalore. This is one of the best Iyengar bakeries that still exists in Bangalore. Their Ragi biscuits are to die for. I decided,  I had to try them as they are nutritious and turns out.. really simple as well.

In the following recipe, you can reduce the sugar if you prefer mild sweetness (I find 1/4 cup sufficient for me). You can also reduce the fat  - however this makes the biscuit a little hard. So, try and find your comfort level after first trying the recipe as is.


Ragi Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup or 100g ragi (finger millet) flour
1/2 cup or 40g unsalted butter
1/2 cup or 50g powdered sugar (demerara, brown or white)
3 tablespoons milk
1/2 heaped teaspoon baking powder


Cookie Dough
Ingredients

Method:

1) Roast the ragi flour over a low flame for about 2-3 minutes until a strong aroma emanates. Let this cool before proceeding.

2) Add the sugar and baking powder to the ragi flour and mix thoroughly. Now add the butter and milk and mix till you get a soft dough.

3) Preheat the oven to 150°C. Oil/butter the baking tray.

4) Shape the dough into small round and flat cookies and arrange on the baking tray. Leave some space between the cookies for expansion

5) Bake at 150°C for 18–20 minutes till the warm cookie smell pervades the room.

6) Remove from the oven and cool the cookies on a wire rack (for the carbon dioxide released during baking to completely escape)

7) Store in an airtight container and enjoy them over the next 2 weeks.


Cookies On Rack

Optional Additions:
Use a mix of ragi flour and wheat flour (half of each)

Instead of adding only sugar for the sweetness, add half the quantity of sugar and 2 tablespoons of honey. They flavour is different and refreshing.

Add nuts or chocolate chips when preparing the dough.

Nutrition:
High in Calcium and iron.

Dietary Considerations of the Basic Recipe:

Gluten Free
Nut Free

3 comments:

Prabha said...

Looks really yummy, and just like the ones you get at the bakery! I will definately try this one out and let you know the result!

I am really excited about your new blog! I'm sure many people will find your healthy, interesting and tasty recipes very useful!

Jayashree said...

Hi Shobha! Congratulations on your new blog! The recipes look very interesting, are innovative and the novel use of ingredients makes it 'zara hatke'!

Shobha said...

Thank you Jayashree! Working with different ingredients is interesting. You should try these Ragi Biscuits. They are really simple and tasty.