A Recipe for Madua Cookies from the Hills of Uttarakhand
Madua is a grain native to Uttarakhand. Locally known as koda, this is finger millet (ragi) and a staple grain in the region. Its flour has a dark hue, and has now been widely recognised as a superfood, gluten-free and high in fibre. In Uttarakhand, the madua ki roti is both ubiquitous and celebrated, served with ghee and gud (jaggery).
At Nandastone, a homestay nestled in the heart of Kumaon in Uttarakhand, cooking with local produce is paramount. Dishes like baal mithai reign supreme, as do these cookies made with madua.
NANDASTONE’S RECIPE FOR MADUA COOKIES
Ingredients
½ cup finger millet (ragi/madua ) flour
½ cup whole wheat flour (atta)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ghee
1 tsp beaten jaggery (powder)
Milk, as required
½ tsp cardamom powder
Oil
Methods
In a mixing bowl, combine whole wheat flour, ragi atta, baking soda, cardamom powder, jaggery, and ghee.
Rub the ghee in with other ingredients until it forms a crumbly mixture.
Gradually add milk to form a dough. Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Roll out dough and cut into biscuit shapes.
Bake for 17-20 minutes.
To assemble
Heat milk on a traditional chullah and add baal mithai to make a fudge-like chocolate sauce. Pour this sauce over the madua cookies for a unique dessert experience, and an inventive celebration of Uttarakhand's flavors.
Ashish Verma is a host and a mountaineer who loves to walk the mountains, talk, document and revive cultures of the Himalayas through foods.
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