365 Days 365 Business Ideas: Start a Ragi Based Papads Making Business

Start a Ragi Based Papads Making Business

Ragi is the common name of Finger Millet in Southern part of India. Along with oats is one of the most nutritious food and one of the easy one to digest. It is rich in calcium and protein and also have good amount of iron and other minerals. It is low fat most of which are saturated fats.
Ragi is a wonder cereal grain as it has numerous health benefits.

Ragi Health Benefits

Ragi or finger millet is available as ragi whole, ragi flour, multigrain flour, and breakfast mixes such as malted ragi flour.

Nutritional benefits of ragi: Ragi has a high content of protein.
It is an extremely good source of iron and calcium.
Ragi flour can be used to make flat breads, chappatis, dosas, idlis. Ragi grains are malted and the grains are ground. The ground flour is then mixed with milk, boiled water or yoghurt and consumed. Ragi bhakri, and ambli (a sour porridge) are popular foods in Goa and Maharashtra.

Because of its high nutritional content ragi flour is recommended as a weaning food especially in the southern parts of India.
The Ragi based foods are highly suited for expectant mothers and elderly due to there high calcium and iron content.

Content	Amount(Typical)	Amount (Range)
Carbohydrate	72.6	71.3-89.5
Protein	7.7	5.8-12.8
Fibre	3.6	3.5-3.9
Fat	1.3	1.3-2.7

There are basically two methods by which you could make Raagi flour

Method 1 – Quick Method

It is quite simple where you just dry roast the millet seeds (ragi) on a skillet, cool them completely and then grind it up into flour. Its not time consuming and gets done in a jiffy. Use them as required in recipes.

Method 2 – Longer Method, But Nutritious

This method is what I like to go for. Yes Agreed that it takes time, but the enhanced nutrition that it has to provide is immense and the time put in is totally worth it. This method involves sprouting the seeds and then following Method 1. This is what I have shown below.

Step 1 : Sprout Ragi – See How to Sprout Ragi here

Step 2: Dry roast the Ragi in a skillet on low heat.

It roasts pretty fast, hence regular stirring on the side with full attention is required.

Step 3: Cool it completely. Otherwise it will lump up while grinding.

Step 4: Back in India we would usually go to a food mill where they break it down into fine powder. You can try to replicate it at home too, though it takes longer, more effort and careful monitoring.

Run it for few seconds, give it a quick stir with a spoon -

let it sit for few more seconds to avoid overheating the processor

and then grind again

It sure takes a while to complete it – but its worth it- isnt it.

You can see the process pictures

It takes me a complete 20-30 minutes to bring it to the Food mill powder consistency. Its not must that it should be a complete powder. Sometimes I leave it with little bits and pieces like the picture one above this one…but few of you might not prefer hence you can grind it finely

Make sure the flour is cooled (if warm) and then store it in an air tight container. I store my powder in a zip lock bag in the freezer section.

How to Make Ragi Papads

Ingredients

Ragi Flour - 1 kg
Salt to taste
Ground chillies- according to spice

Method

Grind into a fine flour

Add the chillies ,salt & asafoetida to the flour.

Add hot water and beat the mixture in a stone amortar to make a hard dough

Roll the dough into round balls

Flatten these balls into round thin plates like a roti using rolling pin

Spread these plates on a clean white muslin cloth (preferable dhoti) and allow them to dry for a day or two till they compkletely dry

Store them in dry, airthight container. You can either fry them in oil or grill them & serve.

Papad Making Machine

Proudtion Capacity: Papad 200 to 300Nos P/Hr
Rottis: 60 to 80 Nos P/Hr
Req,HP: 1.5 to 2 HP

Four Brothers Ex - Imp Pvt Ltd., Chennai

Address: No. 123/255, Linghi Chetty Street, 1st Floor , Chennai - 600001, Tamil Nadu, IndiaPhone: +(91)-44-42163224Website: http://www.fourbrothersindia.com/