It should instead be nutritious Double Chocolate Chip Ragi Cookies. Why do I say its Nutritious?Because it has -Ragi(Finger Millet) and Whole Wheat flour* instead of Refined Flour(Maida) -Jaggery Instead of Refined Sugar Added Bonus-These are Eggfree and take 15 minutes to put together including the time taken for baking. Read more about millets and how they compare with wheat and rice on my how to introduce Millets in our diets.
What is Ragi / Finger Millet?
Ragi is a millet which has been touted as the super grain of india when infant its a very ancient grain which has been cultivated from centuries.It is quite a staple in the southern part of India.Its used extensively in Karnataka in making dosas, flatbreads and Muddes(ragi balls) along with sambhar and chuteny. It has a lot of local names in India- Its called Nachani or Mandua in the North India,Kezhvaragu in Tamil Nadu. It is a very small brown grain and because its too small to be polished or processed its usually consumed in its most natural form.It’s one of the first foods given to babies in the southern regions of India because of its high nutritious value.It’s an excellent source of natural Iron and Calcium and because of its low glycemic index it also controls diabetes.It’s known as Nachni or Finger millet in other parts of India. Finger Millet is a difficult grain to bake with but the health benefits are such that you want to incorporate this grain in your daily diet.Usually baking with Ragi results in a very sandy texture which crumbles the minute you bite into it(in a bad way).The taste is also not very palatable.Read more about millets and how they compare with wheat and rice on my how to introduce Millets in our diets. But these cookies are not the second rated option you have to adopt in the name of health.These are as delicious as they are healthy. Crunchy on the outside and soft inside.Perfect for those lazy chais in the balcony and more importantly for your Childs tiffin boxMy child doesn’t go to school yet but if and when he did I am sure these along with these Healthy Cheese Muffins & Healthy Chocolate Bliss Balls will be in my everyday snack tiffin.
What can be used as an alternative to Jaggery to make these Healthy Millet Cookies?
You can use jaggery, palm sugar or coconut sugar.The jaggery acts as a binding agent for these cookies so its important you don’t substitute it with refined sugar.Using coconut sugar gives it a dark decadent taste which enhances the chocolate in the cookie and if you can get your hands on it then its a better option.
To make these Healthy Double Chocolate Chip Ragi Cookies
You need to use fresh ragi flour for this.As Ragi is unprocessed, the shelf life of the flour is very less, less than a month, hence its imperative that your flour is fresh. The other important point of make or break is in the dough.It should be pliable and sticky enough to make soft balls.If your dough isn’t coming together but instead is very crumbly then either the butter-jaggery mix was too hot when you mixed it in or it just needs a little bit more milk. Only difficulty while making these cookies are ,that they burn easily so you should be on a lookout for them from the 8th minute in the oven.
Alternatives and Variants to this Finger Millet Cookie
You can make these cookies even more nutrient rich by adding almonds and walnuts to it.Soft dried fruits like dates, cranberries and raisins will also work very well in this recipe.
How and where to buy Ragi/Finger Millet
All of your organic shops and local kinara shops should have these.You can also order the from Bigbasket and amazon.I usually order Urban Platter Toasted Ragi Flour and 24 Mantra Organic Ragi Flour from amazon once every month.If you are based out of Bangalore Healthy Buddha Organics is also a great option for organic produce. Before you dive into this recipe- I have bookmarked some more healthy, easy to make kid friendly recipes which are high on nutrient and loved by all kids- Healthy Cheese Muffins | Healthy Chocolate Bliss Balls | Healthy Oats and Raisin Cookies | Healthy Banana Raisin Muffins Read more about millets and how they compare with wheat and rice on my how to introduce Millets in our diets. For more everyday Millet recipe inspirations- follow my millet board on PINTREST SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSaveSaveSave SaveSaveSaveSave SaveSave
