Raagi is a very popular grain that is grown as a dry crop. Finger millet is the common English name for this reddish mustard like grain. Raagi ball is the staple food of those who are involved in exhaustive physical work. You can even have this food if you desire to work longer without feeling tired and hungry. Put flour in boiling water and evenly mix to get a thick paste. Roll this paste into balls of convenient size. Mix this pudding with buttermilk and drink as gruel. You can even take it along with soup or curry by dipping and swallowing.
MEDICINAL USES
• Raagi is the richest source of calcium and iron among other cereals. Therefore, this can be given as ideal food supplement to growing children.
• Raagi is slow to digest and due to this, the carbohydrates take longer time to get absorbed. If you are a diabetic and obese individual, then you can choose Raagi meal as your ideal meal keeping in view the above property.
• Weight conscious individuals can use it. By eating raagi preparations, the constant desire to eat will be limited, reducing the daily calorie intake.
• The interesting feature of this food is that it provides calcium, phosphorus, iron. vitamin B1 and B2 in abundance, thereby preventing malnutrition in spite of restricted food.
• If constipation is your major health concern, then this Raagi meal best suits you as it contains plenty of cellulose.
• Here is an excellent health tonic for you and your family. Take a handful of Raagi with an equal quantity of paddy, a tablespoonful of cotton seeds, a tablespoonful of cucumber seeds, pumpkin seeds, watermelon seeds and handful of shelled almonds and soak in an earthen pot with sufficient water for a night. Next morning grind all these ingredients into fine paste and strain through a fine cloth and put aside. In the meanwhile, heat a tablespoonful of ghee and put few seeds of cardamom, two cloves and an inch long piece of cinnamon and fry gently. Pour the milky extract and bring to boil by adding some milk and sugar. When it begins to thicken, serve them as a breakfast. With this, your children grow healthy and look rosy due to increased hemoglobin content. This drink can be taken during pregnancy to counteract anemia, delayed labor due to uterine inertia and other postpartum complications. It is a boon to young anemic girls having menstrual disorders.
• Its regular use protects from malnutrition, infection, degenerative diseases, and premature old age.
PLEASE NOTE
Excessive use of raagi increases oxalic acid, hence, it is not advised in persons suffering from urinary calculi.