Healthy and delicious ragi porridge made with finger millet flour and barley. This is an easy to make and customizable recipe perfect to make either sweet or savory. But I love it served with buttermilk or a dollop of yogurt and some chopped onions.
Ragi java or ragi malt is a healthy drink widely popular all over India. My version is more like a soup and is fortified with the use of barley water. Serve this delicious ragi soup for dinner or lunch.
About the Recipe
I love adding millets in my diet. Like in this jowar idli or in this sanna polo recipes. Along with adding their wholegrain goodness, millets also make the dishes wholesome and delicious.
Ragi or finger millet is one of my favorite millets to use. They are available in both wholegrain form and as flour. Sprouted ragi is very nutritious and I use it to make these dosa.
This porridge is a very common dish all around India. Each region has a slightly different name, ragi java or kanji in Telugu, ragi ambli or ambali in Kannada, ragi malt everywhere else. But even with all these differences, it is basically a healthy millet dish that is both nourishing and delicious.
I remember by grandmother making ragi malt recipe quite frequently. It was not too appealing to a 5 year old kid. But after all these years, here I am making this age old nutritious dish for my family.
This ragi porridge recipe is made with the goodness of barley water, making it absolutely amazing for the hot summer season. Use the leftover barley to make barley pulihora or add it soups.
Do try this healthy savory ragi malt drink, I am sure the whole family will lot it.
Ingredients
For the details of the exact quantities of each ingredient and the list of ingredients needed, check the printable recipe card below.
This finger millet porridge or soup needs only a handful of ingredients:
- Ragi flour or finger millet flour - easily available in Indian groceries or online. If sprouted ragi flour is available, then buy that.
- Barley - either pearl or hulled would work
- Flavorings - garlic, bay leaves, salt and pepper
Instructions
For the detailed instructions on how to make the recipe with exact timings, check the printable recipe card below.
Here's how to make ragi porridge:
In a medium size saucepan, combine pearled barley and 4 cups of water. Soak for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.
Place the sauce pan on the stove and bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Strain the barley, reserving all of the stock.*
Whisk ragi flour in ½ cup of water forming a slurry. Set aside.
Heat butter in a medium size sauce pan, add chopped garlic and bay leaf. Cook for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add barley water and ragi slurry whisking constantly. Cook until the mixture thickens, about 3~4 minutes.
Stir in the remaining ½ cup of water, if the porridge looks too thick. Season with salt and pepper. Serve topped with onions and yogurt warm or at room temperature.
Expert Tips
- This ragi porridge can be made with just water. Use about 4 cups of water instead of barley water in the recipe.
- If you have sprouted ragi flour, then use it to make this soup.
- Don't toss those barley grains!! They are not completely cooked, but they can be cooked further to be used in other recipes: Add 2 cups of water and simmer the partially cooked barley for about 30 minutes until the grains are tender.
- Use the cooked barley in soups, salads or pilafs. It is a great hearty rice alternative for curries.
- You can also make a sweet ragi porridge, stir in jaggery or sugar to taste along with ground cardamom.
You might also like
Here are a few more ragi recipes that you might like:
I love hearing from you!! If you’ve tried this and liked it, then don't forget to let me know. Give a star rating and let me know in the comments below. Also tag me in your creations on Instagram @cooks_hideout. I love sharing photos when people make my recipes. You can use the hashtag #cookshideout too.
Ragi Soup
Ingredients
- 1 cup Pearl or Hulled Barley, rinsed and drained
- 5 cups Water, divided
- 2 teaspoons Butter
- 3 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 Bay leaf
- ½ cup Ragi Flour
- To taste Salt & Pepper
- 1 Small Red onion or Shallot, finely chopped, for garnish
- As needed Yogurt, for garnish
Instructions
- In a medium size saucepan, combine barley and 4 cups of water. Soak for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.
- Place the sauce pan on the stove and bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Strain the barley, reserving all of the stock.*
- Whisk ragi flour in ½ cup of water forming a slurry. Set aside.
- Heat butter in a medium size sauce pan, add chopped garlic and bay leaf. Cook for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add barley water and ragi slurry whisking constantly. Cook until the mixture thickens, about 3~4 minutes. Stir in the remaining ½ cup of water, if the porridge looks too thick. Season with salt and pepper. Serve topped with onions and yogurt warm or at room temperature.
Video
Notes
- This ragi porridge can be made with just water. Use about 4 cups of water instead of barley water in the recipe.
- If you have sprouted ragi flour, then use it to make this soup.
- Don't toss those barley grains!! They are not completely cooked, but they can be cooked further to be used in other recipes: Add 2 cups of water and simmer the partially cooked barley for about 30 minutes until the grains are tender.
- Use the cooked barley in soups, salads or pilafs. It is a great hearty rice alternative for curries.
- You can also make a sweet ragi porridge, stir in jaggery or sugar to taste along with ground cardamom.
The Pumpkin Farm
what a beautiful looking soup, i want to lie down on a hammock and enjoy this soup
Srivalli
Very interesting one with barley Pavani..athamma keeps asking me to get barley but then when we get it, we forget about it..we mostly make it as sankati with rice..as a liquid it's filling as well..
vaishali sabnani
This dish is new for me..in fact We hardly use ragi..I learnt about it only after blogging. Sounds healthy.
Manjula Bharath
Oh wow this porridge was my fav, my neighbor used to make this for some festival and she used to give spinach poriyal, chopped onions and Buttermilk with this poridge 🙂 very very yummy recipe dear and wonderful clicks .. made me nostalgic
Sapana Behl
That soup sounds so filling and inviting . Lovely color and awesome clicks !
Nivedhanams Sowmya
perfect cooler and very nutritious!!Sowmya
Priya Suresh
Wat a healthy,nutritious and very filling bowl..Sankati with coconut thogayal is my favourite.
Niloufer Riyaz
a very healthy soup!!
Sandhya Karandikar
A wonderfully nutritous and filling breakfast.
Rajani S
Ragi is so cooling! I too came across it recently in one of the BMs. Your post is def making me want to try this, no barley..may be I will just make ragi koozh..:)
PJ
That's a really yum and healthy porridge,Pavani...
Global Tastes & Travels Inc.
what a filling an nutritious soup
Global Tastes & Travels Inc.
what a filling an nutritious soup
Harini-Jaya Rupanagudi
The pairing with barley sounds very interesting!
veena krishnakumar
We make ragi koozhu but never tried with barley...looks very healthy and delicious
preeti garg
This recipe come out so well and look delicious.
Gayathri's Cook Spot
Very nutritious dish. We call it koozh.
Archana Potdar
This is great My mom used to make something similar and call it mudi. Love the pics.
Uma Srinivas
Ragi is one of my favorite millet. This soup looks and sounds yummy and healthy! Love it and I am going to make this on cold days!
Mayuri Patel
A different kind of ragi porridge recipe for me with barley. We prepare a sweetened version which we usually enjoy for breakfast. Will definitely try out this savory version.