Ragi Porridge Recipe

Ragi malt and ragi porridge are the same thing with different names. Ragi is cooked in either milk or water and is healthy for babies and adults. It can be given to babies as early as they start on solids because it has high nutritional value; it is a good source of Vitamins B1 and B3, calcium, and iron.

Ragi, also known as finger millet, is widely consumed in southern parts of India. As ragi does not have a taste of its own, its porridge can be made in two ways: sweet or salty. If you want to know how to make ragi porridge for your baby, read on. We have a quick recipe for you!

How to Make Ragi Porridge for Babies?

Here’s all you need to know to make a healthy and delicious ragi porridge recipe for babies and toddlers. This section includes all vital information about the recipe, including ingredients, step-by-step instructions, recipe tips, valuable information on its health benefits, and a buying guide.

Cooking Time 

Cooking Method

Gas stove

Type of Meal

Vegetarian

Suitable For

Any baby above seven months of age

Meal Schedule

Breakfast or mid-morning snack or evening snack

Recipe Type

Side dish

Ingredients

For Sweet Porridge

For Salted Porridge

Instructions

Below is a step-by-step guide on making salty and sweet ragi porridge.

Sweet Porridge

1. First Method: Heat a pan and add ragi flour. Next, add water. Mix it well and let it cook. Keep stirring it constantly to prevent it from burning until the mixture thickens. Once it turns thick, your ragi malt will be ready. Turn off the heat and serve warm.

2. Second Method:

1. Mix the ragi flour in ¾ cup of water.
2. Heat the remaining water in a pan and bring it to a boil. Next, add the ragi mixture to it.
3. Keep on stirring and cook it on medium heat.
4. Turn off the flame when the mixture thickens.
5. Now add dates, sugar, or jaggery and milk to adjust the consistency and make it sweet.
6. Add some ghee and dry fruits to make the recipe more nutritious.
7. Your sweet porridge is ready to serve.

Salted Porridge

1. Take ragi flour and water in a pan and cook well. Keep stirring until the mixture thickens.
2. Add salt and buttermilk to adjust the consistency and bring out the taste.
3. Salted porridge is ready to serve.
4. If you wish to add a tempering, heat ghee or oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds and curry leaves. Let them splutter. Switch off the flame. Add this seasoning and coriander leaves to the prepared ragi porridge to enhance the taste.
5. Serve the yummy porridge to your little one!

Recipe Tips

Follow the below tips to enhance the nutritional content and taste of this simple ragi porridge recipe:

1. It is better to prepare ragi porridge for babies without milk. Because adding milk reduces the iron absorption of ragi (1).
2. Adding fruit like apples or bananas helps absorb iron from ragi. So you can add fruit to the sweet porridge.

Nutrition Information (Per 100 Grams)

Note: These values are only for the sweet porridge.

Health Benefits

Following is the list of benefits your child will get out of this homemade ragi porridge baby food recipe:

1. Ragi is extremely beneficial for your growing child. As you can see from the table above, this recipe has a high calcium content. Calcium helps develop bones and teeth and prevent bone-related diseases (2).
2. Ragi is a good source of natural iron (3). When mixed with a fruit, the Vitamin C in the fruit facilitates iron absorption, helping increase children’s haemoglobin (4).
3. Ragi is loaded with iron, calcium, protein, phosphorous, and calcium. These minerals also serve as the building blocks for growing children (5).
4. Ragi also keeps the child full for long.

Buying Guide

Making ragi flour at home by sprouting and roasting the grains would be best. After this, they can be powdered in the mixer. This method is best for babies. But if you cannot prepare it at home, buy the prepared ragi flour from the supermarket!

FAQs

1. Does ragi porridge help with baby weight gain?

The sweet porridge in the ragi recipe contains ghee and jaggery, which will help babies gain weight. It also contains micro and macro nutrients that aid a baby’s growth (6)!

2. How long should ragi be soaked for a porridge recipe?

Ragi grains should be soaked for at least 8-12 hours or overnight, then germinated to sprout. Once sprouted, they can be roasted and powdered to add to the porridge recipe.

Follow the instructions and prepare this effortless and nutritious ragi recipe for babies and toddlers. This will keep him healthy and energetic. Happy Parenting!

References/Resources:

1. Lönnerdal B.; Calcium and iron absorption–mechanisms and public health relevance. International journal for vitamin and nutrition research; Internationale Zeitschrift fur Vitamin- und Ernahrungsforschung. Journal international de vitaminologie et de nutrition; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21462112/; 2010

2. Calcium, Nutrition, and Bone Health; Orthoinfo; https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/staying-healthy/calcium-nutrition-and-bone-health/

3. Anitha, S., Kane-Potaka, J., Botha, R., et al.; Millets Can Have a Major Impact on Improving Iron Status, Hemoglobin Level, and in Reducing Iron Deficiency Anemia-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis; Frontiers in nutrition; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8551390/; 2021

4. Lynch, S. R., & Cook, J. D.; Interaction of vitamin C and iron; Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6940487/; 1980

5. Hamner, H. C., Perrine, C. G., & Scanlon, K. S.; Usual Intake of Key Minerals among Children in the Second Year of Life, NHANES 2003-2012; Nutrients; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4997381/; 2016

6. Anitha S, Givens DI, Subramaniam K, Upadhyay S, Kane-Potaka J, Vogtschmidt YD, Botha R, Tsusaka TW, Nedumaran S, Rajkumar H, et al.; Can Feeding a Millet-Based Diet Improve the Growth of Children?—A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis; Nutrients; https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/1/225; 2022

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