Ragi malt

Name: Ragi malt
Prep time: 3 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 13 min
Ingredients: 30 g finger millet flour (ragi), about 3 tbsp; 300 ml water; 25 g jaggery / palm sugar, grated; 200 ml milk, warm; ⅛ tsp ground cardamom

Vegetarian

ರಾಗಿ ಮಾಲ್ಟ್ · rāgi mālṭ

A warm, smooth Karnataka drink of finger millet flour cooked in jaggery water until glossy, then loosened with milk and scented with cardamom.

Ragi malt is an Indian hot drink, ready in about 13 minutes and made with finger millet flour (ragi) and jaggery / palm sugar. It serves 2 and is rated beginner to cook.

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Prep: 3 min
Cook: 10 min
Total: 13 min
Serves: 2
Level: Beginner
Calories: 168

Ingredients

2 cups

30 g Finger millet flour (ragi) (opens in a new tab), about 3 tbsp
300 ml Water (opens in a new tab)
25 g Jaggery / palm sugar (opens in a new tab), gratedSwap: Sugar
200 ml Milk (opens in a new tab), warmSwap: Almond milk (unsweetened); Oat milkContains milk
⅛ tsp (0.5 g) Ground cardamom (opens in a new tab)

Equipment

Method

1
Step 1
Whisk (opens in a new tab) the ragi flour (opens in a new tab) into 100 ml cold water until no lumps remain.
- 1 min
- Whisk (opens in a new tab)
How it looks · Photo: Kampus Production on Pexels
2
Step 2
Heat the remaining 200 ml water with the jaggery until dissolved, then strain out any grit and return to the pan.
- 3 min
- medium heat
- Saucepan (opens in a new tab)
- Sieve / strainer (opens in a new tab)
How it looks · Photo: Katerina Holmes on Pexels
3
Step 3
Pour in the ragi slurry, stirring constantly, and cook on low heat for 5–6 minutes until thick, glossy and no longer tasting raw.
- 6 min
- low heat
It thickens suddenly; keep stirring so it does not lump or catch.
4
Step 4
Take off the heat, stir in the warm milk (opens in a new tab) and cardamom until smooth and pourable, and serve warm.
- 1 min
Adding milk off the heat keeps the jaggery from curdling it.

About this dish

Origin: Karnataka (also Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh), Karnataka, India · Commonly attributedMore food from India
Dish: Breakfast · Snack · Hot drinks
Cooking method: Simmered
Taste: earthy, sweet, creamy, mild
Diet: Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients
All labels
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Whole-food focused · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-fat · Low-sodium
With the listed swaps: Vegan, Plant-based, Ovo-vegetarian, Dairy-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for: Budget-friendly · Everyday · Child-friendly
Cook more with: Finger millet flour (ragi) · Jaggery / palm sugar · Milk · Ground cardamom
Techniques: Simmering

Allergens

Contains, can be adapted: Milkfrom milk

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

168 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 281 g · recipe makes 2

Where the energy comes from

Protein 12%
Carbohydrate 67%
Fat 21%

Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
Nutrient	Per serving	Per 100 g*
Energy	168 kcal	60 kcal
Protein	4.9 g	1.7 g
Carbohydrate	28.6 g	10.2 g
Net carbohydrate	28 g	10 g
Sugars	17.6 g	6.3 g
Added sugars	12.1 g	4.3 g
Fibre	0.6 g	0.2 g
Fat	4 g	1.4 g
Saturated fat	2 g	0.7 g
Trans fat	—	—
Cholesterol	—	—
Sodium	51 mg	18 mg
Salt equivalent	0.1 g	0 g

Vitamins & minerals per serving

Potassium: 188 mg
Calcium: 144 mg
Iron: 0.7 mg
Magnesium: 33 mg
Vitamin A (RAE): —
Vitamin C: 0 mg
Vitamin D: —
Vitamin B12: —
Folate (DFE): 12 µg

How these numbers were made

Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
*Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
Finger millet flour (ragi): Millet flour (FDC 172023) used as a stand-in; finger millet is notably higher in calcium, so calcium is understated.
Jaggery / palm sugar: Brown sugar (FDC 168833) used as a stand-in for unrefined cane jaggery and palm sugar.
“—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

For toddlers, many families make it thinner and skip the cardamom.

Common mistakes

Adding dry ragi flour straight to hot water, which forms lumps.

Storage

Best fresh; keeps 1 day in the fridge.

Reheating

It thickens on standing; reheat gently with a splash of milk or water.

Variations

Ragi ambli (India): Savoury version: cook the ragi in water, cool, then thin with buttermilk and season with salt, onion and green chilli.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added 29 Oct 2026 · Updated 8 Nov 2026

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Customise in Sip & BlendCompare with

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Finger millet flour (ragi), about 3 tbsp30 g
Milk, warm200 ml · 206 g

Used in steps 1, 4

Less sweet, dairy-free, caffeine-free or for more people — the original stays as it is.

Customise in Sip & Blend

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