Ragi Flour
Eleusine coracana
Also known as: Finger Millet Flour · Nachni Flour · Mandua Atta
The most calcium-dense flour in the world — 344mg per 100g. The original baby food and the grain behind Karnataka's Ragi Mudde.
Calcium
344 mg/100g
Protein
7.3 g/100g
Glycemic Index
54–68
Gluten
None
About
What is Ragi Flour?
Ragi flour is whole finger millet ground to a powder — it retains the complete bran, germ, and starchy endosperm of the grain, with all the calcium and phytonutrients intact. Stone-milled Ragi flour carries 344mg calcium per 100g — more than milk. It is completely gluten-free, making it one of the most nutritionally viable wheat substitutes for baking, dosas, rotis, and porridges. Sprouted Ragi flour takes the nutrition further: the sprouting process reduces phytic acid by ~80%, raising calcium and iron bioavailability to levels comparable to dairy.
Key Compound
Calcium (highest of any flour globally)
Ragi flour carries more calcium per gram than milk — an unusual property for a plant flour. Sprouting or fermentation before use raises bioavailability by 30–80%.
Nutritional Profile
What’s inside?
Health Applications
Why it matters
Bone health & osteoporosis
344mg calcium/100g — daily Ragi consumption can meaningfully contribute to calcium requirements without dairy.
Infant nutrition
Karnataka's traditional Ragi ganji (thin porridge) is the standard weaning food. High calcium, iron, and amino acids support rapid infant bone and muscle development.
Anemia
3.9mg iron per 100g — combine with tamarind or lemon (Vitamin C) in Ragi dosa batter to double iron absorption.
Ancient Wisdom
In Ayurveda
Dosha Effect
Kapha-pacifying, Vata-reducing
Guna (Quality)
Guru (heavy), Shita (cool)
Best Season
Hemant and Shishir (winter months)
Classical Note
Same as finger millet — see Ragi / Finger Millet for full Ayurvedic profile.
Origin Story
From the field
Karnataka / Uttarakhand · South India & Himalayas
In Karnataka's rural districts, Ragi Mudde — a dense ball of cooked finger millet — is eaten twice daily by farming communities. Making a proper Mudde is a skill: the flour is stirred into boiling water until it forms a stiff, cohesive mass that holds its spherical shape. The ball is broken with two fingers (never cut) and dipped directly into sambar or dal without chewing — it is swallowed whole, which Ayurveda considers optimal for the grain's digestion. It has fed Karnataka's farming workforce for over 3,000 years and remains a marker of rural identity.
— Health Applications —
What Ragi Flour is good for.
There are 23 ingredients in the Field Guide.