Finger millet
Finger Millet grains of mixed color.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Monocots
(unranked):	Commelinids
Order:	Poales
Family:	Poaceae
Subfamily:	Chloridoideae
Genus:	Eleusine
Species:	E. coracana
Binomial name
Eleusine coracana Gaertn.

Eleusine coracana, including African finger millet and caracan millet (koracan),^[1] is an annual plant widely grown as a cereal in the arid areas of Africa and Asia. E. coracana is originally native to the Ethiopian Highlands^[2] and was introduced into India approximately 4,000 years ago.^{[citation needed]} It is very adaptable to higher elevations and is grown in the Himalaya up to 2,300 metres in elevation.

Cultivation[link]

Eleusine coracana is often intercropped with legumes such as peanuts (Arachis hypogea), cowpeas (Vigna sinensis), and pigeon peas (Cajanus cajan), or other plants such as Niger seeds (Guizotia abyssinica).

Although statistics on individual millet species are confused, and are sometimes combined with sorghum, it is estimated that finger millet is grown on approximately 38,000 km².

India is a major cultivator of finger millet with a total cultivated area of 15870 km². The state of Karnataka is the leading producer of finger millet, locally called as Ragi, accounting for 58% of India's Ragi production. ^[3]

Finger millet

Storage[link]

Once harvested, the seeds keep extremely well and are seldom attacked by insects or moulds. The long storage capacity makes finger millet an important crop in risk-avoidance strategies for poorer farming communities.

Nutrition[link]

Finger millet 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. Finger millet can be ground and cooked into cakes, puddings or porridge. The grain is made into a fermented drink (or beer) in Nepal and in many parts of Africa. The straw from finger millet is used as animal fodder. It is also used for as a flavoured drink in festivals

Nutritive value of Ragi per 100 g

Protein 7.3 g

Fat 1.4 g

Carbohydrate 72 g

Minerals 2.7 g

Calcium 344 mg

Fibre 3.6 g

Energy 328 kCal

Preparation as food[link]

In Karnataka, Ragi flour is boiled in water and the resultant preparation, called Ragi Mudde is eaten with Sambar.

In India, finger millet (locally called ragi) is mostly grown and consumed in Karnataka, Rajasthan ^[4], Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Orissa, Maharashtra, Kumaon(Uttarakhand) and Goa.^[5] Ragi flour is made into flatbreads, including thick, leavened dosa and thinner, unleavened roti. Ragi grain is malted and the grains are ground. This ground flour is consumed mixed with milk, boiled water or yoghurt.

In Karnataka, ragi flour is generally consumed in the form of ragi balls (ರಾಗಿ ಮುದ್ದೆ ragi mudde in Kannada). It is the staple diet of majority of Kannadigas, especially in the rural areas. The mudde which is prepared by cooking the Ragi flour with water to achieve a dough like consistency. Which is then rolled into 'balls' of desired size and consumed. Ghee with huLi, Saaru, sambar or another chicken curry is generally served along with these balls. Mudde is broken with fingers into small chunks, dipped in saaru or curry and swallowed without chewing.

In Andhra Pradesh Ragi Sankati (Telugu), which are ragi balls are eaten in the morning with a chilli, onions, sambar (lentil based stew)or meat curry and helps them sustain throughout the whole day.

In Orissa the tribal and Western hilly regions ragi or (ମାଣ୍ଡିଆ)Mandiaa is a staple food.The porridge and Pithas made up of ragi are more popular among village folk.

Finger millet in its commonly consumed form as a porridge

In Maharashtra, bhakri (भाकरी in Marathi; also called ಭಕ್ರಿ bhakri in Northern Karnataka), a type of flat bread is prepared using finger millet (ragi) flour. Bhakri is called ರಾಗಿ ರೊಟ್ಟಿ (ragi rotti in Kannada) in Karnataka. In Goa ragi is very popular and satva, pole (dosa), bhakri, ambil (a sour porridge) are very common preparations.

In Nepal, a thick dough made of millet flour (ḍhĩḍo ढिंडो) is cooked and eaten with the hand. Fermented millet is used to make a beer (jããḍ जाँड) and the mash is distilled to make a liquor (rakśi रक्शी).

In the northwest of Vietnam, finger millet is used as a medicine for women when they give birth. A minority used finger millet flour to make alcohol (bacha alcohol is a good drink of the H'mong minority).

In the Kumaon region of northern India, it is called Maddua and is traditionally fed to women after child birth. In southern parts of India, pediatricians recommend finger-millet-based food for infants of six months and above because of its high nutritional content, especially Iron and calcium. Home made Ragi malt happens to be one of the most popular infant food even to this day. In Tamil Nadu, ragi is considered to be the holy food of Amman, otherwise knowns as "Goddess Kali". Every small or large festival of this goddess is celebrated with, women making porridge in the temples and distributing it to the poor and needy. This porridge is called Kuzl which is a staple diet in farming communities alongside raw onion.

In India, Ragi recipes are hundreds in number and even common food stuffs such as dosa, idly and laddu are made out of ragi.

In Sri Lanka, Finger millet is called Kurakkan and is made into:

Kurakkan roti: An earthy brown thick roti with coconut

Thallapa: A thick dough made of ragi by boiling it with water and some salt until like a dough ball, it is then eaten with a very spicy meat cury and is usually swallowed in small balls than chewing.

Puttu: Puttu is a traditional breakfast of Kerala, usually made with Rice powder together with coconut grating and steamed in a cylindrical steamer. The preparation is also made with Ragi powder, which is supposed to be more nutritive.

Uses[link]

A traditional food plant in Africa, millet has the potential to improve nutrition, boost food security, foster rural development and support sustainable landcare.^[6]

Common names for finger millet[link]

• Arabic: Tailabon
• Chinese: 穇子 (Traditional), 䅟子 (Simplified), cǎnzi (pinyin)
• Danish: Fingerhirse
• Dhivehi: ބިންބި Binbi
• English: Finger millet, African millet, ragi, koracan
• Ethiopia: Dagussa (Amharic/Sodo), tokuso (amharic), barankiya (Oromo)
• French: eleusine cultivee, coracan, koracan
• German: Fingerhirse
• India:
  • Ragi ರಾಗಿ (Kannada)
  • Ragi రాగి (Telugu)
  • Ragi in Hindi
  • Kodra in Himachali ( Himachal Pradesh )
  • Mandia (Oriya)
  • Taidalu (in the Telangana region)
  • Kezhvaragu (கேழ்வரகு), kay.pai (கேப்பை), Aariyam (ஆரியம்)(Tamil)
  • Muthary ( Panjipul or kooravu (Malayalam)
  • Maddua (Kumaon)
  • Nachani नाचणी / Ragee रागी (Marathi & Gujarati)
  • Nachani नाचणी / Ragee रागी (Rajasthani)
  • Madua (Bihar, especially in Mithila region)
  • Nasne/Nachne/Nathno नासणे/नाचणे (Konkani)

• Japan: 四国稗 シコクビエ Shikokubie
• Kenya: Wimbi (Swahili), Kal (Dholuo), Ugimbi (Kikuyu and Meru)
• Korea: 수수 (Susu)

Fields of finger millet in the Annapurna-region of Nepal.

• Nepal: कोदो Kodo
• Nigeria: Tamba (Hausa)
• Rwanda: Uburo
• Sri Lanka: කුරක්කන් குரக்கன் (Kurakkan)
• Sudan: Tailabon (Arabic), ceyut (Bari)
• Tanzania: (Swahili) Mbege, mwimbi, Wimbi, ulezi,
• Uganda: Bulo
• Vietnam: Hong mi, Chi ke
• Zambia: Kambale, lupoko, mawele, majolothi, amale, bule
• Zimbabwe: Rapoko, zviyo, njera, rukweza, mazhovole, uphoko, poho

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ragi

Wikibooks Cookbook has a recipe/module on Category:Ragi flour-based recipes

• Rag(i)s to Riches by Vikram Doctor
• Crop Wild Relatives Gap Analysis reliable information source on where and what to conserve ex-situ, regarding Eleusine genepool
• Various Particulars of Ragi
• Ethiopian Plant Names