Abstract
Finger millet (Eleusine coracana), commonly known as ragi, is a nutritionally dense, gluten-free cereal valued for its high calcium, dietary fibre, protein, and antioxidant content, and it is increasingly used in convenience and value-added food formulations. This study examined how flour particle size influences the nutritional, physicochemical, functional, rheological, and textural quality of ragi-based dosa and vermicelli. Ragi flour was fractionated by sieve analysis into five size classes (212, 180, and 150 µm fractions retained on their respective sieves, a 95+ µm fraction, and a 95− µm fraction passing the 95 µm sieve), and each fraction was evaluated for proximate composition, water activity, colour, alkaline water absorption and solubility, and batter viscosity before being used to prepare dosa and vermicelli. Coarser fractions (212 and 180 µm) retained more protein, crude fibre, and ash, and produced batters of higher viscosity and alkaline water absorption, whereas finer fractions (95+ and 95− µm) were lighter in colour, lower in water activity, and yielded firmer, more cohesive dosa on texture profile analysis. Sensory evaluation identified the 150 µm fraction as most acceptable for dosa and the 95+ µm fraction as most acceptable for vermicelli. These findings indicate that no single particle size is optimal across every quality attribute; rather, intermediate fractions offer the best compromise between nutrient retention, processing behaviour, texture, and consumer acceptability, providing practical guidance for standardizing ragi flour granulation in the development of value-added millet products.