- Finger millet
Taxobox
name = Finger millet
image_width = 176px
image_caption = Finger Millet grains of mixed color.
regnum =Plant ae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis =Liliopsida
ordo =Poales
familia =Poaceae
subfamilia =Chloridoideae
genus = "Eleusine "
species = "E. coracana"
binomial = "Eleusine coracana"
binomial_authority = L.Finger millet ("Eleusine coracana", Amharic ዳጉሳ "Dagusa" or ቶኩሶ "tōkūsō"), also known as African millet or Ragi), is an
annual plant widely grown as acereal in the arid areas ofAfrica andAsia . Finger millet is originally native to theEthiopian Highlands [A.C. D'Andrea, D.E. Lyons, Mitiku Haile, E.A. Butler, "Ethnoarchaeological Approaches to the Study of Prehistoric Agriculture in the Ethiopian Highlands" in Van der Veen, ed., "The Exploitation of Plant Resources in Ancient Africa". Kluwer Academic: Plenum Publishers, New York, 1999.] and was introduced intoIndia approximately 4000 years ago. It is very adaptable to higher elevations and is grown in theHimalaya up to 2,300 metres in elevation.Cultivation
Finger millet is often intercropped with
legume s such aspeanut s ("Arachis hypogea"),cowpea s ("Vigna sinensis"), andpigeon pea s ("Cajanus cajan"), or other plants such asNiger seed s ("Guizotia abyssinica").Although statistics on individual
millet species are confused, and are sometimes combined withsorghum , it is estimated that finger millet is grown on approximately 38,000 square kilometres.Storage
Once harvested, the
seed s keep extremely well and are seldom attacked byinsect s ormould s. The long storage capacity makes finger millet an important crop in risk avoidance strategies for poorer farming communities.Nutrition
Finger millet is especially valuable as it contains the
amino acid methionine , which is lacking in the diets of hundreds of millions of the poor who live on starchy staples such ascassava ,plantain , polishedrice , ormaize meal. Finger millet can be ground and cooked into cakes,pudding s orporridge . The grain is made into a fermented drink (orbeer ) in many parts of Africa. Thestraw from finger millet is used as animal fodder.Nutritive value of Ragi per 100 g
:Protein 7.3 g:Fat 1.3 g:Carbohydrate 72 g:Minerals 2.7 g:Calcium 3.44 g:Fibre 3.6 g:Energy 328 KCal
Preparation as food
In India, finger millet or ragi is mostly grown and consumed in
Karnataka andAndhra Pradesh . Ragi flour is made into flatbreads, including thick, leaveneddosa and thinner, unleavenedroti . Ragi grain ismalt ed and flour from the malted grain is consumed after mixing withmilk /boiled water/yoghurt .Ragi flour is usually eaten as "
ragi mudde " (literally, ragi paste; also called ragi balls for the round shape). The "mudde" which is prepared by boiling the ragi flour in water until the water is condensed. The resulting preparation is then rolled into a spherical form and consumed, after applyingghee with sambar.In Maharashtra [India] , bhakari (kind of pita bread) is prepared using ragi (nachani) flour.
In the north-west of Vietnam, finger millet is used as a medicine for women when they give birth. A minority used finger millet flour to make alcohol (bacha alcohol is a good drink of the H'mong minority).
In southern parts of India, pediatricians recommend ragi food for infants of six months and over because of its high nutritional content, especially calcium.
Uses
A traditional food plant in Africa, this millet has the potential to improve nutrition, boost food security, foster rural development and support sustainable landcare. [cite book |authorlink= |author=National Research Council |editor= |others= |title=Lost Crops of Africa: Volume I: Grains |origdate= |url=http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=2305 |format= |accessdate=2008-07-18 |edition= |series=Lost Crops of Africa |volume=1 |date=1996-02-14 |publisher=National Academies Press |location= |isbn=978-0-309-04990-0 |oclc= |doi= |id= |pages= |chapter=Finger Millet |chapterurl=http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=2305&page=39 |quote= |ref= ]
Common names for finger millet
* "Arabic:" Tailabon
* "Chinese:" 穇子 (Traditional), 䅟子 (Simplified), cǎnzi (pinyin)
* "Dhivehi:" ބިންބި "Bimbi"
* "English:" Finger millet, African millet, ragi, koracan
* "Ethiopia:" Dagussa (Amharic/Sodo), tokuso (amharic), barankiya (Oromo)
* "French:" eleusine cultivee, coracan, koracan
* "German:" Fingerhirse
* "India:" Ragi (Kannada , Telugu), Taidalu (Telangana), Kelvaragu,Aariyam (Tamil), Panjapule ( [Malayalam] ) Maduva (in some parts of north India), Nachani (Marathi)
* "Kenya:" Wimbi (Swahili), Kal (Dholuo), Ugimbi (Kikuyu)
* "Nepal:" Koddo
* "Sri Lanka:" Kurakkan
* "Sudan:" Tailabon (Arabic), ceyut (Bari)
* "Tanzania:" (Swahili) Mbege, mwimbi, Wimbi, ulezi,
* "Uganda:" Bulo
* "Zambia:" Kambale, lupoko, mawele, majolothi, amale, bule
* "Zimbabwe:" Rapoko, zviyo, njera, rukweza, mazhovole, uphoko, poho
* "Vietnam:" Hong mi, Chi ke
* "Denmark:" FingerhirseReferences
External links
* [http://mcknight.ccrp.cornell.edu/program_docs/project_documents/INTL_02-644_fingermillet/02-644_fingermillet_ragi.pdf Various Particulars of Ragi]
* [http://www.google.co.in/search?q=+site:www.bawarchi.com+ragi Ragi recipes] at Bawarchi.com
* [http://www.coimbatorecity.com/index.php?/content/view/26/37/ Ragi Sprouts Porridge] - Baby Food
* [http://www.ethiopic.com/aplants.htm Ethiopian Plant Names]
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