Ragi 101: Nutrition, Benefits, Uses & More

Blogs24 Apr 2025

Indian diets feature various millets, including ragi (finger millet), bajra (pearl millet), jowar (sorghum), and little millet. These grains have high nutritional value and contain plenty of protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Not only are they a staple part of Indian meals, but are also becoming more popular for their potential health benefits. In this blog, we'll take a closer look at ragi, one of the most eaten millets, and explore the ragi benefits for health. 

What is Ragi? 

Ragi, also known as finger millet, is a type of grain commonly grown in India and parts of Africa. It's known for its high nutritional value, being rich in calcium, iron, and fiber. The tiny, round grains are often used in various traditional dishes, mostly in the form of ragi flour. 

Nutritional Profile of Ragi  ( IFCT) 

Let’s take a quick look at ragi nutrition and all the goodness it offers.

• High in Fiber: Ragi is rich in dietary fibre. 100g of ragi contains approximately 11.1g of fibre, including both soluble fibre and insoluble fibre. 

• Rich in Calcium: Ragi is also considered a good source of calcium. 100g ragi has about 364 mg calcium. 

• Good Source of Iron: There’s around 4.6mg iron present in 100g ragi. 

• Other Essential Nutrients: Apart from these, ragi is also a great source of potassium, selenium, Vitamin B, amino acids, and other nutrients. 

Health Benefits of Ragi

The potential health advantages of ragi include regulated blood sugar and cholesterol, smoothened bowel movement, improved digestion and better cardiovascular health. 

• Regulates Blood Sugar: Apart from having a low glycemic index and being rich in fibre,  Ragi also contains a considerable amount of natural antioxidants. Due to the presence of a large amount of phytic acid, ragi may help reduce the rise of blood sugar post consumption of food and drinks, and may also be suitable to be included in the diet of a diabetic individual.

• Helps With Heart Health: Apart from beneficial nutrients like fibre, potassium and magnesium, ragi is also filled with the goodness of antioxidants. The presence of polyphenol in Ragi may be particularly helpful to improve cardiovascular health.  

• Aids Digestive Health: The soluble and insoluble fibre present in ragi may help to prevent gastro-instetinal disorders, prevent constipation, and soothe an inflamed digestive tract.

• Helps With Weight Management: High in fibre, and low in fat, ragi can provide a longer period of satiety, result in fewer calorie consumption, and may be a good choice for people trying to control obesity.

• Bone Health: Ragi contains a high amount of calcium; twice than what’s found in milk and 10 times more than what’s found in brown rice, corn, and wheat, to be precise. This makes it beneficial for bone health. A balanced consumption of Ragi can help prevent osteoporosis, and can help maternal and child bone health as well.

How to Include Ragi in Your Diet 

Now that we know the benefits of ragi for health, let’s look at some ways to consume it. A variety of recipes can be cooked around Ragi. This versatile ingredient can be used in the form of grain, flour, or flakes, and can be easily incorporated into your meals.  Here are a few ideas. 

Breakfast:

• Ragi porridge: Cook ragi flour in water till it thickens and let it cool. Create a mixture of salt, buttermilk and water, and mix in the ragi.. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, hing, red chilly, curry leaves, and urad dal. Let them crackle. Pour it in the mixture. Mix well, and serve. 

• Ragi dosa: Make a batter with ragi flour, rice flour, semolina, and salt. Set it aside. Heat a tawa and spread some oil or ghee. Put a ladle of batter. Cook it till it turns golden, and flip it. Cook the other side too. Serve with a chutney of your choice. 

• Ragi pancakes: Make a smooth batter with ragi flour, wheat flour, mashed banana, cinnamon and cardamom powder, and milk. Spread ghee or oil on a hot tawa, and put a ladle of the batter. Once bubbles start appearing, apply a little oil/ghee on top and flip it. Once both sides are cooked, remove and serve. This tastes great with a drizzle of honey or maple syrup and some fruits. 

Lunch/Dinner:

• Ragi khichdi: Soak  ragi in water overnight or for a few hours. Heat oil or ghee in a pressure cooker, and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, heeng, whole red chilly, chopped vegetables such as carrots, beans, potatoes, and tomato puree. Add water. Give everything a good mix, and cook for 3-4 whistles. 

• Ragi idli: Soak ½ cup urad dal and 1 teaspoon methi seeds in water for five hours. In another bowl, soak ½ cup ragi grains. Blend the urad dal, and the methi seeds first. Salt can be added before or after blending. Blend until it is thick and frothy. Now blend the ragi, and mix with the urad dal and methi blend. Set it aside to ferment, overnight or for 12-14 hours. When cooking, grease your plates, and steam the idlis for 10-12 minutes. Serve with chutney or sambar. 

•  Ragi Salad: In a bowl, nix ragi flakes, chopped tomatoes and cucumber, chopped walnuts, some raisins. Add some salt, lemon juice, and chat masala. Give everything a good mix, and enjoy. 

Snacks:

• Ragi ladoo: Roast ragi flour in ghee by stirring it continuously till it turns golden brown. Remove it from the flame, add sugar or jaggery and bring it to a completely lump-free mixture. Add cardamom powder, and chopped, roasted nuts if you wish to. Grease a plate, transfer the mixture, and set it aside to cool. Once cooled, roll into balls and store in a cool, dry place. 

• Ragi smoothie: Boil ragi powder in equal parts of water and milk. Once cooled, blend with banana, dates, dry fruits of your choice, and some more milk. 

Additionally, you can also check out our Jaggery Ragi cookies if you are looking for a sweet snack that is not just delicious but also healthy for you. These cookies are rich in fibre and protein and also boast of B vitamins. 

Conclusion

To sum it up, Ragi is a well-known millet which comes with high nutritional value and ample health benefits. It has been a part of native Indian diets for generations now, and can be consumed in multiple ways. Ragi may be helpful to control obesity, reduce blood sugar, improve cardiovascular health, and prevent bone decay. When consumed as part of a balanced diet, it is a great addition towards a healthy lifestyle. 

To read more about health, nutrition and aging, explore Right Shift. Here, we encourage people stepping into the middle age to be equipped with the right knowledge and take better care of their health. If healthy eating is on your mind, explore our free meal plan creator which asks for your personal details such as gender, health goals and dietary preferences, and creates a customised meal plan for you. 

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