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aerial close up shot of rice kanji in a black ceramic bowl.
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Rice Kanji Recipe

To handle the Indian summer, a bowl of Pazhaya Sadam (literally "old rice"), commonly known as Rice Kanji is one of the best natural probiotics.
Prep Time10 hours 10 minutes
Total Time10 hours 10 minutes
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: Indian
Servings: 2 adults
Calories: 169kcal
Author: Hina Gujral

Ingredients

  • 1 Cup cooked rice
  • 1 Cup water, at room temperature
  • ½ Cup buttermilk (Indian Chaas)
  • ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 4 - 5 shallots (sambar onion)
  • ½ inch ginger, chopped
  • 1 green chilli, chopped (optional)
  • 1 sprig curry leaves
  • handful of fresh coriander leaves, chopped

Instructions

  • Take your leftover cooked rice and place it in a clay pot (traditional) or a ceramic bowl.
  • Add clean, drinking water until the rice is submerged by at least an inch.
  • Cover it with a lid or a thin muslin cloth and leave it on your kitchen counter overnight (approx. 8–10 hours).
  • The next morning, you’ll notice the water has turned slightly opaque, bubbly, frothy, and slightly tangy. Do not drain this water!
  • Using clean hands, gently mash the rice into the water. The goal is to break the grains slightly to release the starches and create a slightly thick consistency.
  • Whisk the buttermilk and stir it into the rice mixture. Add the crushed shallots, green chilli, and ginger. They provide a sharp, sweet crunch and are excellent for lowering body heat. Add chopped curry leaves, coriander leaves, and salt. Mix nicely.
  • Serve rice kanji at room temperature.

Video

Notes

  • Pro-Tip: The more potent the probiotic benefits—just ensure it smells fresh and fermented, not spoiled!
  • Use non metallic, non reactive pot for soaking the rice for fermentation. 
  • Rice should not be warm or hot while soaking for fermentation nor it should be from the refrigerator. It should be cooled at room temperature before the soaking process. 
  • Don't use highly processed rice like basmati as they do not have enough nutrients or the starch. 
  • Rice Kanji is meant for eating fresh. Hence, this is not a fridge friendly recipe. Do not store kanji in the refrigerator. 
  • Best time to consume it is either breakfast or lunch. 

Nutrition

Calories: 169kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 0.3g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 433mg | Potassium: 202mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 40IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 1mg