The information, facts or opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of NDTV and NDTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.The Sacred Monarch: uniting the three worlds All information is provided on an as-is basis. NDTV is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information on this article. The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. She is also a columnist and food writer, specialising in cuisine history, culinary links between communities and regions, and the business of restaurants. About the Author:Īnoothi Vishal is the author of Mrs LC's Table. So could all the different versions of congee-even when the porridge is no longer sour or fermented!Here's a recipe you could try at home - Gajar ki Kanji. The north India kanji could stem from that. Kanjika, it would appear, then connoted a class of fermented foods. In ancient India, as documented in texts like the Kashyapa Samhita, kanjika is described as a sour, fermented rice gruel, popular in the south. So what possible connection could this rice gruel have with the sour winter kanji of north India besides being a sort of a homophone?Food history however has fascinating trivia that can allow us to draw our own conclusions. Mostly a b reakfast dish, or food for invalids, congee can be served with a variety of condiments too. Why is kanji called kanji, a word that may also remind you of the Colonial congee? Congee, termed as such by the British, is a very different class of foods, more a porridge or gruel, pervasive throughout Asia, including in parts of southern India. In fact, the now trendy Lambic craft beer from Brussels, a result of natural, "spontaneous" fermentation (by naturally occurring microorganisms in that specific area where the Lambic breweries are situated), is another drink that reminds me of kanji.Ī photo posted by It's All About Food on at 3:54am PDT But like other fermented foods, including beer, this one is a living drink. These work on the natural sugars in the carrots, which get pickled in turn, and can be inventively used in sandwiches, salads and what-nots should you not want to eat them with the kanji itself.While, it may take a week or so for the kanji to be fermented to your taste in the mild cold, you can store it for months, including in the ref, when the days get warmer, to bring the microbial activity to a minimum. Neither is the amount of mustard seeds that give the kick to the drink and kickstart the pickling process.Kanji making is the result of naturally occurring bacteria in the air and yeast found in the vegetable skin, which is why, it may be best not to scrape of the carrots. No measures can be given on how much water must submerge the carrots, including those beautiful purple ones, kali gajar that comes only during winters, and imparts a rich reddish hue to the drink, is never strictly measured. But it is an acquired taste-with no redeeming sweetness to ensure all-round appeal.Kanji making is the work of andaz. I love the complexity of flavours a well fermented kanji brings in every mouthful. One is mildly sweet, the other zingy, tart, salty and when made well, pungent. The flavour profiles of kombucha and kanji are of course drastically different. It’s a whole world out there a family at least engrossed in this riveting biochemical action.Ī photo posted by Raw Food Center | Sunita Vira on at 1:07pm PST They carefully tend to them, watching them grow to large discs with the fondness of a parent, gifting the culture to fellow fermenters. Fermentation fans like Raghavan treat their SCOBY- Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast - with much respect. But regardless of whether you believe in its health benefits or not, kombucha is one of those interesting fermented foods that we should all get into our guts from time to time, if not for their probiotic action then for the complexity of taste that SCOBY action brings to the jars. Because I shy away from marketing blitzes, I had never thought to try this “drink of life” before. The session was conducted by Aditya Raghavan, who seems to be quite a maverick and treats his bacteria and yeast with much respect, almost as pets, which of course they are!It was at the workshop that I had my first sip of Kombucha, fermented tea, the supposed elixir of life, discovered by the ancient Chinese and being successfully marketed by the Americans since the 1990s, as a cure for everything from cancer to premature greying. In Goa, at the Serendipity Arts Festival earlier this month, I attended a fascinating workshop on fermentation, curated by chef Manu Chandra.
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