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We all enjoy munching on something or the other with our evening cup of tea, but more often than not, tea-time snacks are loaded with ingredients harmful to health. Here comes ragi, the supergrain loaded with calcium, fibre, and essential amino acids, considered healthy owing to its benefits over refined grains. It can be incorporated into your diet in the form of wholesome snacks in an array of ways. Whether you are in the mood for something crunchy or sweet, ragi offers a healthier, yet deliciously tasty alternative. This makes for delectable cookies, savoury ribbon chips, and even traditional Indian snacks like namakpare and murukku. The versatility of this grain makes it a great option for health-conscious individuals who still want to enjoy their tea-time treats without compromising on taste. Let's take a glance at some of these quick ragi snacks that can add flavour and nutrition to your tea-time routine.
Ragi Matthi
Matthi, one of the popular Indian savoury snacks gets a healthy makeover with the use of ragi flour. Crispy, deep-fried disks come out when the concoction is fried in oil; this will be good company for your evening chai. Mix ragi with a bit of whole wheat flour, carom seeds, sesame seeds, and salt to prepare Ragi Matthi. To bind the dough, a dash of ghee or oil is added. After that, the small discs are rolled out and fried until golden brown. Your crispy and earthy snack comes out which, along with satisfying your cravings also brings the health benefits of ragi forward. Matthi can be kept for days in an air-tight container. So, here it goes as a perfect make-ahead snack.
Ragi Namakpare
Namakpare is another Indian snack which is usually done with the help of maida or refined flour. You can use the ragi flour as an alternative to make it healthier. First, knead the ragi flour with ajwain, cumin seeds, a bit of whole wheat flour, salt, and oil. Roll out the dough thin, cut long strips, and fry them to crisp. These salty morsels are just the right thing to munch during tea time, and you can have them with chutneys or plain. A lot healthy and filling, Ragi Namakpare serves up a satisfying crunch without any guilt by using refined ingredients.
Ragi Cookies
If you prefer having something sweet to go with your cup of tea, then Ragi Cookies are the way to go. These cookies are not only delectable but are filled with the goodness of fiber and calcium. Mix ragi flour with jaggery or brown sugar, a pinch of butter or oil, and essences like cardamom or vanilla. You can also add nuts or chocolate chips for that extra crunch. Bake the dough until the cookies become crunchy outside and soft inside. These cookies can be stored for up to a week, hence it is one of the wholesome and convenient pairings to be had with your chai.
Ragi Ribbon Chips
The ribbon chips are thin and crunchy snack items available in ribbon shapes and consumed everywhere, prepared commonly with rice or chickpea flour. Ragi Ribbon Chips are the health-friendly avatar of this favourite snack. These doughs are made of a mixture of ragi flour, rice flour, and spices such as chilli powder, turmeric, and sesame seeds. The special ribbon mould gives the dough its cylindrical shape after it has been fried to perfection. Thinness lends crispiness to the chips, while the addition of ragi gives them an earthy flavour along with the nutritional value. These chips are a great snack to have in your drawer for whenever hunger strikes.
Ragi Murukku
A Traditional Twist Murukku, commonly known as murukku in South India, is a snack made primarily using rice flour and urad dal. Replacing some of the rice flour with ragi flour makes this snack a great deal healthier with absolutely no compromise on flavour. First, mix ragi flour with rice flour, add some spices to taste, cumin, sesame seeds, and asafoetida. The dough is pressed to shape using a murukku press and deep-fried until crisp. Crisp fried spirals as a perfect tea-time snack filled with the wholesome goodness of ragi.
