You can make this Millet Pongal with any type of Millets(Siru Dhaniyam) like Kodo Millet(Varagu Arisi), Samai (Little MIllet), Barnyard Millet(Kuthiraivali), Thinai (Foxtail Millet). I have cooked this Millet Pongal in a Pressure Cooker. Samai Water Ratio is 1:3 for this Millet Pongal, and the ratio remains the same for Moong Dhal. And I substitute 1/2 Cup of Water with Milk which yields you with a softer Pongal and yah, don't forget to add an extra bit of Ghee. Can follow the same ratio for Kodo Millet(Varagu Arisi), Thinai (Foxtail Millet) & Barnyard Millet(Kuthiraivali) too. These Millets are nutritious & it is truly a comfort dish that is so easy to make.

HOW TO COOK MILLET SWEET PONGAL/SARKKARAI PONGAL

MILLET SWEET PONGAL/SARKKARAI PONGAL

INGREDIENTS:

For Samai (Little Millet) Pongal:

For Millets Sarkkarai Pongal:

For Garnishing :

METHOD:

• Melt Jaggery with 1 Cup of Water and 1/2 Teaspoon of Ghee until the jaggery pieces dissolve completely and start to boil.
• Switch off the flame, filter the melted Jaggery to remove any impurities and keep it aside.
• Grind Cardamom Pods & Dry Ginger (if using) with a Mortar and Pestle into a fine Powder and keep it aside.
• Dry Roast Moong Dhal on a low flame for about 5 minutes until the colour changes slightly, and it turns fragrant. (Do not over roast the Dhal).
• Wash Moong dhal & Samai (Little Millet) for at least 3–4 times or until water runs clear.
  Drain any excess water from it.
• Pour in 31/4 Cups of Water & 1/2 a Cup of Milk to Samai (Little Millet) and Moong Dhal.
  Pressure Cook on a high flame for a whistle.
• Lower the flame and cook for another 2 whistles and switch off the flame.
• Once the pressure is released, open the lid. 
• Then slightly mash the cooked Samai (Little Millet) and Moong Dhal.
• Pour the melted Jaggery to the above along with powdered Cardamom and Dry Ginger Powder and mix well.
• Leave this on a very low flame until Jaggery is well absorbed into the millet and dhal mix.
• Meanwhile, heat Ghee in a pan and roast Cashew nuts until golden brown colour and Raisins fluff-up.
• Pour this onto the Millet Sarkkarai Pongal Mixture and mix well.
• Cook this on a low flame for a few more minutes until you get the desired consistency.
• Serve Millet Sarkkarai Pongal hot with a drizzle of ghee over it.

MILLET SWEET PONGAL/SARKKARAI PONGAL

NOTES:

• But dry roasting the dhal enhances the aroma and gives an even texture while cooking.
• Dry Roast the dhal on a medium flame until they are just hot to touch. (over roasting can alter the flavour of the dish)
• Adjust the amount of water as for the millet variety.
• Can substitute one cup of Water with Milk for a rich Sarkkarai Pongal
• We need the millet and dhal to be well cooked, so a bit of extra water would be needed (more than what we use normally for cooking millets). 
• Do not over boil the Jaggery mix.  We don't need to boil it into string consistency for Sarkarrai Pongal
• Adjust the sweetness to suit your taste preference.
• Adding extra ghee is strictly optional, but gives a wonderful flavour to Millet Sarkkarai Pongal/Sweet Pongal.
• Adding Dry Ginger powder is optional.
• Can also add edible camphor and cloves to Millet Sarkkarai Pongal if preferred.

   I have grown up eating Idli & Dosa more than Puttu & Appam. Maybe a fringe benefit being a Malayali & living in Tamilnadu for nearly half a decade has made our parents cook more or less in a Tamil style. When it comes to Idli & Dosa, it is the simple straightforward ones made with Rice & Urad Dhal. My Mom ventured into making Adai Dosai, which she had learnt from our neighbours, & it was a new recipe at home then. I slightly pondered out & tried Rava Idli, Rava Dosa & gradually tried hands with new Dosa varieties like Kal Dosai, Tomato Dosai, Ilaneer Dosai etc. But all these years it has never occurred that we could make Idli & Dosa with Millets.

   Trying my hands with these Millets and converting it into Idli & Dosa has become a new craze. So, when I tried Ragi Dosa with whole Ragi/Finger Millets and got it as perfect as we prefer - crispy & thin Ragi Dosas, my next trial went out with Ragi Idli. To my awe, Idlis were far more, softer than I imagined and it had a wonderful airy texture in it. So this Ragi Idli recipe is the one from scratch, made by grinding Ragi & Urad Dhal, like how you grind for a normal Idli but substituting Ragi with Rice. Even some recipes call for adding Idli Rice along with other ingredients. But this Ragi Idli Recipe uses just Ragi/Finger Millet & Urad Dhal.

   And when it comes to soaking, you don't require much time for this batter. If you are planning to make this Ragi Idli/Dosa for Dinner, you can soak it up first thing in the morning. It is enough to soak the ingredients for a couple of hours. Normally, it's enough to soak the ingredients for 3 hours. But I prefer to soak it for at least 6 hours or overnight. Soaking also facilitates in proper fermentation of the batter.

   While grinding the batter for RAGI IDLI, I would suggest you to grind it in a GRINDER. Batter ground in a wet grinder yields you with a fluffy & thick batter and also helps in the fermentation process. If you do not have a Grinder or if you are grinding a small batch then no worries, go ahead and grind it in a Mixie/blender.

    Whereas, if you are grinding the Ragi Idli Batter in a Mixie(Blender) then remember to follow these tips for soft & fluffy Ragi Idlis:

• Use about 4 Tspns of Cooked Rice along with other ingredients.
• Use Cold(ice) Water to grind the Ragi Idli Batter.

    And make sure that you do not add too much water while grinding. We need a thick batter so that the batter ferments well and we get perfect Ragi Idlis. Leave the ragi idli batter aside to ferment for about 6-8 hours/overnight and there you go with a foamy textured batter ready for breakfast/dinner.

    The climatic condition in the region I live though tropical and hot doesn't felicitate fermentation process. So I usually add Salt to Idli/Dosa/Appam Batter just before making Idli/Dosas. Add Salt & thoroughly mix the batter before making Ragi Idli. Can dilute the batter slightly and can make crispy Ragi Dosas out of it. This is an easy recipe, and the same batter can be used to make both Ragi Idli, dilute a bit and make Ragi Dosa out of it. Serve these soft & fluffy Ragi Idli with your choice of Chutneys, Sambar or any other Curry of your choice.

 HOW TO COOK RAGI IDLI - FINGER MILLET IDLI

RAGI/FINGER MILLET IDLI

INGREDIENTS:

For Ragi/Finger Millet Idli Batter :

METHOD:

GRINDING THE RAGI/FINGER MILLET IDLI BATTER IN A WET GRINDER:

• Clean, & Wash Ragi/Finger Millet 2-3 times or until water runs clear.
• It may contain dust & small particles, make sure to remove them. 
• Clean & Wash Blackgram Dhal/Urad Dhal 2-3 times or until water runs clear.
• Soak Ragi/Finger Millet with enough water separately.  
• Soak Urad Dhal along with Fenugreek Seeds separately for about 2-3 Hours. 
• Once soaked, drain and discard the water used for soaking the ingredients. 
• First, grind the soaked Urad Dhal & Fenugreek Seeds in a Grinder, adding very little water at intervals.
• Once the Urad Dhal turns fluffy and is ground into a fine paste, remove it and keep it aside.
• Grind the Ragi/Finger Millet in a Grinder adding enough water at intervals. 
• Grind it into a smooth & thick batter. Pour the ground Ragi paste to the Urad Dhal and mix it thoroughly.
• Leave it aside & Allow the batter to ferment for about 6-8 hours/overnight.
• Once the batter has fermented, add salt and give a thorough mix.
• The fermented batter would have increased in volume and would have a foamy texture.

  GRINDING THE RAGI/FINGER MILLET IDLI BATTER IN A MIXIE/BLENDER:

RAGI DOSA - FINGER MILLET IDLI BATTER

• Clean, & wash Ragi/Finger Millet 2-3 times or until water runs clear.
• It may contain dust & small particles, make sure to remove them. 
• Clean & wash Blackgram Dhal/Urad Dhal 2-3 times or until water runs clear.
• Soak Ragi/Finger Millet with enough water separately.  
• Soak Urad Dhal along with Fenugreek Seeds separately for about 2-3 Hours. 
• Once soaked, drain and discard the water used for soaking the ingredients. 
• First, grind the soaked Urad Dhal & the Fenugreek Seeds in a Grinder, adding very little water at intervals.
• Use ice-cold water at intervals to grind the batter.
• Once the Urad Dhal turns fluffy and is ground into a fine paste, remove it and keep it aside.
• Grind the Ragi/Finger Millet along with cooked Rice adding enough water at intervals. 
• Grind it into a smooth & thick batter.
• Pour the ground Ragi paste to the Urad Dhal and mix it thoroughly with your hands.
• Leave it aside & allow the batter to ferment for about 6-8 hours/overnight.
• Once the batter has fermented, add salt and give a thorough mix.
• The fermented batter would have increased in volume and would have a foamy texture.

RAGI IDLI - FINGER MILLET IDLI (FERMENTED BATTER)

How to Cook Ragi/Finger Millet Idli

RAGI/FINGER MILLET IDLI

 

• Pour some water into the Idli Vessel/Steamer. Cover & Boil the water in Medium-high flame.
• Grease the Idli moulds. (Some lay Muslin cloths over the Idli Moulds)
• Pour a ladle full of Ragi Idli batter into each mould. Follow suit with the rest of the Idli Plate/Moulds.
• Carefully place the Idli Moulds into the Idli Vessel and cover it tightly with the lid.
• Steam cook the Ragi Idlis for about 4-5 Minutes on a High flame, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for another 3-5 Minutes. 
• Do not overcook the Ragi/Finger Millet Idlis.
• The right time to remove the Ragi Idli is when the steam emanates a wonderful aroma of steamed Idlis. 
• Remove the Idli Moulds from the Idli Vessel/steamer and leave it aside for a few minutes.
• Do not remove the Ragi Idlis from the Idli moulds immediately, they would be sticky.
• Once the Ragi Idlis slightly cooled down, gently dip a spoon in cold water and carefully remove the Idlis from the mould.
• Serve Ragi Idlis hot with Sambar or any Chutney of your choice. 
• Ragi/Finger Millet Idli goes well with Coconut Chutneys, Allam Pachadi(Ginger Chutney) Groundnut Chutney etc.,

NOTES:

• Grind it into a smooth & thick batter.
• Can dilute the same batter and make Ragi Dosas out of it. 
• Adding Salt at the initial stage slows down the fermentation process, so I usually add it before making Idlis/Dosas. 
• Adjust according to the climatic condition of the region you live in.
• If you have any leftover batter, leave it in the refrigerator.
• Use the batter within two days. 
• For a healthier choice, can sprout the Ragi/Finger Millets and then grind it into a batter.