Gajar kanji or carrot kanji is a traditional Punjabi fermented drink that is made in the winters. black carrots appear in the winters in north India and these give the kanji its characteristic purple color. During the fall and winter seasons, my mom uses to make Kanji, a salty and sour probiotic drink that grew on me as I grew older. This drink is traditionally used to help aid digestion (and it works, so drink in moderation).
My mom makes Kanji using black (dark purple) carrots. If these carrots were unavailable, she would add beetroot to help darken the color of the drink. This recipe uses both carrots and beets. In addition to these two vegetables, you’ll also need black/brown mustard seeds, fine sea salt, and filtered water. These simple ingredients make a wonderful flavor.
Once you combine all of the ingredients together for this drink, put it in a glass container/ ceramic container and keep it in a sunny spot inside the house. The amount of time required to create a proper ferment will depend on the temperature in your home, but this typically takes 3 days to 1 week. If it’s colder, put it in a warm place. …it will be done in just 2-3 days.
Health Benefits:
- Probiotics Help Balance The Friendly Bacteria in Your Digestive System……. Probiotics are live microorganisms. When taken in sufficient amounts, they can help restore the natural balance of gut bacteria. As a result, health benefits may follow.
- Probiotics Can Help Prevent and Treat Diarrhea…….Probiotics can reduce the risk and severity of diarrhea from a number of different causes.
- Probiotic Supplements Improve Some Mental Health Conditions……Research shows taking probiotics may help improve symptoms of mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety, stress, and memory, among others.
- Certain Probiotic Strains Can Help Keep Your Heart Healthy…….Probiotic drink may help protect the heart by reducing “bad” LDL cholesterol levels and modestly lowering blood pressure.
- Probiotic drink May Help Boost Your Immune System……..Probiotics may help boost your immune system and protect against infections.
- Probiotics May Help You Lose Weight and Belly Fat………Certain probiotics may help you lose weight and belly fat. However, other strains have been linked to weight gain.
Festive drink:
Holi celebration is incomplete without Gajar kanji. We make kanji with dal vada also, Kanji vada is very popular among North Indians in fact you will find it on the streets also as a popular street drink, you just strain kanji or just take out carrots from it and add fried vadas in it. I have mentioned the vada recipe also with this post in case you are interested in kanji vada.
Lastly, I would like to suggest you a few healthy recipes from my blog category Healthy And Tasty Diet Food. These recipes may help you in your diet plan and will encourage you to lead a Healthy Lifestyle. I am sure you would like to browse a few more recipes from my blog…
Carrot kanji an Indian probiotic fermented drink
Course: DrinksCuisine: IndianDifficulty: Easy8
servings30
minutes25
kcal3-4 days
Gajar kanji or carrot kanji is a traditional Punjabi fermented drink that is made in the winters. black carrots appear in the winters in north India and these give the kanji its characteristic purple color.
Ingredients
5-6 medium-sized carrots/gajar
2 small beetroots
8 cups water – approx 2 litres of water (boiled & filtered or purified)
3 tbsp mustard powder
black salt as required
Directions
- Rinse and then peel the carrots and beetroots. Chop into long pieces.
- Step 2. Mix all the ingredients in a glass or ceramic jars.
- Step 3.Cover with a lid or muslin cloth and keep the jars in the sun for 3-4 days.
- Step 4.Stir with a wooden spoon everyday before keeping the jars back in the sun.
- Step 5. When the kanji tastes sour, it means the drink is fermented.
- serve carrot kanji straightway or refrigerate.
- Recipe for vadas
- soak ½ cup urad dal/black gram in water overnight.
- drain and grind the urad dal with 1 green chili, ½ tsp cumin, a pinch of asafoetida, ½ inch ginger, and salt with very less water to a moderately thick batter. The batter should be pouring Constancy.
- heat oil for deep frying. spoon the batter into the hot oil.
- fry the vadas till they are golden brown.
- drain on kitchen tissues.
- soak the vadas in water for 20-25 mins.
- press the vadas between the palms of your hands to squeeze out the water.
- soak these vadas in the kanji overnight in the refrigerator.
- serve the next day.
