Bajra Raab – Pearl Millet Porridge
Raab is made with pearl millet flour known as Bajra and jaggery, edible gum and spices. It has lots of earthy flavor and is considered to be nutritious. Its fed to toddlers, pregnant women, nursing moms, or to cure cold and cough in winter months. It’s like a porridge. Raab always makes me think of the times spent in India. Anytime, anyone got sick raab was the solution. Raab is a very soothing porridge or soup in Gujarati and Rajasthani cuisine.
It might be famous in other parts of India too. Raab can be made with lot of different flours whole wheat, Bajri (pearl millet), amaranth etc. Raab would also have warming spices specially dried ginger (soonth) and another thing called ganthoda. Different raab recipes add different types of spices, honestly there is no limit you add whatever you like and some spices like dried ginger powder is most helpful specially if you are feeling under the weather. I was talking to another blogger about raab and she mentioned to me that her aunt would put some other ingredients and she introduced me to a spice blend called ‘Katlu’ I have never heard about it before according to my research and a link she sent me it has 32 spices in it. I was impressed. If she posts her recipe, I would love to link it here.
Good for me I love raab. Since I was diagnosed with COVID recently, I have been doing everything to get rid of congestion. Piping hot raab is bringing such comfort. Also, with cold/sore throat eating food becomes difficult, drinking raab is easier. Raab is not only good when you are feeling unwell but during menstruation, it is also fed to new moms to recover, and it is also something often given toddlers. You can have it anytime of the day, I prefer for morning breakfast or in between meals.
My raab recipe uses another important ingredient used in Indian cuisine which edible gum. Edible gum also has some warm healing properties to it. I also find it fascinating. It looks like rocks; you add it to hot ghee as it starts frying up becomes this crispy porous looking thing some kind of precious stone. It becomes crunchy but if you use with liquid like mil or water it has properties to dissolve also.
Raab can be sweet or savory. Gujaratis mostly make sweeter version and we prefer to use jaggery in raab compared to sugar its again healthy and gives warmth during winter season. Some sweeter versions also add ajwain or ajmo and cumin seeds. You can make raab so quickly, that anyone feeling sick can spend few minutes and its ready in no time.
Pearl millet or Bajra is often considered to be poor man’s staple food, because it is an ancient grain and has many benefits. It fills you up.
Raab is naturally gluten free if you use amaranth (rajgira flour), bajri flour or oven buckwheat/kuttu flour etc. Raab is nutritious, helps with immunity and gives nourishment and energy due to use of pearl millet flour, jaggery, ghee and spices. That’s why I highly recommend not substituting any ingredient.
Ingredients used in this recipe are important
Ghee– There is good reason use ghee in our recipes, specially in this recipe. There is no substitution for it.
Bajri flour– Pearl millet flour is easily available in stores or online. You can use other alternate flours like amaranth, buckwheat or ragi. These are gluten free and taste earthy too.
Jaggery – For sweetness, I have used. Highly recommend it.
Edible Gum – Edible gum is one those ingredients that you might not be aware of, its widely available in Indian grocery stores. Lots of India recipes call for it while making winter food recipes. It looks like rocks, rock salt and it has to be always sautéed in ghee to until it pops and looks white in color. You can use it as it is in pieces or grind it. It tends to be sticky when you bite into it. The reason it is used in winters because it gives warmth.
Other ingredients like dry spices dry ginger powder (imp), cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon, etc.
Storage – You cannot save this for later. It must be consumed immediately slightly hot or warm to your liking. It will thicken up as it cools down and won’t taste good.
Bajra Raab – Pearl Millet Porridge
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 1 tbsp edible gum
- 2 tsp dry coconut
- 2 tbsp bajra flour/ pearl millet flour
- 1 tbsp almond meal
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 2 peppercorns
- ½ tsp dry ginger powder
- ½ tsp cardamom powder
- ½ tsp fennel seeds optional
- 2-3 tbsp jaggery
Instructions
- In a pot or pan on medium heat, add some ghee and fry the edible gum. Once the edible gum starts bubbling and cooking, it will look white transparent. Remove it and let it cool down and grind it into powder.
- In same ghee, toast the dry coconut. Add more ghee and add flour, toast the flour until it smells nutty and fragrant. Then add all the spices – dry ginger powder, cardamom powder, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, fennel seeds, almond meal, jaggery. Add ground edible gum too. Stir well and mix and add 1 cup of water.
- Let the mixture simmer and cook. If you like thinner consistency, then remove it and if you like thicker consistency then cook until it looks thickened.
- Remove it and you can add nuts or just enjoy it hot or warm.