Post Harvest Technology
Harvesting
- Ragi matures 3-5 months after sowing, depending on variety, season and soil properties.
- Harvest the crop when the ears are yellowish brown.
- Heap the harvested ears and cover the heaps with ragi straw for 2-3 days before threshing.
- Dried earheads are beaten with sticks, sheaves are trodden by bullocks or crushed by stone rollers. Separated grains are winnowed and cleaned.
- Straw from irrigated plants is coarse and thick and is rarely cut. It is grazed down or sometimes turned under as manure for next crop
- Grain is higher in protein, fat and minerals than rice, corn, or sorghum.
- It is usually converted into flour and made into cakes, puddings, or porridge.
- The grain is used in the preparation of food items such as ragi dosa, ragi balls, pancake, vermicelli, malt, biscuit, beer, papads, millet mix, bread, roti etc.
i.Stages of Harvesting
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First harvest
- Cut all earheads which have turned brown.
- Dry, thresh and clean the grains by winnowing.
Second harvest
- Seven days after the first harvest, cut all the earheads including the green ones.
- Cure the grains to obtain maturity by heaping the harvested earheads in shade for one day without drying, so that the humidity and temperature increase and the grains get cured.
- Dry, thresh and clean the grains by winnowing and store the grains in gunnies.
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ii.Method of harvesting
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iii.Yield
- The average yield of rainfed crop ranges from 1.0 to 1.5 tonnes grain/ha, whereas irrigated crop yields up to 5.0 tonnes/ha.
- Yield depends on variety and is directly related to duration, height and tillering capacity of type grown.
- Types with straight spikes give better yields than those with curved spikes. The fodder yield ranges from 3.0 to 9.0 tonnes/ha in case early group and 9.5-10.0 tonnes/ha in late group.
- The straw of finger millet is a nutritious fodder. It can be conserved by putting up in well-built stakes.
| Attribute | Value |
Productive tillers (No.) |
2-4.5 |
Finger number (No.) |
5.12 |
Finger length (cm) |
3-14 cm |
Grains/finger |
22-81 |
1,000 grain weight (g) |
1.0-4.5 |
Tips to increase grain yield
- Cytokinin 10 ppm foliar spray at 40 and 50 DAS increases the grain yield.
- Urea 2% foliar spray at 40 and 50 DAS increases the grain yield.
- Seed hardening with KCl 1% + CaCl2 1% under rainfed condition increases the grain yield.
- Ragi inter-cropped with green gram at 4:1 ratio recorded the highest income followed by 6:1 ratio (Rs.2239/ha) and 8:1 ratio against pure crop of ragi.
- Azospirillum either as seed treatment or furrow application in rainfed ragi after sowing saves N dose from 25-50% with a grain yield increase.
- Soaking finger millet seeds in CCC 5 ppm (or) cattle urine 10% solution (seed hardening) has given increased grain yield of 12 to 15% over unsoaked dry seeds. The cost of chemical (CCC) used for pre-sowing soaking seeds works out to Rs.1/- and the profit due to increased grain yield to Rs.150/-.
- An integrated nutrient management study revealed that addition of tank silt/ black soil at the rate of 80 t/ha accounted for marked increase in the yield of ragi (Paiyur 1). Further the addition of tank silt/ black soil had a very good residual effect on horse gram by increasing the yield. Besides, it also improved the soil organic matter content, CEC, WHC and fertility of the soil.
- Integrated weed management practice for rainfed direct seeded ragi revealed that post emergence application on the 10th day, either 2,4-D Na salt or 2,4- D Ethylester at 0.5 kg/ha recorded higher yield.
- Application of 50 kg N/ha in two splits at sowing and 20-30 DAS, with 20 kg P2O5 as enriched FYM at sowing was superior to top dressing of N at 25-30 DAS and P2O5 applied as straight fertilizer at sowing in rainfed ragi..
- Delay in rainfall onset can be managed with sowing of short duration ragi culture DPI 2011 (95 days), while with normal onset of monsoon Paiyur 1 (110 days) can be followed. The intermittent dry spell can be overcome by incorporation of composted coir pith (5t/ha), random tie ridging and soil mulching with blade harrow.
- Application of RIF + EFYM to ragi – horse gram / cowpea crop sequence recorded the highest grain yield.
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Post Harvest Technology
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Curing and Drying
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Threshing
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Winnowing
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Grading
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Storage of Ragi seeds
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Protection from storage pests
Grain purpose
Dry the seeds adequately to reduce the moisture level to 10%
Seed purpose
Mix one kg of Activated kaolin or Malathion 5% D for every 100 kg of seed. Pack in gunny or polythene lined gunny bags for storage. (Note: Bold and diseases free earheads are collected during the first picking. They are dried and carefully threshed with hand. Either earheads as such or grains are kept for seed purposes)
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Milling
Ragi seed is a challenge to mill because it is very small and because its seed coat is bound tightly to the edible part (endosperm) inside. Moreover, the grain is so soft and friable that conventional milling equipment cannot remove the outside without crushing the inside. However, farmers have long known that moistening finger Ragi (for about 30 minutes) toughens the bran and reduces its grip enough that it can be mechanically separated without crushing the rest.
Ragi can be milled by wet conditioning. It can be steamed followed by milling in a hammer or plate mill or a roller flour mill.
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Malting
Compared to other millets, Ragi is most suitable from the stand point of product quality and enzyme release for malting. The malted Ragi flour can be used along with germinated green gram flour to formulate a high calorie dense weaning food having excellent nutritional qualities. Ragi flour can be used with milk beverages.
Parboiling of Ragi help in the quality of Ragi dumpling by eliminating its slimy texture. Flour from puffed Ragi has good flavour and can be used in snacks and supplementary foods in South India Ragi is used as gruel, dumpling, roti, dosa or porridge.
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Value Added Products
Nutrition
The nutritive value of ragi is better than that of rice and other cereals. Ragi is especially valuable as it contains the amino acid methionine, which is lacking in the diets of hundreds of millions of the poor who live on starchy staples such as cassava, plantain, polished rice, or maize meal.
Ragi grain is rich in calcium, phosphorus and iron, the calcium content is higher than in the common cereals and millets. The major proteins of ragi are prolamins and gluteins and they appear to be adequate in all the essential amino acids. Germinated finger millet is used to make weaning foods for infants.
Nutrition value of ragi grain per 100 g| Composition | Grams |
Protein |
7.30 |
Fat |
1.30 |
Carbohydrate |
72.00 |
Minerals |
2.70 |
Calcium |
3.44 |
Phosphorus |
2.83 |
Crude fiber |
3.66 |
Ash |
2.60 |
Moisture |
13.2 |
Energy |
328 (Kcal) |
Iron |
4 mg |
B Carotene |
4 (microgram/100g) |
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Uses
- Ragi is richest source of calcium and iron among other cereals. Therefore, this can be given as ideal food supplement to growing children and aged people who need calcium supplement.
- Porridge: The small grains—which are usually brown but occasionally white—are commonly boiled into a thick porridge.
- Bread: Some finger millet is ground into flour and used for bread and various other baked products. All are relished for their flavor and aroma.
- Malt: Malted finger millet (the sprouted seeds) is produced as a food in a few places. It is nutritious, easily digested, and is recommended particularly for infants and the elderly.
- Beverages: Much finger millet in Africa is used to make beer. Its amylase enzymes readily convert starch to sugar. Indeed, finger millet has much more of this "saccharifying" power than does sorghum or maize; only barley, the world's premier beer grain, surpasses it.
- Fodder: Finger millet straw makes good fodder—better than that from pearl millet, wheat, or sorghum. It contains up to 61 percent total digestible nutrients.
- Popped Products: Finger millet can be popped. It is widely enjoyed in this tasty form in India.
- The leaf juice has been given to women in childbirth.
- Ragi is a folk remedy for leprosy, liver disease, measles, pleurisy, pneumonia, and small pox.
- Weight conscious individuals can use it. By eating ragi preparations, the constant desire to eat will be limited, reducing the daily calorie intake.
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Products
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Extruded Products
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Ready to Use Products
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Delicacies
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Sweets and Savouries
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Health Drinks
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Extruded Products
Ragi Noodles
Extrusion cooking because of its low cost and continuous processing capability has been accepted as one of the most useful technologies during the recent years in the field of food processing.
Ingredients
- Refined wheat flour – 70 g
- Ragi – 30g
- Water – 30 ml
- Salt – 2g
Method of preparation
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Ragi Vermicelli
Ingredients
- Refined wheat flour – 30 g
- Whole wheat flour – 40g
- Ragi – 30g
- Water – 30 ml
- Salt – 2g
Method of preparation
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Ragi Idiyappam
Ingredients
- Rice flour – 80 g
- Ragi – 30g
- Water – 30 ml
- Salt – 2g
Method of preparation
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Ready to Use Products
Beverage Mix
Ingredients
- Ragi Flour
- Skimmed Milk Powder
- Jaggery
Method of preparation
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Nutri Mix
Ingredients
- Ragi
- Banana and Potato Powder
- Curry Leaves
- Cashew Nuts
- Sesame seeds
- Cardamom
- Milk Powder
- Sugar Powder
Method of preparation
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Delicacies
Ragi Puttu
- Ragi flour – 2 cups
- Sugar – ½ cup (quantity can be varied as per choice)
- Coconut – ½ shell
- Black Sesame seeds – 1 table spoon
- Cardamom – 4 no
- Sesame oil/ghee – 2 tea spoon
- Salt – pinch
Method
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Ragi Mudde
Ragi mudde is a food item unique to the state of Karnataka, India. It is mainly popular with the rural folk of Karnataka.
Method of preparation I
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Method of preparation II
Ingredients
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Ragi Idli
Ingredients
- Whole Ragi Grain- 1 cup
- Idli rice (parboiled) – 1 cup
- Whole skinned Urad dal – ¾ cup
- Fenugreek (Methi) seeds -1 tablespoon
- Salt to taste
- Oil- to grease idli moulds
Method of preparation
Step1: Washes at least 2 to5 times and soak the ragi for 3-4 hours longer than you soak the rice.
Step 2: Soak rice, whole urad and fenugreek seeds in separate containers for 4-6 hours or overnight.
Step 3: In a wet grinder or a mixie /blender, grind the urad dal till light and fluffy.
A test for fluffiness is to keep a bowl of water and drop a tiny pinch of batter.
If it floats, it is light enough.
Step 4: Then add and grind the Ragi grains and Methi and finally the rice. Take care that the rice should not be ground too smooth. It should be of rice rava consistency. Alternatively, you can use rice rava instead.
Step 5: Take the batter in a vessel, fold in some salt to taste and leave it to ferment.
Next morning, lightly stir the well-fermented batter. Grease Idli moulds and steam in a pressure
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Ragi Dosa
Kezhvaragu (in Tamil) or Ragi Dosa is a preparation from Kongunadu’s cuisine. Describing Kongunadu is difficult but you can vaguely think of it as the stretch from Coimbatore, Nilgiris, Pollachi to Erode, Salem and Dharmapuri.
Ingredients
- Ragi flour – 2 cups
- Grated Coconut – 1 cup
- Salt – 1 tsp
- Fresh Coriander – 3 twigs
- Curry Leaves – 4
- Green Chilly – 1 no.
- Jeera / Cumin – 1tsp
- Oil – 1 tbsp
- Water – 4 1/2 cups (approximately, this will vary with how much water the flour soaks)
Method of preparation
Step 1: Soak Ragi flour in some warm water for 15 to 20 minutes
Step 2: Grind the coconut, Green chilly, Coriander, Curry leaves, Jeera and Salt in a blender
Step 3: Add this to the soaked Ragi flour and mix well. Add water to bring to Rava dosa batter consistency.
[Note: This will be somewhere between butter milk and dosa batter or fresh cream consistency]
Step 4: Dust a broad skillet or tawa with 1/2 tsp oil and heat it for 30 seconds. On a high flame pour the batter from outside towards inside to form a round. Cook on a high flame. Turn and cook the other side on a high flame. Reduce flame to low and turn and cook for a minute. Take out dosa on to serving plate.
Step 5: Repeat for remaining batter
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Ragi Kudumulu With Garlic Ghee
Ragi kudumulu is an old classic from Andhra Pradesh, India. Dumplings like kudumulu are prepared with ragi flour and steam-cooked in flavorful kura (curry). The main ingredient of kura in which ragi kudumulu are steamed changes with the seasons. Sometimes the kura is prepared with vegetables, sometimes with meat or a combination. Depends on the cook’s mood and the market prices. Popular in agricultural community, this protein powerhouse is a build or nourishes the muscle-on-the-bone kind of one-pot meal.
Recipe:
Recipe is prepared in three steps.
- Prepare Ragi dough for Kudumulu.
- Prepare kura (curry or kurma) for Kudumulu.
- Prepare kudumulu and steam-cook
Step 1:
Take one-cup ragi flour in a bowl. Add a tablespoon of garlic-ghee puree and quarter teaspoon salt. Stir in a tablespoon of garlic infused ghee. Sprinkling few tablespoons of hot water, make soft dough. Cover and keep it aside for about 15 to 30 minutes. The dough firms up on resting.
Step 2:
- While the ragi dough is resting, prepare kura for ragi kudumulu. It can be with vegetables (Traditional choice: Indian broad beans, silk squash and ridge gourd).
- 2 ridge gourds: peel, rinse and cut into ½ inch, big pieces
- 2 tomatoes and one onion - finely chop to small pieces
[Note: Kudumulu can be prepared with either vegetable, or meat (chicken or mutton). - Heat a tablespoon of garlic infused ghee in a wide, deep-bottomed skillet. Add and toast a pinch each - cumin and mustard seeds. When seeds start to pop, add the onion. Then tomatoes. Add about a cup of water and cook the tomatoes to mush on high heat.
- While tomatoes are cooking, prepare the kura masala: For kura masala: Two tablespoons of grated coconut, 4 green chillies and an inch of peeled ginger, two cloves, one inch cinnamon, a teaspoon each - coriander seeds and cumin. Take them all in a mixer. Add a pinch of salt. Blend to fine consistency.
- Tomatoes will be cooked to soft by now. Mush them by pressing with a sturdy spoon. Add the ridge gourd pieces and the masala paste to the skillet. Also, half teaspoon each- turmeric and salt. Stir in another cup of water. Close the lid and simmer on medium-low heat.
Step 3:
- While kura is cooking, quickly prepare Ragi kudumulu.
- Take the ragi dough out onto a plate. Knead and divide into small, about key lime-sized rounds. Take a round on your palm, and close the fingers around the round to make a fist. The shape changes to cylindrical with conical ends.
- Compared to the round shape, the kudumu shape will have more surface area exposed, and that would facilitate thorough steaming. Prepare all rounds in this way. You have to make them fast in two to three minutes.
- Place them one after another neatly in simmering kura. Close the lid tightly, and steam for about 15 to 20 minutes on medium-low heat. Ragi kudumulu have to be cooked properly inside. To test, take one out and cut into half.
- A well-steamed one has the color of red soil. (On taste, they should have the comforting texture of a well-chewed bubblegum). Sticky with unique ragi flavor. The size/volume also increases on steaming.
- Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and lime juice. Serve hot. Until serving time, cover the skillet with tight lid and keep the kura hot on low heat.
- Place four ragi kudumulu in a wide bowl or plate along with vegetable or meat pieces. Pour the tomato-masala gravy around.
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Ragi Rotti
Ingredients
- Ragi flour (Finger millet flour) – one 8 oz cup
- Onion – ½
- Green chili – 2 to 3
- Garlic – 3 cloves
- Cumin seeds – 1 spoon
- Curry leaves – a sprig
- Coriander leaves – 3 sprigs
- Salt – to taste
- Water – ½ to ¾ cup
- Oil – to pour on the sides and tops of the rotti
Method of preparation
- Finely chop Onion, Green chili, Garlic and Coriander leaves.
- Make a thick Ragi batter by adding water to the Ragi flour in a bowl.
- Add all the ingredients (Onion, Green chili, Garlic, Cumin seeds, Curry leaves, Coriander leaves and Salt) to the batter.
- Heat dosa pan. Season the dosa pan with little oil.
- Once the pan in hot enough, take a small amount of batter in your palm and pat them slowly and flatten them to make round shaped rottis. If it is difficult for you, place a handful of batter on dosa pan and spread it into round shape or any shape you like. Be careful while you spread the batter on the pan. Reduce heat if necessary.
- Leave oil around edges of the rotti. Once it is cooked on the down side and flip it to the other side. Cook well on both sides.
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Ragi Adai
Ingredients
- Ragi flour – 2 cups
- Big onion – 1
- Red chillies – 3 to 4
- Jeera – 1 teaspoon
- Ground Nut – 2 tablespoon (Coarsely powder it)
- Mustard – 1 teaspoon
- Urad dhal – 1 teaspoon
- Asafotida – a pinch
- Oil for frying
- Salt – 1 teaspoon or as per taste
- Curry Leaves - few
- Put the ragi flour in a big bowl. Add salt, chopped onion, red chillies broken into small pieces, jeera, ground nuts (coarsely powdered) and mix well.
- In a kadai, put one teaspoon oil and when it is hot, add the mustard and when it pops up, add the urad dhal and fry till it turns golden brown.
- Add asafetida and curry leaves. Add this seasoning to the flour.
- Sprinkle water little by little and make a soft dough (should be thicker than adai batter and softer than chapatti dough).
- Heat a tawa and grease with oil. Keep the flame on medium.
- Take an orange size dough and put it on the tawa.
- Wet your fingers in water and gently press the dough and spread it round.
- Pour one teaspoon oil around the corners. Cook on medium flame till turns it colour.
- Turnover and cook other side also.
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Sweets And Savories
Ragi Halwa or Ragi Manni
Ingredients
- Ragi flour – 100g
- Powdered sugar – 100g
- Ghee – 100g
- Cardamom powder – 1 pinch
- Cashew nuts – 10g
Method of preparation
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Ragi Pakora (Finger Millet Friters)
Ingredients
- Finger millet flour(Ragi) - 1 cup
- Onion - 1
- Garlic - 3 cloves
- Cumin seeds - 1 spoon
- Red chili powder - 1/2 spoon
- Salt - to taste
- Oil - 1/2 to 1 cup(to deep fry)
Method of preparation
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Ragi Biscuit
Ingredients
- 2 cups ragi flour
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup butter
- 1/2 tea spn cardamom powder
- 1 tea spn baking powder
Method of preparation
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Ragi Murukku
Ingredients
- Ragi flour - 1 cup
- Besan flour - 1 cup
- Rice flour - 1/4 cup
- Cumin seeds - 1 tspn
- Pepper powder, Chili powder and Salt - to taste
- Oil - to deep fry
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Ragi Vada
Ingredients
- Ragi flour : 2 cups
- Curry Leaves : 1 stick
- Onion : 1 big chopped fine
- Red chillies : 3
- Ginger : 1 inch piece
- Cumin seeds : 1 tsp
- Peanuts : ½ cup
- Oil : to fry
- Salt : to taste
- Chilli Flakes : to taste
Method of preparation
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Ragi Eggless Cake
This sweet is to increase the nutritive value of the goodies we make. The Ragi cake was moist and delicious.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of refined flour
- 1/2 cup of Ragi flour
- 1/2 cup of sugar
- 1 tsp. Baking powder
- 1/2 tsp of Baking soda
- 5 tsp. of thick curds or Yogurt
- 1/4 cup of oil
- A pinch of salt
- 1 tsp. of Cinnamon powder
- 3-4 tsp. of Chocolate syrup
- A few nuts of your choice
Method of preparation
Step 1: Sift the two flours and add baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in it.
Take another vessel and add sugar and oil in it. Whisk it till the sugar is dissolved.
Step 2: Pour the curd and the chocolate syrup into it and mix it lightly. Add a few nuts of your choice.
Step 3: Add this liquid mixture to the dry ingredients and gently stir it with light hands for 7-8 times. Pour the batter into the baking tin. Sprinkle a little of granulated sugar over the batter.
Step 4: Grease a baking tin, by using the Jelly mold for this cake. Preheat the oven to 180°C for 10 minutes keeping the baking vessel inside the oven.Take out the hot vessel from the oven carefully and pour the prepared cake batter into it.
Step 5: Bake the Ragi cake for 30 minutes at 180°C . Remove from the oven and check the baked cake by inserting a knife or tooth pick into it. If it comes clean than the cake is baked.
Keep the cake out for 10-15 minutes to cool down before slicing it.
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Ragi Laddu
Ingredients
- 1 cup Ragi Flour.
- 1/2 cup melted ghee.
- 1/2 tspn cardamon powder.
- 3 tbspn milk/cream.
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Method of preparation
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Health Drinks
Ragi Malt
Ragi malt is popular as poor man’s or farmers health drink because of ready availability, low prices for the grain and nutritious, filling quality.
Recipe: for two cups
- 1 tablespoon of ragi flour
- 1 glass of water or milk
- 2 tsp of sugar or powdered jaggery
- 1/2 tsp of powdered cardamom
Method of preparation
Step1: Take the ragi flour in a cup. Add half glass water slowly. Combine to smooth, lump free paste. Do not add the flour directly to boiling water, it will clump into lumps
Step 2: Take one glass of water or milk in a vessel. Preparing this drink with milk alone is too rich, so add few drops of milk to water
Step 3: Heat till the water reaches boiling stage. Then add the dissolved ragi flour solution slowly to the boiling water (milk), continuously stirring with a spoon. This will prevent the formation of lumps. If you add the flour mix to water before the boiling stage, the flour will separate and it won’t be suitable to drinking. You have to throw it away, so wait for water (milk) to start boiling, and then add the flour mix. This step is very important in preparing the good ragi malt
Step 4: Add sugar or jaggery per your taste and pinch of cardamom (Elachi) powder.
Step 5: Reduce the heat to medium level, and simmer the ragi malt for 5 minutes, stirring in-between. Turn off the heat.Let it cool to warm, and then pour into a glass or cup
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Ragi Sprouts Porridge
Ragi Sprouts Porridge is also an diet food and highly nutritious meal for babies.Ingredients
- Ragi – 1 cup
- Wheat grains – 1 cup
- Green moong dal – 1 cup
- Almonds – 2 to 3
- Pinch of green cardamom powder
Metho of preparation
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Ragi Soup (Kezhvaragu Kanki)
Ingredients
- Ragi flour - 2 spoons
- Water - 2 cups
- Curd - 1/2 cup
- Salt - to tast
Method of preparation
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Ragi Morekozh
Ingredients
- Ragi maavu ( finger millet flour) - 100gm
- Moremilagai - 2
- Sour buttermilk - 200 ml
- Mustard - 1/2 tsp
- Salt - as required
- Oil - as needed
Method of preparation
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GALLERY
