Kanji is a porridge made with broken rice, green gram(lentil), cumin and pepper as main ingredients. Other variations include addition of herbs like Eclipta Alba (karisalai) , Amukkura (Withania somnifera), Keelanelli (Phyllathus Niruri), Seran Kottai (Semicarpus Anacardium), Vembu (Azadiracta Indica), Tulsi (Ocimum Sanctum), and Vilvam (Aegle Marmelos).
Ingredients
- 1 cup broken grain rice (parboiled ponni)
- 10 cups water plus dash of lemon
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon fenugreek
- 1/8 teaspoon ajwain
- 2 tbs of green gram
- minced ginger
Traditional Method:
There are different methods for cooking kanji, each of which results in a slightly different texture. If at any time we feel kanji is too thick, we can add a little boiling water to the mixture.
- Gather the ingredients (gently fry pepper, ajwain and cumin; grind them to a coarse powder).
- Rinse, wash and soak the rice in water for 30 minutes; then drain the water.
- In a large pot bring 10 cups of water to a boil and add rice.
- When the rice is boiling, turn the heat down to medium-low.
- Cover with a lid, and simmer for 45 minutes with occasional stirring.
- Season to taste with salt and the ground spice mix.
- Cook on medium-low to low heat, stirring occasionally, until the rice has the thick, creamy texture of porridge. This can take about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours.