Ragi Koozh (pronounced ‘Cool’) is a savory drink, very popular in the Southern parts of India. Known as Farmer food, this is an ideal Summer breakfast as it is filling, keeps your stomach cool, and keeps your energy levels high.
Benefits of Ragi:
- Aids weight loss
- Cools your body
- Regulates Blood Sugar Levels
- Reduces Bad Cholesterol
- Helps Digestion
- Rich in Iron, so a great boost for Anemia
- Slows skin aging
- Loaded with Calcium
- Gluten-free
How to make Ragi Koozh:
Ingredients:
A) 1 Tbsp Broken Rice (White /Brown/Red, your choice of rice. Give Raw rice a quick twirl in a blender, and what you get is broken rice) + 5 Cups Water
B) 3/4th Cup Ragi Flour
1and a half Cup Water
C) ½ Glass Buttermilk
Method:
- Heat the 5 Cups of Water, add the broken rice to it and cook until the rice is slightly overcooked.
- Add the Ragi Flour to the Water and mix well.
Add the Ragi mix (B) to the boiling water (A) and mix well together while it cooks.
The mixture will start thickening. Keep Stirring.
Once it starts bubbling switch off the flame. Do not panic even if the mixture is too thick or gluggy.
Let this mixture cool completely. It HAS to cool down to room temperature.
When cool, add the Buttermilk ( C ) give it a good stir, cover, and keep aside to ferment overnight at room temperature.
The next day, add salt to taste and more Buttermilk to get the desired consistency.
A Porridge/Smoothie-like consistency is what is the ideal Ragi Koozh consistency, but you could make it a more runny consistency too.
Pour in a mug or glass, add/garnish with finely chopped Onions (optional) and enjoy.
Tips:
I make Ragi Koozh at around 6 ish in the evening. It takes a while to cool, so by the time I am ready to hit the bed it has cooled down and I can add the buttermilk to it, cover it and keep it aside for the overnight fermentation process.
Cooking it in an Earthen Pot enhances the flavor, but if you don’t have one, go ahead and cook it in a Steel Utensil.
Onion is also a coolant, and just adds crunch and enhances the taste of the Koozh. Avoid adding it if you don’t want Onion Breath, or add it and pop in a mint or chew gum later.
Other garnishing suggestions are finely chopped Green Chilies and raw Mango.
Or just enjoy this glass of healthy goodness plain.
- A) 1 Tbsp Broken Rice (White /Brown/Red, your choice of rice. Give Raw rice a quick twirl in a blender, and what you get is broken rice) + 5 Cups Water
- B) ¾
- th
- Cup Ragi Flour
- 1and a half Cup Water
- C) ½ Glass Buttermilk
- Heat the 5 Cups of Water, add the broken Rice to it and cook until the rice is slightly overcooked.
- Add the Ragi Flour to the Water and mix well.
- Add the Ragi mix (B) to the boiling Water (A) and mix well together while it cooks.
- The mixture will start thickening. Keep Stirring.
- Once it starts bubbling switch off the flame. Do not panic even if the mixture is too thick or gluggy.
- Let this mixture cool completely. It HAS to cool down to room temperature .
- When cool, add the Buttermilk ( C ) give it a good stir , cover and keep aside to ferment overnight at room temperature.
- Next day, add salt to taste and more Buttermilk to get a desired consistency.
- A Porridge/Smoothie like consistency is what is the ideal Ragi Koozh consistency, but you could make it a more runny consistency too.
- Pour in a mug or glass, add / garnish with finely chopped Onions (optional) and enjoy.
I know the benefits of ragi but this is something new for me. Looks yummy and the fermentation process is something which is completely different from other recipes. Thanks for sharing it with us.
Appears one dish worth its efforts, Mayuri. Overnight fermentation seems to add to its taste!
looking delicious mouth watering
I had never heard about this dish. It is healthy and nutritious. Fermentation adds probiotics as well. I will give it a try soon.
Good one.must try,will try.
Good one.must try ,will try
Love this recipe. Just what is needed for the upcoming summer. Thanks
Can i just make a porridge with water and ragi flour and keep it overnight? I don’t want to add buttermilk or rice. Will it yet work as a probiotic. Sometimes i catch a cold with Ragi…any tips for this?
No, you have to add Buttermilk and rice, to get the full taste and nutrition. Having this will not give you a cold.
Fermented dishes are rich in a vital vitamin called K2. This K2 helps in moving calcium from the blood stream to their rightful place in the bones. The absence of K2 will result in calcium in the blood stream to form calcination in the arteries resulting host of issues including heart problems, arthritis and gout. Fermented Koolz helped me get relieved from chronic gout as calcination in the arteries were not enabling the uric acid removal. K2 vitamin from the fermented Koolz helped in removing the calcination and restoring the blood flow.