Ragi mudde is the main food in Kolar, Mandya, Hassan, Mysore, Tumkur, Bengaluru Rural, Ramanagar districts in Karnataka and Rayalaseema Region in Andhra Pradesh.

This hot dough is then rested on low heat before being rounded on a wooden board into tennis-ball-sized balls with wet hands.

The saaru is often flavoured by mixing a dash of spicy, freshly ground green-chilli paste (Kannada: ಖಾರ, khaara), in one's plate according to taste.

Bassaru is made from the decanted water that remains after an assortment of pulses are steamed, usually along with a couple of pods of garlic.

There are numerous variations of bassaru, which each yield a differently named (usually, eponymous with the major ingredient) saaru.

Ragi mudde is rich in the same nutrients that are found in finger millet, namely fibre, calcium, and iron.

Ragi mudde is consumed with the famous Karnataka-style upsaaru, bassaaru or nati koli saaru (chicken curry) or menthyada gojju (sweet and sour dish made of fenugreek and tamarind).