Call it Ragi Banana cake or Ragi Banana Bread, whatever you may call it, is one of my healthiest bake till date. It has all the healthy ingredients a cake can ever have. Yes, it has Ragi that is Finger Millet, curd, bananas, walnuts and guess what? It has jaggery powder and does not have any refined sugar. So, isn't it cool? A super healthy cake for you and your family.

This cake has only Ragi atta, and neither all-purpose flour nor wheat flour is added to it and is thus gluten-free too. And looking at it if you thought that it has cocoa powder then let me tell you that no, no cocoa powder is there.

 

Recently for the first time, I tried Ragi cake and was a hit. I have made 3-4 batches since then. My hubby even said that it was better than regular banana cake. And my calorie-conscious son Siddharth, who is also fond of cakes, loved this healthy version. I was reluctant in using only Ragi Atta but then decided to give it a try and no regrets. I followed my recipe of Banana Walnut Muffins only with the change in flour and sugar. Surprisingly, this cake, though looks like having cocoa powder, but tastes superb without chocolate flavour also.

What Is Ragi?

Though Ragi needs no introduction today but still just few lines about it. Ragi is a millet also known as Finger Millet or Nachni Flour. It is a wonder grain seated on the topmost level amongst all the cereals.

Benefits Of Ragi

Ragi, being a millet is a storehouse of benefits.

• Rich in minerals, vitamins, and digestible fibres, and offers excellent nourishment.
• Gluten-free. So it is very good for all who are allergic to gluten and cannot have wheat/semolina etc.
• It helps in reducing weight. How?  This is because, being fibre rich, it makes you feel fuller for a longer period of time thus reducing the food intake. Also, the fat content in Ragi is much lower than all other cereals.
• Low in glycemic index which makes it good for diabetics.
• Rich in calcium. Normally cereals are devoid of calcium but this millet is an exception. Thus it is good for growing children and for all those who are deficient in calcium. So, now instead of having that calcium pill,  include ragi in your diet.
• Suffering from anemia? Start including Ragi in your diet as it is a rich source of iron.
• It is an excellent baby food as it not only improves digestion but is full of nutrients like iron and calcium.
• It boosts lactation. So, feeding mothers have ragi in some form or the other.
• For more detailed info regarding the benefits of Ragi, read here.

 

Why You Will Love this recipe:

• Eggless
• Gluten-free
• Low GI
• Without Refined Sugar
• Full of Nutrients
• Perfect To have in breakfast or lunch box or as a dessert

 

Tips for the Perfect Outcome

Before you jump to the recipe, just a few things are worth mentioning.

• First of all, use over-ripened bananas for this cake. The bananas, which get too soft and normally one doesn't like to eat are perfect for this cake. Also, the more ripened the bananas, the less sugar is required. Thus, you can easily cut on sugar by using highly over-ripened bananas.
• Secondly, I have used 1/4 cup of curd. But I have made the same bread with just 2 tablespoons of it. This is because of the moisture content in bananas. Thus, the quantity of curd may vary, so start with 2 tablespoons only and add more of it later, if required.
• I now make this cake batter in my food processor. First, I mash bananas along with jaggery powder, oil and curd then in the same bowl I throw in the dry mix and that's it. However, in the absence of a food processor, you can mash up everything either with a fork or in the mixer grinder. You can refer my Banana Walnut Muffins recipe for more details regarding this.
• Álso, I have dry roasted ragi flour for a minute or two just to get rid of that raw smell.
• Always coat the nuts, walnuts in this cake, with dry flour if you want these to be evenly distributed in your cake.

 

Step By Step Recipe With Photos

• Grease a loaf pan of 6" and keep it aside.

• Dry roast ragi flour for about 2 minutes on medium flame.

• Preheat oven for 15 minutes at 180 degrees C.
• Sift Ragi flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt 2 to 3 times.

• Chop walnuts into small pieces. Coat walnut pieces with just 1 teaspoon of dry mix.

• In the food processor bowl, put chopped bananas, oil, curd,  jaggery powder and vanilla essence.

• Run the processor for a minute or so till bananas are pureed.
• Add the dry mix into this and run the processor till everything is mixed nicely.

• The batter should be of dropping consistency at this stage. In case, it is too thick then adjust its consistency by adding little milk.
• Add flour-coated walnuts and mix with a spatula/spoon.

• Put the batter in the greased loaf pan. Tap 2-3 times to release air bubbles if any.
• Sprinkle walnuts, though completely optional.

• Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes or till the skewer inserted comes out clean.
• Loosen the edges with a butter knife and invert the bread on a wire rack.

• When it gets cool, slice it and serve with love, coffee optional.
• You can bake this in disposable cake pans also if baking for gifting purposes. In that case, just let it remain as it is after removing from the oven. No need of inverting it. When cool then wrap with cling film.

 

Related Recipes:

• Ragi Lavash Crackers
• Ragi Chocolate Muffins
• Breakfast Muffins

 

FAQs

Q) Can I make this cake without an oven?

You can easily make this cake without an oven on the gas top too. For baking it in a cooker or kadhai, please refer my post on how to bake a cake without oven.

Q) Can I omit bananas and make plain ragi cake?

Yes. But in that case, its better if you follow my Ragi Muffins recipe. Instead of muffin moulds, put the cake batter in a 6" loaf tin and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or till the skewer inserted comes ot clean.

Q) I do not have food processor, then how to make this cake?

No worries. In this case, first, sift jaggery powder to remove tiny grits and lumps. Then mash everything in a bowl using a fork. You can even use a grinder.

 

Let's Connect

I hope you have liked this recipe for Eggless Ragi Cake and will surely try it out for your loved ones. I will be happy if you share your creations on Instagram and tag me #samirasrecidiary there.

Thank you for reading this post. If you have liked this recipe then do let me know by leaving a comment below. Your feedback fuels my enthusiasm. You may share this post with your dear ones by clicking on the little buttons below. You may follow me on  Facebook   Pinterest too. for latest recipe updates. Thank you!

 

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Happy baking…