Ragi mudde – nati koli saaru (country chicken chowder) is the traditional South Karnataka meal among farming households.Typical Mandya style of ragi mudde, boti gojju
Ragi mudde, ragi sangati or kali, colloquially simply referred to as either mudde or hittu which means 'lump' or 'dough' is a finger milletswallow dish of India in the state of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh (Rayalaseema region).[1] In Tamil Nadu, especially in western Tamil Nadu, it is also called ragi kali. Ragi mudde is the main food in Kolar, Mandya, Hassan, Mysore, Tumkur districts in Karnataka and Rayalaseema Region in Andhra Pradesh. A similar variation known as Dhindo is also eaten in Northeast India, Nepal and Bhutan. In Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh in northern India, a similar variation is known as Baadi and Baari respectively.[2]
Preparation
Ragi mudde[3] has only two ingredients, ragi (finger millet) flour and water. A tablespoon of ragi flour is first mixed with water to make a very thin paste and later added to a thick-bottomed vessel containing water on a stove top. As this mixture boils and reaches the brim of the vessel, ragi flour is added which forms a mound on top of boiling water. Once the ragi flour is added, it requires immediate mixing (to avoid lumps) with the help of a wooden stick (Kannada: ಮುದ್ದೆ ಕೋಲು: mudde kolu/Kannada: ಹಿಟ್ಟಿನ ದೊಣ್ಣೆ: hiTTin doNNe); the flour is beaten to a smooth dough-like consistency with no lumps. Then it is allowed to cook on medium-high flame. This hot dough is then rested on low heat before being rounded on a wooden board into tennis-ball-sized balls with wet hands. Thus prepared ragi balls are broken down into smaller balls using fingers and dipped into saaru (Kannada: ಸಾರು)/hesru (Kannada: ಹೆಸ್ರು), chutney or gojju. Ragi is not supposed to be chewed.
Mudde, by itself, does not have a strong taste. Ragi mudde is traditionally eaten with saaru (made of greens with sprouted grams [whole pulses], meat or vegetables), but can also be eaten with yogurt or buttermilk. The saaru is often flavoured by mixing a dash of spicy, freshly ground green-chilli paste (Kannada: ಖಾರ, khaara), in one's plate according to taste. Ragi mudde-bassaru is a popular combination among the farming communities in Karnataka. Bassaru is made from the decanted water which remains after an assortment of pulses are steamed, usually along with a couple of pods of garlic. This water takes up the earthy flavour of the pulses to nicely complement the earthy flavour of the mudde itself. Onions, red chillies, and some garlic are browned, and then ground into a paste along with grated coconut. This is added to the water, and the mixture is finally seasoned with oggarane.[4] The steamed pulses themselves are often used to prepare a dry side salad known as palya (Kannada: ಪಲ್ಯ).
There are numerous variations of bassaru, which each yield a differently named (usually, eponymous with the major ingredient) saaru. Bassaru is itself a portmanteau of bas(tira) (Kannada: ಬಸ್ತಿರ) ('steamed') and saaru. Uppesru (Kannada: ಉಪ್ಪೆಸ್ರು)/uppsaaru (Kannada: ಉಪ್ಪ್ಸಾರು) is another common accompaniment to mudde. This is often simply a stew comprising steamed horsegram, as well as the water used to steam it, with added salt. Sometimes, hyacinth-beans (Kannada: ಅವರೇಕಾಳುavarekaaLu) replace the horsegram. The horsegram version is also known as hurLi saaru (Kannada: ಹುರಳಿ ಸಾರು).
Ragi mudde is rich in the same nutrients that are found in finger millet, namely fibre, calcium, and iron.
Eaten with
Ragi mudde is consumed with the famous Karnataka-style upsaaru, bassaaru or nati koli saaru (chicken curry) or menthyada gojju (sweet and sour dish made of fenugreek and tamarind). In most of southern Karnataka/old Mysore it is eaten almost daily. Many luxury hotels serve ragi mudde on special occasions. In the Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh, it is eaten with pappu and chatnee. Ragi sankati is also a main food in Anantapur district. It is served in almost all hotels in Anantapur district.
