Nombu Kanji

      

During the Holy month of Ramadan, we fast from dusk till dawn. After the sunset we break our fast with dates and  a cup of water or juice followed by kanji which is like soup. Every household makes different varieties of kanji each day. This is a meal in itself, so you can make this any time of the year. The recipe I am posting here is from my mom and it is my kids’ favourite too. For vegetarians, you can replace the chicken with one cup of mixed vegetables and add 1 vegetable stock cube.

1st group of ingredients:

1 cup basmati or raw rice

3 green chilies

1/2   tbsp ginger-garlic paste

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped tomatoes

5 cups water

salt to taste

Ingredients for gravy:

3 to 4 chicken pieces with bones

1/2 cup sliced onion

1/2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste

1/2 tsp red chili powder

1/2 tsp fennel powder

1/2 tsp coriander powder

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

salt to taste

Ingredients for tempering:

1 tbsp sliced shallots or finely chopped onion

 A few sprigs of curry leaves

1 tbsp ghee + 1 tbsp oil

1 cup of coconut milk to add towards the end

1/2 cup finely chopped coriander leaves

Method:

Wash the rice and place the first group of ingredients in a pressure cooker and cook well. Once the pressure is down, churn the rice nicely with the spoon and keep it aside.

Heat oil in a different pot; add cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. Add onion and sauté it well. Once the onion is golden brown, add the ginger-garlic paste and sauté for a couple of minutes and add the chicken. Brown the chicken for a couple of minutes and add chili powder, fennel powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder. Check for salt and cook till the chicken is fully cooked. Remove the meat from the bones and discard the bones. Shred the meat in the blender slightly. Add the chicken along with the gravy to the rice mixture and allow it to boil vigorously stirring regularly.  Now add coconut milk and remove from heat after 5 minutes.

Heat 1 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp ghee in a pan. Add sliced shallots or finely chopped onion and curry leaves. Once the onions are nice and brown, pour it over the rice mixture. The kanji should be of pouring consistency. Enjoy this hot with samosa, cutlet, vadai or any kind of freshly fried snacks.