Ragi porridge recipe for babies | How to make ragi for babies, toddlers

By Swasthi on August 6, 2022, Comments, Jump to Recipe

Ragi porridge for babies, how to make ragi for babies, toddlers – ragi porridge or ragi malt or ragi kanji is nutritious and provides a good dose of nutrients when consumed regularly. It strengthens the bones, tooth and improves the overall health. To know more about this wonder grain, You can check this detailed post on ragi or finger millet. Known as kanji, java, sari, malt, ragi porridge is made slightly different in different regions.

ragi porridge for babies toddlers

This post is all about feeding ragi to babies. Each baby is different, so firstly you need a lot of patience to try and find out what works for your baby.

The first 6 months a baby needs to be breastfed exclusively to gain best weight, health and immunity. You can introduce ragi after 6 months.
Here are the tips on how to introduce ragi to babies.

1. Consult your pediatrician: Firstly consult your doctor to find out if you can introduce ragi to your baby. Most doctors in South India suggest ragi as a first food since it is gluten free and is a least allergenic grain like oats.

But care must be taken not to contaminate the ragi flour with flours having gluten in them like wheat or barley. Such contamination may lead to allergy, rashes, colic, diarrhea or upset tummy in babies.

To reduce such risks, homemade flour is best. If sprouted ragi flour cannot be made, soaking the grains overnight and then drying, roasting and powdering them is also fine.

2. Follow the 3 day wait rule. When you introduce ragi, do not introduce any other new food for the next 3 to 4 days. This helps to analyse well whether it is suitable to your baby or not.

If you find any rashes, indigestion, consistent hiccups, restlessness, colic or diarrhea stop the porridge immediately and seek doctor’s help.

Do not be intimidated, most babies do well with ragi if proper care is taken while preparing flour and making porridge.

3. For babies under 8 months, porridge must be made either from extracted ragi milk or must be made from homemade flour that is sieved through a muslin cloth. Otherwise the baby may not be able to swallow the porridge.

4. Doctors usually recommend cooking ragi with milk or cooking with water and then adding formula milk to bring it down to the consistency. But I was told by my doctor that it is best to serve ragi alone without milk or curd.

Since milk hinders the absorption of iron in ragi. Further to increase the absorption of iron, fruits rich in vitamin C like apple or pear can also be added to ragi (but without milk).

This was one of the wonderful idea that was shared with me by a doctor. Since many years, I make apple ragi for myself and my 4 year old.

The porridge you see in the first 2 pictures in this post is made without milk. I also sometimes make ragi porridge with milk if my kid has missed his milk on the previous day.

ragi malt recipe for babies

You can check this detailed post on homemade sprouted ragi flour.

How to make ragi porridge for babies

Please consult doctor before you try this. – after 6 months

Method 1
1. Wash and soak ragi for at least 8 to 10 hours. While soaking they can be refrigerated or water needs to be changed a couple of times to prevent odor.
2. Drain off and blend them in a blender jar with little water. Add water as needed.
3. Place a cloth over a colander and keep a container under it to collect milk.
4. Pour the blended mixture to the cloth and then squeeze off to extract milk. You can repeat blending and then filter once more.
5. Cook this milk on a low flame till the mixture thickens as needed. If using milk, cool it completely. Add formula powder to a cup and little water make the milk and add it to the ragi. Stir well.
6. Always serve warm. Warm foods are lighter on the tummy and digest well.

Method 2 – Some babies can barely swallow anything coarse. So it is a good idea to sieve the flour through a muslin cloth and then store in a jar. Use it as needed.

These pictures are only to show you how to make the porridge, do not gauge the quantity seen in the pictures. I have mentioned the quantity of ingredients in the recipe box below.

How to make ragi porridge for babies

1. Add 1 tsp of flour to a pot or pan. I used 3 tbsp flour with 1 cup of water, to make porridge enough for a 4 year old.

addition of flour to make ragi porridge for babies

2. Pour ½ to ¾ cup of water. Break the lumps. If using jaggery, add it to the warm water, melt it. Filter to the pan.

pour water and stir to make ragi porridge for babies

3. Cook till it reaches a semi thick consistency.

cooking flour mixture to make ragi porridge for babies

4. Cool and then mix formula milk as needed.

addition of formula milk to thin down ragi porridge for babies

porridge should be smooth without lumps and of a porridge consistency. As the baby grows you can make it to thick like halwa.

runny consistency of cooked ragi porridge for babies & toddlers

Ragi for babies above 10 months

Please consult your doctor if you can introduce almonds. Almonds are said to be seeds and not nuts so my pediatrician had suggested me to use after 10 months.

You can soak 2 to 3 almonds in water (room temperature) for 4 to 6 hours. Peel the skin and then blend them in a jar with little water and add to the porridge towards the end and cook for a while.

Most readers ask me if they can use almond or walnut powder in ragi. But it is easy to digest for babies when the seeds & nuts are soaked and used.

Also soaking enhances the nutrition of almonds. Some babies digest almonds very well, for such babies as they grow you can just increase the quantity.

Can ragi be served when babies have cold?
Most doctors say “yes”. But my personal experience it increases phlegm and congestion.

Reason: Ragi is not an easily digestible food for babies. During cold one needs to eat light, ragi tends to be heavy to digest.

Any undigested food turns to phlegm and increases congestion. Plain rice porridge or apple rice porridge is best for babies during cold and congestion.

Reasons why ragi porridge may cause loose stools or diarrhea?

During the 3 day wait rule, if your baby ends up having loose stools or diarrhea, the reasons could be one of these:

1. Using store bought flour which may have been contaminated by gluten from flours like wheat flour or barley or any other gluten containing grain. You need to investigate further to find out if your baby has an intolerance to gluten.
2. Under cooking ragi porridge could be another reason. Uncooked fibers may be the culprit.
3. Poor hygiene maintained while preparing and feeding the baby.

Does ragi constipate babies?
Not all babies get constipated eating ragi porridge. But yes, it may constipate some babies. Reason is very simple, fiber foods need more water to get digested well. Most often we don’t serve water to babies especially to younger than 6 to 8 months old, this leads to constipation.

Tips to prevent constipation
1. For 6 months old babies, prepare ragi porridge only from extracted milk or flour sieved through a thin muslin cloth. If your baby has the tendency to constipate often even without ragi, then until 8 to 10 months, use flour that is sieved through a cloth.
2. Include fruits like ripe banana, papaya in the diet which are extremely helpful to prevent and beat constipation.
3. To follow only after consulting doctor for 6 months old babies: Feeding a few tsp. Of luke warm drinking water (same temperature as we use for making the formula milk) after 30 minutes of serving porridge works good in preventing constipation for babies.

porridge for toddlers
You can cook the flour in cow’s milk or almond milk or add nut powder.

Most readers ask the quantity that can be served for their babies. It is very hard to mention what is the right quantity since all babies don’t and can’t eat the same quantity.

Iam giving the quantities that i used for my kids. They are just to provide you some idea as to how much you can attempt to feed.

Recipe of ragi porridge for babies

Ragi porridge for babies

Ragi porridge for babies. Ragi or finger millet is a gluten free grain that is rich in iron and calcium. 
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For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card

Prep Time2 minutes
Cook Time8 minutes
Total Time10 minutes
Servings1
AuthorSwasthi

Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )

  • 1 tsp to tbsp ragi flour for 6 months babies
  • 1 1/2 tbsp ragi flour for 8 months plus
  • 2 tbsp ragi flour for 10 months plus
  • 3 to 4 tbsp ragi flour for 1 year plus
  • milk or formula milk as needed
  • jaggery , organic or palm sugar as needed


Instructions

  • If you intend to use jaggery, add it to water. Stir until it melts off. Filter it to the pan.
  • Stir in the flour. Break up the lumps.
  • Cook on a medium to low flame until it thickens.
  • Cool it completely.
  • Add milk as needed to bring it to the consistency.
  • Serve immediately.


Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.

For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.

NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)

Nutrition Facts
Ragi porridge for babies
Amount Per Serving
Calories 167 Calories from Fat 72
% Daily Value*
Fat 8g12%
Saturated Fat 4g25%
Cholesterol 24mg8%
Sodium 105mg5%
Potassium 322mg9%
Carbohydrates 15g5%
Sugar 12g13%
Protein 8g16%
Vitamin A 395IU8%
Calcium 276mg28%
Iron 0.2mg1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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About Swasthi

I’m Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills. More about me

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Hi Swasthi

Can we add Rock Sugar (Kallu Sakkare) so the baby does not catch cold. Please advise.

Hi swasthi,

Can I add boiling water to ragi instead of cooking it?

Hello Swathi, I don’t have access to ragi however I do get ragi powder, will dry roasting the powder make it easier to digest ?

நான் கடையில் ராகி மாவு வாங்கி தான் என் குழந்தைக்கு கொடுக்கிறேன். ஆனா என் அம்மா அதிகமாக ராகி கொடுத்து பிற்காலத்தில் piles வரும்னு சொல்றாங்க.. அது உண்மையா…

May I know how often in a week can I feed ragi porridge to my 7 month old baby?

How many times in a week it can we served mam?

Hi mam,how to say thanks to you..how much you are explaining and taking care of each and every small thing and new mom’s like me learning alot and these all things we don’t get anywhere and nobody will say..thank you so much mam.
And mam can we feed this as a evening snack to my 1 year baby?

5 stars
Hi swasthi. .. I have started weaning for my 6 months old grand son by following your recepe of ragi porridge .. thank you so much

Hi,

Can u pls share apple ragi recipe. I dont want to use milk to make the porridge

5 stars
I just want to check that if I make ragi flour without soaking the ragi grains, is it difficult for babies to digest ?

Also, I observed that while I make ragi porridge with jaggery melted in hot water, this ragi mixture becomes very thin while i feed my baby ? Can you tell me why this happens? does ragi lose water as it becomes cold or am I doing something wrong ?

OK.. Will surely check that.. Thank You !!

We made ragi flour without soaking, just by blending the ragi grains and then roasting the powdered ragi. Is it a wrong method ?
Also, when I melt jaggery in boiling water and add this jaggery water to the ragi flour, this mixture becomes thinner with passage of time. As in when I start to feed my 8 month old baby it is thick consistency and becomes like water in 10 minutes and I find it too difficult to feed him.

5 stars
Super

Hi Swathi

I like your recipes much. The clear way of your explanation making me better cook. Thank you.

I got confused with ragi porridge for babies for below.

1. You said no sweeters/salt for babies
Again sweetners added here.

2. Milk with ragi is not preferred.

So how to feed ragi malt, without sweet ,salt and milk for my 9 months baby.
Is it good idea to add sweet/salt?

Thank you Swathi

Hi Swasthi
My baby is 17months can I feed Ragi floor to my baby every alternate day
Thanks

Hi swasthi
May baby is 6 months old, Iam seeing your blog for baby food ideas . Very informative and helpful for all babies less than 2yrs.
Can I feed Ragi porridge daily to my son or alternate day?
I heard somewhere that Ragi should not be consumed more as it is heavy on kidneys and leads to kidney stones. !!! Is it so????
If I feed Ragi for breakfast should I feed daily or alternate day?

Thank you so much swasthi for your reply. Keep up the good work.

hello,
kindly tell me what is the difference between ragi porridge n ragi malt??i am soo confused.which one should b given to 2 yr old as i hvnt introduce it yet to him.

5 stars
Hi, thank you for the recipe. May i know the serving size (Number of Tb.Sp) that corresponds to the calorie estimate of 167. Thank you in advance.

Hi Swasti,
Is it ok to roast ragi sprouts in the oven? My son is 6months old, trying to prepare ragi powder at home.

Hi Swasthi,

Thanks for the recipe. I tried this using organic ragi flour after seiving the flour but it is very grainy. Is that normal? I didn’t add jaggery or salt.

Mam kya mai apne 6 month ke bete ko ragi de skti hu aur kis tarah se bna ke du maine Maharashtra me dekha wahan log bachho ko ragi ka halwa hi dete h weight gain boht achha hota h

Hi. I gave nutrimix which contains wheat.,ragi,barley,soya. My son got skin allergy too badly.. Saw in your website that ragi shouldn’t be mixed with barley or wheat. I tried peadritician, skin doctor but my son is not recovering. Skin allergy is spreading and increasing every day. I stopped nutimix after this and now breast feed him and started with cerlac. Also started with neem leaves bath. Any home remedies are there to overcome this skin allergy? my son is 7 months old.

Nice and healthy recipies