Ragi Dosas

 Ragi-Finger Millet is presumably one of the healthiest cereals-this echoed in my ears since the delivery of my older one...once he was old enough to take in semi-solid food...the horrible word Ragi was drilled into my ears..."you must give him Ragi to keep him healthy and away from infections"...so the elders would say, but not once did I give him. I was not defying the elders, it's just that I felt he got so much from the natural milk and wanted to gradually take him to the stage where he started the semi-solids along with mother's milk.

Call me stubborn but I just couldn't stand the sight or texture of this Ragi(almost sounded like Rogue to me) being mixed with milk/ghee...I don't know what was being mixed along with it, but I would choke watching it being mixed and fed to another baby in the family at that time...and piercing glares would be given to me because I refused to wean my son of breast milk and start him on this.I did start him on other stuff which I found prettier/healthier to look at.

Touch wood, we sailed through, broke a few elders' hearts along the way...and stuck to what I felt a baby should be eating by then. I really pitied that other baby-seen it bring out all that was being stuffed into its mouth :) Anyway, both kids have grown well and are healthy, college goers now irrespective of what they ate or were fed!

So, I was reminded of those days and am truly proud to say that I nursed my son for more than two and a half yrs and he has grown out to be a healthy,intelligent, young man!
So this is a toast to all the babies who are fed this healthy cereal and have benefited from it!

The Ragi Powder was mixed with adequate salt, water, finely chopped onions, finely chopped green chillies and cilantro and made to a batter of pouring consistency. Kept aside for half an hour and then on a hot griddle, a ladle of the batter was taken and neat dosas were made, occasionally dab the edges with a bit f oil(gingelly oil), flip it until both sides were brown,slightly crisp and done. Serve it with hot and spicy chutney/sambhar.

It is an acquired taste but indeed filling and worth trying once a month!