Kanji (Black Carrot Drink)
کانجی
Kanji is the winter drink of Punjab, made when black carrots arrive in the markets from December to February. The carrots are left in salted water with crushed mustard seeds, and over a few days in the sun the water ferments into a sour, gently spicy, deep purple drink. It is sipped before or with meals and valued as a natural aid to digestion. Coarsely ground mustard is the heart of it: it gives kanji its sharp, nose-tickling bite and helps the fermentation along.
- ⏱ Total: 20 min
- Prep: 15 min
- Cook: 5 min
- Easy
- Serves 8
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Boil the water in a large for 2–3 minutes, then turn off the heat and let it cool completely to room temperature.
Wash and peel the black carrots and cut them into finger-length batons, about 3 inches long.
Put the carrots in a large, very clean glass jar or ceramic . Add the ground mustard seeds, salt, black salt and red chili powder.
Pour in the cooled water and stir well with a clean, dry wooden spoon until the salt dissolves.
Cover the mouth with a muslin cloth tied with string and set the jar in the sun for 3–5 days. Stir once a day with a clean, dry spoon and bring it indoors at night.
Taste from day 3. The kanji is ready when it is clearly sour and tangy, deep purple and has a faint fizz. Close the jar and refrigerate to slow the fermentation.
Serve chilled or at room temperature in glasses, with a couple of the soft, tangy carrot pieces in each.
Kitchen notes
Everything that touches the kanji must be clean and dry. A wet or dirty spoon can bring in mould and spoil the whole batch.
Fermentation depends on warmth. In strong sun it can be ready in 3 days; on cloudy days it may need 6 or 7. Go by taste, not the calendar.
A thin white film on top is common and can be skimmed off. Fuzzy mould, or a rotten rather than sour smell, means it should be thrown away.
Punjab’s winter ferment
Black carrots, kali gajar, appear in Punjabi markets only in the coldest months, and kanji is one of the main reasons people buy them. Jars of it sit on rooftops and sunny verandas across Lahore, Gujranwala and the villages around them through January, the deep purple glowing in the light. Families drink a small glass before lunch or with a meal, and it is a traditional home remedy for a sluggish stomach in winter. Because it is a naturally fermented drink, many people today also value it as a probiotic.
How the fermentation works
Nothing is added to start the ferment. The bacteria naturally present on the carrots and mustard begin working in the salty water, turning the carrots’ sugars into acid over a few days. Salt keeps unwanted microbes out, and coarsely ground mustard seeds add the sharp, almost wasabi-like heat that defines kanji. Warmth speeds everything up, which is why the jars go into the sun by day and come indoors at night.
Use water that has been boiled and cooled, a jar that has been washed and dried in the sun, and a dry spoon for the daily stir. Taste from the third day: when it is pleasantly sour with a slight fizz, it is ready. This recipe makes the plain base kanji; once it is ready, the drink can be served as it is or used for variations.
Variations
- Beetroot kanji: add one small beetroot with the carrots for an even deeper colour and a sweeter edge.
- Hing kanji: some families add a pinch of asafoetida with the mustard for a more savoury flavour.
- Milder kanji: use 2 tablespoons of mustard and half the chili for children.
Serving and storing
Serve kanji in small glasses, chilled or at room temperature, with a carrot piece or two. Once it is as sour as you like, refrigerate it; it will keep for about two weeks. The fermented carrots can also be eaten as a pickle with meals.
Questions people ask
Can I make kanji with orange or red carrots?
Yes, but it will be pale orange and milder. Black carrots give the classic purple colour. A small beetroot, peeled and cut into pieces, adds colour if you can only find red carrots.
How long does kanji keep?
In a closed jar in the fridge it keeps for about 2 weeks. It keeps getting slowly more sour, so drink it while the taste suits you.
Can I make it without sunlight?
Yes. Keep the jar in the warmest spot in the house, such as near a water heater or in a warm kitchen. It will take a few days longer, so keep tasting.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 30
- Protein
- 1 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 5 g
