Ragi Blinis - A healthier twist to pancakes

Blinis have a Russian origin. They are thin pancakes prepared from batter and cooked on hot frying pan topped with dollops of butter. It has an ancient history of being made for hungry travellers made from oats jelly. But with time blinis have undergone changes and are now also being made with wheat,rye,buckwheat or even barley. In my quest for healthy nutritious recipes for kids and grown ups alike I stumbled upon this dish. I was very happy to see such a great alternative to traditional pancakes that kids across the globe love. So I made some Ragi Blinis - thin pancakes made of finger millet flour. Now Ragi is being considered as a wonder grain. It is rich in calcium and protein and is low on unsaturated fats. It is now easily available across stores in the city and can be used to make varieties of crepes, dosas, adai and similar things.
Now coming back to my blinis. I loaded it up with some grated cheddar cheese to make it kid friendly and it tasted very good. You could also add finely chopped veggies to the batter if your child likes it that way. Serve it up with a side of simple sprouts salad .

Ingredients:

Ragi Flour - 1 cup

Wholewheat flour - 2 tbsp.

Egg - 1 no - lightly beaten

Milk - half a cup - approx.

Salt - to taste

Black pepper powder - to taste

Cheddar cheese - half cup - grated

Baking powder - 1 tsp

Butter - for greasing the pan

Method:

In a bowl mix together the ragi flour,wholewheat flour and the baking powder.

Add the egg and milk and mix  well to form a pancake batter. Not to thick or thin just like a dosa batter. Add the grated cheese and mix well. Season with salt and pepper and keep aside for 10 mins.

In the mean time heat a non stick flat pan. Grease with a little butter . Cook the blinis in batches. Drop dessertspoon ful of batter into the frying pan,spacing them well apart.
Cook the blinis for 2 mins until the top is bubbling and the underside is golden. Turn them over and cook until the other side is browned.

Wrap the cooked blinis in a clean napkin to keep warm. Coook the rest of the blinis in the same way, brushing the pan with extra oil as needed.

Serve the blinis warm, topped with a little butter or all time favourite ketchup and accompanied by the salad.

 

 

 

Notes:

• The blinis can be made into a sweet version too. Just add sugar to the batter instead of salt and cheese and drizzle with honey and whipped cream or any sauce of your choice.
• Blinis can also be used as base for appetizers in dinner parties too. Load up the blini base with grated cheese or a piece of salami and serve as starters.
• Addition of oatmeal instead of whole wheat is also an option.