Kaanji Origins

This recipe is dedicated to a drink that’s traditionally made during the season of Holi, the Festival of Colors.

I heard of kaanji first the first time in 2016, when my cousin’s Sindhi mother-in-law visited her in Dallas. My cousin invited me to try it out. One sip….and I was hooked!! I didn’t get a chance to ask her mother-in-law for the recipe, but it stayed at the back of my mind. Recently, I met a friend who hails from the northern Indian state of Rajasthan. I had just returned from a trip to Japan and was telling her how the Japanese eat fermented vegetables, and drink fermented beverages like miso on a daily basis. She mentioned that she grew up drinking a fermented drink kaanji.

Fast forward: Every evening, my husband and I have a glass of homemade Kombucha or kaanji. We call them “the evening hooch”. These fermented drinks are our weekday version of a glass of red wine or Spiced Mulled Wine that we have with dinner on weekends. In the hot summer months, we also love to drink Masala Majjige|Spiced Buttermilk. When the weather is chilly, we switch to the healing powers of the vegan version of Golden Turmeric Milk.

Kaanji and Holi

Beet-Carrot Kaanji

Many people that grow up in North India, drink kaanji in the winter days, leading up to Holi. Every Holi, a last batch of kaanji is made to mark the end of the winter season.

Traditionally, kaanji is made using basic ingredients from your kitchen – black carrots (available during the winter months), mustard powder, red chili powder, black salt and water. The mustard is responsible for the fermentation process and the belief is that it keeps the body warm in the chilly winters of North India. The purpose of drinking it during the festival of Holi, is to keep your body warm and safe from infection after you have played with cold water.

If you are from an East European county, you may see similarities between kaanji and Beet Kvass. Most of my friends that have tasted it love it, but one of my yoga students made a “scrunchy” face when she tasted it and shook her head vigorously. Wish I had taken a picture.

Kaanji Recipe

For this recipe, I have used a combination of orange and purple carrots and purple beets. Other vegetables that may work well are turnips and cherry radishes. Heck, I may even try adding daikon radishes next time and give it a whirl. I buy the organic Rainbow Carrots from my local grocery store, which has a combination of yellow, orange and purple carrots.

A brief word about mustard seeds. You will find a few varieties of mustard seeds in Indian grocery stores. Pick the large blackish-brown variety, instead of the very tiny variety from the state of Andhra Pradesh. The larger mustard seeds taste much better for this recipe.

You can eat the fermented vegetables from the kaanji as a relish, either along with the drink, or on the side with meals, or use it as a condiment. If you like sauerkraut or kimchi, chances are you will like the taste of these carrots and beets.

Similar Recipes

If you love to explore the world of fermented foods and drinks, check out a few of them on our blog:

• Easy Homemade Kefir
• Make Your Own Probiotic Kombucha
• Pickled Chili Peppers
• Soft Kefir-Quinoa-Rawa Idli
• Mooli (Daikon Radish) Raita
• Raw Mango Fenugreek Salsa
• Raw Plantain with Yogurt Curry
• Chilled Cucumber Dill Soup
• Tomato Onion Tadka Raita
• Vegetable Uthappam
• Cracked Wheat Veggie Idli
• Multigrain Dosa

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5 from 1 vote

Kaanji - a fermented drink

Kaanji is a wonderfully refreshing, gut-healing drink made from beets and carrots. Easy to make. Easier to fall in love with.

Course Breakfast, Drinks, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine Indian

Keyword beet root, beets, beets, fermented, gut health, carrots, fermented food, gut health, himalayan pink salt, Mustard Seeds

Special Diet Gluten Free, Grain Free, No Added Sugar, Nut Free, Raw, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 3 days 5 minutes

Servings 10 10 people

Calories 23kcal

Ingredients

• 1.5 Cups Beets - Washed, sliced into 1"x1/2" pieces
• 1/2 Cup Carrots - Washed, sliced into 1"x1/2" pieces
• 3 Tablespoons Mustard Seeds - Use the regular mustard seeds, not the tiny Andhra variety
• 3 Teaspoons Himalayan Pink Salt - You can use Black Salt too
• 1/4 Teaspoon Chili Powder - Optional
• 10 Cups Filtered water

Instructions

• In a small grinder (I use a coffee grinder), powder the mustard seeds. Rinse and peel carrots and beets. Chop into long pieces.
  
• Fill a glass or ceramic jug with filtered water. Add the powdered mustard seeds, salt, beet and carrot slices. Add chili powder if you want a little spice. Stir well.
  
• Seal the top of the jug with either a lid, or a paper towel secured with a rubber band, and set it outdoors during sunshine hours.
  
• Bring it indoors every evening at sundown and stir well. Don't refrigerate during the fermentation process. The next day, stir the mixture again, and leave it outdoors when the sun is up. As the vegetables start to ferment, you will see the liquid take on a darker hue
  
• Kaanji should be ready in 2-4 days, depending on the amount of sunshine it receives. If you have a rainy day, turn on the light in your oven and set the kaanji to ferment inside the oven. However, it is best to let the fermentation process happen in natural sunlight.
  
• Taste the drink after a couple of days; it should taste pleasantly sour. If you don't taste the desired sourness, keep it outdoors for one more day and taste again. When the kaanji starts tasting tangy and sour, it means the drink has fermented well. Do not keep it outdoors for more than 5 days since the vegetables will go bad.
  
• Refrigerate the kaanji when the fermentation is done. Separate the veggies out and use in salads or eat them by themselves or serve as a side dish. The vegetables and kaanji will keep in the fridge for 5-7 days.
  

Notes

*Use organic ingredients wherever possible

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Kaanji - a fermented drink

Amount per Serving

Calories

23

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

1

g

2

%

Cholesterol

 

0

mg

0

%

Sodium

 

80

mg

3

%

Potassium

 

119

mg

3

%

Carbohydrates

 

4

g

1

%

Fiber

 

1

g

4

%

Sugar

 

2

g

2

%

Protein

 

1

g

2

%

Vitamin A

 

550

IU

11

%

Vitamin C

 

2.5

mg

3

%

Calcium

 

10

mg

1

%

Iron

 

0.4

mg

2

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.