Ragi roti or nachni roti are rustic and healthy rotis made with ragi aka finger millet flour and whole wheat flour. Ragi is one ingredient I tend to use often in the food I make as its rich in calcium and protein. Made with minimal ingredients these healthy rotis can be served with any vegetable or lentil dish.
One of the best and easiest way to use ragi is by making ragi chapatis or ragi rotis. So I often add some ragi flour in the whole wheat flour and make chapatis. At times I also add jowar flour, gram flour, bajra flour and make multigrain rotis.
This ragi roti is similar to the way Phulka or Jowar roti are made. I make ragi roti and ragi pooris using this method. I vary the proportion by 1:1 or 2:1 of ragi flour and whole wheat flour. In this recipe post, I have used 2:1 proportion of ragi flour and whole wheat flour respectively.
Adding whole wheat flour makes it easier to roll the ragi chapatis. This recipe is not the Karnataka version of ragi roti which is made with a different technique and method.
It’s no rocket science to make this Ragi Roti, and once the dough is kneaded and rested for about 20 minutes, you can start preparing the rotis or chapattis, just like the way you do with your regular whole wheat flour dough. The final thing is also to roast these rotis on a tawa or griddle. Keep these rotis soft by applying some ghee (clarified butter) or oil on them.
The taste and texture of these ragi roti is similar to Bajra roti. It is best to serve them hot.
You can serve nachni roti with any sabzi, stir fry, dal or legumes curry like usal or gutti vankaya kura or sprouts curry recipe or ennegayi recipe or baingan bharta.
Step-by-Step Guide
How to make ragi roti
Making Ragi Dough
1. Take 2 cups ragi flour and 1 cup whole wheat flour in a parat (large plate) or a large bowl. Also, add 1 teaspoon salt or add as required.
2. Mix everything with a spoon.
3. Add 1.5 cups of hot boiling water. You can heat water in a pan or in an electric kettle.
4. Mix with a spoon. After mixing wait for a few minutes till the heat is enough to handle.
5. Then begin to knead when the mixture is still hot. Once you are able to form the dough, then keep on sprinkling warm water bit by bit and knead till you get a soft dough.
6. The dough should be soft. Cover and let the dough rest for 20 minutes.
7. Then make medium sized balls from the dough.
Making ragi roti
8. Flatten the ball. Sprinkle some whole wheat flour or ragi flour on the dough ball. Turn on the gas stove and put the tawa to make it hot. The tawa has to be sufficiently hot to make soft rotis.
9. While tawa is getting hot, start rolling the dough ball into a flat round circle. Add more flour if required, so that while rolling the dough does not break.
In case the dough starts sticking to the rolling pin, then sprinkle some flour on the roti evenly and continue to roll it.
10. Place the ragi roti on the hot tawa. Keep the flame to high.
11. First roast one side. It should be less than half cooked or about one-fourth cooked as shown in the pic below. Then flip the roti. Turn and cook the other side.
The second side should be a little bit more cooked than the first side. Some brown spots should be visible.
12. Now hold the roti with tongs and keep the first side which was cooked, directly on the fire. Keep on moving roti with the tongs roasting the edges as well.
15. The roti will start to puff.
16. When the roti has puffed well, then turn and keep the other side on fire and roast ragi roti for some seconds. Avoid burning the rotis and also don’t overdo the fire roasting as then these ragi rotis become dense.
17. Remove and place them in a roti basket/roti dabba or casserole.
18. Spread some ghee oor oil on the rotis. Applying ghee or oil keeps these rotis soft. Ragi rotis made with this method is ideally served hot.
If you cannot serve them hot, then you can keep them in a container that keeps food warm like a casserole or in a roti basket. Make ragi chapati this way and stack them in the roti dabba if not serving straight away.
18. Serve ragi roti hot or warm with any Indian vegetable dish or dal of your choice.
More roti varieties for you!
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Ragi Roti
Rustic and healthy nachni roti made with ragi aka finger millet flour and whole wheat flour.
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Total Time 40 mins
Prevent your screen from going dark while making the recipe
making dough
Take 2 cups ragi flour and 1 cup atta in a parat or a large bowl. Also add 1 teaspoon salt or add as required.
Mix everything with a spoon. Add 1.5 cups hot boiling water.
Mix with a spoon. After mixing wait for a few minutes till heat is enough to handle.
Then begin to knead when the mixture is still hot. Once you are able to form the dough, then keep on sprinkling warm water bit by bit and knead till you get a soft dough.
The dough should be soft. Cover and let dough rest for 20 minutes. then make medium sized balls from the dough.
rolling ragi roti
Flatten the ball. Sprinkle some whole wheat flour or ragi flour on the dough ball. Turn on the gas stove and put the tawa to make it hot. The tawa has to be sufficiently hot to make soft rotis.
While tawa is getting hot, start rolling the dough ball into a flat round circle. Add more flour if required, so that while rolling the dough does not break.
In case the dough starts sticking to the rolling pin, then sprinkle some flour on the roti evenly and continue to roll it.
cooking ragi roti
Place the roti on the hot tawa. Keep the flame to high.
First roast one side. It should be less than half cooked or about one-fourth cooked.
Turn and cook the other side. This side should be a little bit more cooked than the first side. Some brown spots should be visible.
Now hold the roti with tongs and keep the first side which was cooked, directly on fire. Keep on moving roti with the tongs roasting the edges as well.
The roti will start to puff.
When the roti has puffed well, then turn and keep the other side on fire and roast roti for some seconds. Avoid burning the rotis and also don’t overdo the fire roasting as then these rotis become dense.
Remove and place them in a roti basket/roti dabba or casserole.
Spread some ghee on the rotis. Applying ghee or oil keep these nachni roti soft. Rotis made with this method is ideally served hot.
If you cannot serve them hot, then you can keep them in a container that keeps food warm like a casserole or in a roti basket. Make rotis this way and stack them in the roti dabba if not serving straight away.
Serve ragi roti with any indian vegetable dish or dal of your choice.
- Recipe can be doubled or tripled.
Nutrition Facts
Ragi Roti
Amount Per Serving
Calories 168 Calories from Fat 36
% Daily Value*
Fat 4g6%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Monounsaturated Fat 1g
Cholesterol 11mg4%
Sodium 159mg7%
Potassium 158mg5%
Carbohydrates 28g9%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 135IU3%
Calcium 112mg11%
Iron 1.5mg8%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This Ragi Roti post from the archives first published on Jan 2018 has been republished and updated in January 2023.
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