I’m going to start this post with a disclaimer*:
This cake is meant to be eaten in moderation as it is made out of Finger millet a.k.a Ragi flour.
While millets are considered healthy, Ragi is not the best for people with kidney, thyroid or gut issues. Why? As it is high in protein, If consumed in excess(or moderation) by kidney patients, the body will have a tough time absorbing excess protein.
This millet flour takes time to digest so if consumed in excess, it impacts gut health leading to constipation.
I’d be fooling myself if I’d call this recipe healthy, as it contains sugar.
Now that we enjoy focusing on the negatives, let's appreciate this flour for its positives too:
Ragi is a great source of fibre and protein.
Excellent for anaemia as it is a rich source of iron.
Intake of this millet in different forms helps prevent obesity. How?
The upside of Ragi being slow to digest due to its high fibre aids in weight loss as it keeps you satiated for a while. So you might not have those ‘snacky’ cravings.
It keeps diabetes in check too as it lowers one’s blood sugar.
Did I mention it is gluten-free? I can hear vegan’s saying Yay to that!
If you exercise(unlike me), Ragi will be your best friend in complementing your nutritional needs.
It’s a great source of calcium = great for strong bones.
Last but not the least, it’s eggless! (Happy Dance!)
Now that you’ve read all about this magic millet, I’m sure you can indulge in this guilt-free dessert. Swap your sugar for jaggery if you like, but it will alter the taste of the bake drastically. So watch out people! Also worth mentioning, since it is a millet cake, it WILL be crumbly and might sink a bit in the centre. Reason being — I’ve not used any other flour in it, nor eggs to bind. So it’s more like a wholesome, moist skillet cake.
Let’s get started.
Ingredients:
90 gms Ragi flour
30 gms Cocoa Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/4th tsp Baking Soda
40 gms Brown sugar
50 gms Castor sugar
90 gms Almond milk
80 gms Ghee
70 gms thick Yoghurt
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1 fistful of mixed dried fruit and nuts
1 tbsp Chocolate chips + chocolate dust
1 tbsp Almond slivers
Method:
- Pre-heat your oven at 180°C / 350°F
- Lightly grease and line your baking tin with parchment paper.
- Take a pan and lightly roast the ragi flour. This not only takes away the raw flour smell but also aids in digestion.
- În a large bowl sift in Ragi flour, Cocoa powder, Baking Powder, Baking Soda and salt.
- Add the dried fruit and nuts to this mixture and mix well with the spatula.
- In a separate bowl, add ghee, sugar, yoghurt and vanilla. Whisk well with a manual hand whisk.
- Add almond milk and whisk, it will curdle a bit as yoghurt is acidic in nature. No worries. It will all be okay.
- Now add the dry mix slowly into the wet batter and mix it all together till everything is well incorporated.
- Pour this batter into your prepared tin
- Dress the top with chocolate chips, chocolate dust and almond slivers.
- Bake at 180°C / 350°F for 45 minutes or until the skewer comes out clean.
- Tastes great when served warm. Serve with ice cream? Now we’re talking! Enjoy!
If you have any doubts or queries reach out to me on duskydip@gmail.com or send me a DM on my Instagram handle @duskydip