Ragi mudde


Ragi mudde, ragi sangati or ragi 'kali', colloquially simply referred to as either or which means 'lump' or 'dough', is a finger millet swallow dish from South India. In Rayalaseema Region in Andhra Pradesh it is called Ragi Sangati. In Tamil Nadu, it is called ragi kali. is a staple food in the districts of Mysuru, Mandya, Ramanagara, Chamarajanagar, Hassan, Tumakuru, Bengaluru Rural in Karnataka. A similar variation known as dhindo is also eaten in Northeast India, Nepal and Bhutan. In Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh in northern India, a similar variation is known as baadi and baari respectively.

Preparation

has only two ingredients: flour, and water. A tablespoon of flour is first mixed with water to make a very thin paste and later added to a thick-bottomed vessel containing water on a stove top. As this mixture boils and reaches the brim of the vessel, flour is added, which forms a mound on top of boiling water. Once the flour is added, it requires immediate mixing with the help of a wooden stick ; the flour is beaten to a smooth dough-like consistency with no lumps. Then it is allowed to cook on medium-high flame. This hot dough is then rested on low heat before being rounded on a wooden board into tennis-ball-sized balls with wet hands. Thus prepared balls are broken down into smaller balls using fingers and dipped into saaru /hesru, chutney or gojju. is not supposed to be chewed.
, by itself, does not have a strong taste. is traditionally eaten with , but can also be eaten with yogurt or buttermilk. The is often flavoured by mixing a dash of spicy, freshly ground green-chilli paste, in one's plate according to taste. is a popular combination among the farming communities in Karnataka. is made from the decanted water that remains after an assortment of pulses are steamed, usually along with a couple of pods of garlic. This water takes up the earthy flavour of the pulses to nicely complement the earthy flavour of the itself. Onions, red chillies, and some garlic are browned and then ground into a paste along with grated coconut. This is added to the water, and the mixture is finally seasoned with oggarane. The steamed pulses themselves are often used to prepare a dry side salad known as .
There are numerous variations of, which each yield a differently named . is itself a portmanteau of and. Uppesru / is another common accompaniment to. This is often simply a stew comprising steamed horsegram, as well as the water used to steam it, with added salt. Sometimes, hyacinth beans replace the horsegram. The horsegram version is also known as .
is rich in the same nutrients that are found in finger millet, namely fibre, calcium, and iron.

Eaten with

is consumed with the famous Karnataka-style upsaaru , bassaaru or or . In most of southern Karnataka/old Mysore it is eaten almost daily. Many luxury hotels serve on special occasions. In the Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh, it is eaten with pappu and chatnee. is also a main food in Anantapur and Annamayya districts. It is served in almost all hotels in Anantapur district.