Finger Millet Halwa | Ragi Halbai | Ragi Manni – with step by step photos, description and video of the recipe is here. Gluten free, Tasty, healthy, and soft sweet made using Ragi/Finger millet and jaggery. This is delicious when served with ghee/clarified butter.
Ragi Halbai is a traditional sweet from Karnataka made using Ragi (Finger millet), coconut and jaggery. Halbai or halubai means the extract of milk from the grain/millet. Halbai sweet is a very famous dish from the south canara region of Karnataka. Also Ragi/ finger millet dishes are common in South India, it is consumed in many ways like Ragi porridge, Ragi dosa, Ragi Rotti, Ragi Idli, and most importantly Ragi Mudde (Ragi balls).
Ragi/Finger millet/Nachni is a whole grain that is gluten-free and a staple in South India. Rich in fibre, helps in weight loss and good for diabetics. Also it is packed with calcium, good carbs, amino acids and Vitamin D. The low glycemic index lessens food cravings and helps maintain blood sugar.
Finger Millet Halwa | Ragi Halbai | Ragi Manni,
Furthermore, Halbai is prepared not only from finger millet, it can be prepared using rice, wheat etc.
This time when I went to mom’s place I told mom to prepare Ragi Halbai. I absolutely love this to have with ghee. And she taught me how to prepare Ragi Halbai. I knew the process of making Halbai but never tried it.
Before going to the recipe here are some recipe you may would like to check out,
Lauki Kheer | Sorekayi Payasa,
Poha Sweet Pongal | Avalakki Sihi Pongal,
Vermicelli Kheer | Semiya Payasam,
FINGER MILLET HALWA | RAGI HALBAI RECIPE VIDEO :
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RECIPE CARD FOR FINGER MILLET HALWA | RAGI HALBAI:
Finger Millet Halwa | Ragi Halbai | Ragi Manni
Ingredients
- 1 cup Ragi (Finger millet)
- 2 Cardamom
- 1 cup Jaggery
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Ghee for greasing the plate
- 1.5 – 2 cup Water or use as required
Instructions
- Take 1 cup Ragi (Finger millet), wash it well.
- Soak it for 2-3 hours.
- After 3 hours wash again and remove all the water.
- Transfer washed and soaked ragi to the blending jar.
- Add 2 pods of cardamom(remove the peel of cardamom), add half cup of water (required amount of water to blend) and blend it to a smooth paste.
- Strain through thin cloth. Add 1 cup water and squeeze the ragi milk.
- In a high heat pan, take 1 cup of jaggery. Also add 1/2 tsp of salt.
- Dissolve the jaggery and add the squeezed ragi milk.
- Keep stirring until it thickens (on a low flame).
- Once it starts leaving the edges of the pan. If it is sticking to the pan, you can add a teaspoon of ghee to it.
- Spread on a plate greased with Ghee.
- Level up by spreading uniformly.
- Rest for 30 minutes or until it comes to room temperature.
- After 30 minutes cut into desired shapes.
- Ragi Halbai is ready to serve along with ghee.
Video
Notes
HOW TO MAKE RAGI HALBAI | FINGER MILLET HALWA WITH STEP BY STEP PHOTOS:
- Take 1 cup Ragi (Finger millet), wash it well.
- Soak it for 2-3 hours.
- After 3 hours wash again and remove all the water. Transfer washed and soaked ragi to the blending jar.
- Add 2 pods of cardamom(remove the peel of cardamom).
- Add half cup of water (required amount of water to blend) and blend it to a smooth paste.
- Strain through thin cloth.
- Add 1 cup water and squeeze the ragi milk.
- In a high heat pan, take 1 cup of jaggery.
- Also add 1/2 tsp of salt.
- Dissolve the jaggery and add the squeezed ragi milk.
- Keep stirring until it thickens (on a low flame). Once it starts leaving the edges of the pan. If it is sticking to the pan, you can add a teaspoon of ghee to it.
- Spread on a plate greased with Ghee.
- Level up by spreading uniformly.
- Rest for 30 minutes or until it comes to room temperature.
- After 30 minutes cut into desired shapes.
- Ragi Halbai is ready to serve along with ghee.
TIPS & VARIATIONS:
- Firstly, you can also add 2 cups of thick coconut milk along with Ragi.
- Keep stirring on a low flame, make sure there are no lumps.
- Halbai is generally made with rice or wheat as well. Using ragi/finger millet is an option makes it healthier and gluten-free indulgence.
HEALTH BENEFITS:
Ragi/Finger millet/Nachni is a whole grain that is gluten-free and a staple in South India. Rich in fibre, helps in weight loss and good for diabetics. Also it is packed with calcium, good carbs, amino acids and Vitamin D.
Moreover, Finger millet is rich in calcium, it is one of the non-dairy sources of calcium when compared to other grains. Ragi is extremely beneficial for the growing kids, can be given in the form of porridge.
Furthermore, Finger millet is rich in insoluble fibre, helps in easy digestion. And keeps you full for longer time. Also helps in producing the red blood cells.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
1. Can we eat Ragi Everyday?
Ragi can be included in our diet on daily basis. Ragi is a great source of calcium, fibre, gluten free whole grain. It is extremely beneficial for the growing kids. Finger millet/ ragi helps in weight loss and it is good for diabetics too. Also a good source of iron, which helps to prevent anaemia.
2. What can be made from Ragi/Finger millet?
Finger Millet or Ragi is a cereal widely consumed by the people of south India. Ragi/Finger millet is used to prepare many recipes like Ragi Dosa, Ragi Idli, Ragi Rotti, Ragi porridge, Ragi Halwa and Ragi Mudde(also known as Ragi Balls).
3. Why pregnant women are recommended to have Ragi?
During pregnancy one should have healthy and balanced diet. Millets are the great choice, in all the millets Ragi is high in calcium than any other. Ragi has the nutrients that is required during pregnancy. It aids in the development of the baby since it is rich in calcium, iron, and amino acids.
Disclaimer: All content given here is for information purpose only and should not be considered to be specific for any individual. Always seek the direct advice from your doctor.
Sindhu says
I tried it. . it was great. Thank you !
Pallavi Bhat says
Thank you so much 🙂
Aruna says
Very nice. . Your recipes are good. keep posting.
Pallavi Bhat says
Thank you so much 🙂
justswad says
very tasty and Healthy recipe. The way of explaining recipe is very nice.thanks for sharing such a delicious recipe .
Pallavi Bhat says
Glad that it was helpful to you. Keep supporting.