This humble and immensely nutritious quick finger millet wheat dosa is a healthy breakfast option that you’ll revisit many times. Both wheat and finger millet impart an earthy, nutty aroma that is heightened with oil, taking you back to when you used to play in the mud and rain.
While you must be familiar with the ubiquitous wheat and its benefits, you may not be well acquainted with finger millet, known here as ragi. Let me introduce you to a
this cereal: ragi is a nutrient powerhouse that helps in controlling diabetes, reverses skin ageing, fights anemia, relaxes your body, and aids weight loss — while pumping your body with calcium, carbohydrates, fibre, protein and essential fats and vitamins and minerals. Impressed? Me too! I’ve grown up eating ragi in various forms: porridge, malt, mau saadam or kali (ragi ball in English and mudde in Kannada), puttu, idli, rotti and of course kezhvaragu dosai. Oh, and ragi is gluten free too.
If you are gluten intolerant, use rice flour as a substitute for wheat. Dip the ragi wheat dosa in black coffee as you would a biscuit in tea and enjoy its earthy flavour, or you could eat it with multigrain sundal (sundal is a South Indian side dish or snack made with beans and/or lentils that are first boiled or steamed and them tempered and garnished with coconut — there are so many ways to make it and it differs from region to region; recipe coming soon!) or a chutney or sauce or curry of you choice. I had two finger millet wheat dosas with black coffee (I made mine with jaggery), one with multigrain sundal, and one plain — I was one happy happy lady that day!
You can dip it in or pair it with a variety of chutneys, sides and gravies like:
Easy Peasy Onion Tomato Chutney
The Real Quick and Easy Chicken Curry
Chicken Pepper Fry | Pepper Chicken
- 1/2 cup finger millet flour
- 1/2 cup wheat flour
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 teaspoons rice flour optional
- 6 tablespoons curds or yogurt
- 1 cup water
- Half an onion with a fork struck through to use as a brush or a pastry brush
- Sesame oil or any other vegetable oil to fry
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Whisk together the finger millet flour, wheat flour, salt, rice flour and curds.
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Slowly add the water — a little at a time — as you whisk the batter continuously so that the batter is smooth. Stop adding the water when the batter reaches the consistency of your usual dosa batter, or pancake batter.
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Let it rest for 20 minutes.
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Heat a dosa griddle or a flat pan until it is hot. Sprinkle some water (1/2 teaspoon) to cool it slightly so the pouring of the batter is easy, and immediately brush the pan with oil. Then, rub it all over the pan with a piece of onion (the cut side facing down). Ladle the batter onto the pan and spread it around the pan with the bottom of the ladle — start from the middle and spiral outwards.
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Sprinkle a little oil over it, and pour a little more oil all around the dosa. Place a lid over the pan and let it cook for 45-60 seconds. You could keep the pan open too — but you’ll have to eyeball the cooking time. The lid helps trap the heat and moisture.
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Flip it over and let the other side cook, this time on low heat for 60 seconds (because by the time this side is cooked through, your pan will be less hot). Ensure both sides are browned well.
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Pour 1/2 teaspoon oil and spread it around with the fork and onion. Splash a little water to cool the pan and then ladle the batter onto it.
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Serving: Serve hot. It can be reheated on the pan if you’re eating it later.
You can dip it in or pair it with a variety of chutneys, sides and gravies like: Ridge Gourd Peel Chutney, Easy Peasy Onion Tomato Chutney, Black Chickpea Sprouts Sundal, Eggs and Dill Fry, The Real Quick and Easy Chicken Curry, Chicken Pepper Fry | Pepper Chicken and Simple Tomato Chutney.
Related Links and Recipes:
Dosa (Wikipedia)
Wheat 101: Nutrition Facts and Health Effects (healthline)
6 Health Benefits of Ragi: A Wonder Grain (NDTV FOOD)
Benefits of Ragi (The Times of India)
Finger Millet (Wikipedia)