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    1. The kanji has to be refrigerated after it is properly fermented. At room temperature it will start over-fermenting, specially in warmer or hotter climates. If the drink is finished and only the fermented carrots and beets remain, keep them in the refrigerator.

  1. there is some white layer forming on the top within a day ,should i leave it or remove & let it stay in the sun for some more days?

  2. Hello, I live in Canada and we don’t have sunlight for days plus it’s freezing temperature outside. What do we do in that case?

    1. I live in Canada too, I made it and kept it on counter where you get brightest light, by end of third day, it was fermented and had a nice tangy taste. I had used another recipe, very similar though. This time i am trying this recipe.

      1. Thanks for such an explicit recipe! My beetroots sticks have started to rotten. Is it still ok to drink the kanji?

  3. I made this the way you stated but with black carrots. But unfortunately on opening the jar there was a whole lot of fungus on top.

    What can I do to avoid the fungus happening?

    1. a good sunlight won’t allow the fungus to appear. in which type of jar you kept like glass or ceramic. the heat from the sides of the jar is transferred to the contents inside. the top lid also as to get heated so that the heat is transferred in the jar. microorganisms like fungus cannot grow if heat is there. it is best to use ceramic jars. if using glass jars then the top can be covered with a muslin or cotton cloth. hope this helps.

      1. Thanks for replying – I kept it in a glass jar with tissue paper on it.- there isn’t much sun here right now with winter still here – I will try keeping it covered with a muslin cloth. I think I made a mistake by not stirring it also like you said.

        1. welcome karishma and thanks for letting me know. yes it is better to stir or shake the jar gently. a good sunlight is a must so as not to let any mould grow. but yes you can next time place a muslin cloth.

  4. I made it yesterday and stored in a glass container. Sun has been quite strong here since yesterday. When stirring today evening, I found green algae kind of stuff on top. Is that normal for Kanji? Is that how it ferments? I am not sure if it’s gone off or still ok? Could anyone please advise? Thanks

  5. Dassana
    I would like to give this ti my husband who is having bacterial infection in the stomach.
    But I am living qatar which s very hot now.
    Could u suggest like how long I should keep this outside.
    As in here the temperature is like 45,

      1. Hi dassana,
        Can this drink be made even during summers? Also can it be kept out in a cool dark area after the fermentation is complete?

        1. yes ashwini, you can make kanji during summers. it is better to keep in the fridge during summers after fermentation is complete. otherwise, it will become too much fermented and can get spoiled.

    1. during pregnancy its best to avoid foods which one is not sure about. since kanji is fermented and in fermentation process, things can go wrong if the food is not handled hygienically. so i would suggest to not to have kanji drink during pregnancy. why take a risk. its better to have plain carrots or carrot salad or any dish made with carrots, which can be safely consumed.

  6. Thank you for this post, I’m excited to try making this! I do have a question though. How much black salt should be added? Your recipe doesn’t specify.

    1. i have not mentioned the amount of salt as the preference for salt varies from person to person. so you can add as per your taste. black salt is not salty as compared to sea salt. so you can add even a bit more. in this recipe, i would suggest adding 1/2 to 1 tbsp black salt.

  7. Do you strain out the carrots and discard them or eat them/ use for some other purpose? Thank you for your wonderful site, have bookmarked it and return to it often 🙂

  8. I prepared this just now n waiting for fermentation. Now wondering if it’s safe for consumption during pregnancy. If anyone could answer this, I can drink without concerns. Thanks !!

  9. Thanks so much for this recipe, I will definitely be making it.
    Is it possible to substitute other veggies? the carrot and beet
    has a lot of sugar that I would love to avoid. Also, what is a
    serving size for the drink? Thank you.

    1. welcome. usually carrots are added. i do not know of any veggie or fruit that can be added. also i have not tried making with any other vegetable or fruit. i think this proportion serves 8 to 10 glasses.

  10. SO ECONOMICAL- I just simply love it
    kali gajar -1 kg rs. 10/-
    salt 5 table spoon
    rai mustard powder -10/- for 100gms
    water
    even plastic container will do the trick
    when made drink and continue to add water in the container kanji will once again form
    you can do it twice
    regards5 stars

  11. pl suggest if we can use instead of mustard powder RAI SMALL MUSTARD POWDER AND PLAIN SALT INSTEAD OF KALA NAMAK AND NO MIRCHI POWDER. IMAKE IT AND IT IS SIMPLY TASTES GOOD
    REGARDS5 stars

      1. I have not stored in direct sunlight for 3 days.The temprature here is around 5° to 16° and I kept it in room for 3 days it has good amount of bubbles but the taste is too much sour .
        Now I kept in sunlight

        Should I drink it after keeping more 2 days in sunlight

        1. Sunlight is essential. From the beginning the kanji has to be kept in the sunlight. The reason for this is that any harmful fungi or mould will not be able to grow due to the sunlight.

          If there are any hidden moulds or fungi, you won’t be able to detect or find them unless they grow so rapidly that the drink gets spoiled and has a weird smell.

          I would not suggest to take the risk of consuming the drink.

  12. Thanks. Great pictures and presentation. I have a handwritten recipe for this somewhere passed down by my mom who made tangy delish kanji. I am off to buy some carrots and makes this in Florida winter.

  13. Thank you very much. I found some black carrots in our supermarket in Canberra and thouyght of making some. Will let you knwo how it goes.
    Regards
    Shibu

  14. Can anyone tell me if my kanji is gone bad, as it tastes sweet, carroty sweet. This is the 4th day the jars are sitting on the kitchen counter. Last time I made it, the kanji was sour and perfect after 5 days. I just don’t want anyone getting sick. Thanks!

  15. Wonderful recipe and what better thing to cool down your heat.

    One thing you forgot to mention clearly in the list of ingredients is that mustard seeds must be Yellow (a. k. a. White) mustard seeds.

    1. hi umrit. we use black mustard seeds for making kanji. hence i have not mentioned the color of mustard seeds as usually it is assumed to be black.

      1. Hi Dassana,
        last year when I made kanji did so with the white mustard seeds. It turned out fine. I thought you also used white mustard seeds now I will try with the black ones. This year winter was very harsh here but feel like making kanji now in the summer. I have been trying your other recipes as well. Thanx once again.

        1. thanks huma. i don’t get white mustard seeds here always. difficult at times. you can make with black mustard seeds. we always make with black mustard seeds.

    1. just have the carrot and beetroot pieces like a pickle. they do get pickled and become sour. you can even have them when you are drinking the kanji.

  16. I went to the store last night to buy carrots, beets and ground mustard. I’m starting your recipe right now and I’m excited to see how it turns out!!5 stars

  17. Dassana you hit the jackpot. Kanji brought back memories. Every year in February/March we would have kanji made in our house. It is a very common drink in Lahore during this time of the year. Actually my parents are visiting here in New Jersey and I mentioned kanji to my mother. I have not seen black carrots here but my dad jumped in and mentioned the way you just wrote about as my grandfather also used your method. Again the sun problem comes here. I am still going to try it but will miss those big ceramic jars and also a “matka”. Will try in a glass jar. Thank you so much for bringing those fond memories back.5 stars

    1. thanks a ton huma. kanji has some fond memories for me too. the entire neighborhood would be making kanji in the winter months and i would see the pots getting gently simmered in the sun. even i don’t have those large bharnis or big mason jars or matkas. i really miss having them. they are so good for making kanji as well as pickling mango or vegetables. even if you keep in day light & not direct sunlight, then too it will work. there was a day here when it was all cloudy and i still kept out the jars on the balcony. all the best and welcome.

      1. Hi Dassana,
        I made the kanji and it turned out great. I bought a tall glass jar, like we put spaghetti in. Followed the directions and it was real sunny as the temperature turned really warm in New Jersey. So my drink turned out perfect. My mother also told me that I could also add the same amount of water after taking out the kanji for drinking (do this only twice). I did that and the sourness stayed the same, although I had to add some more salt. The carrots were delicious too. Thank you for such a great delight.

  18. I cannot wait to try this! I am so excited because fermented food/drink are so healthy! Thanks for the recipe!5 stars

  19. Lovely colors. Right now I have been sipping another combination of carrots and fruits in kanji.
    Thanks for the mention 🙂

  20. This was a love at first taste for me when I tasted this from a punjabi neighbor…The clicks look fab and I m feeling like just grabbing that glass 4m d screen

  21. Wow, what a tempting color I love carrot and beetroot, this drink is very new to me. Love that mustard and red chilly combination. Just a quick doubt wont it be bitter dassana when we add mustard to it. This looks awesome.

      1. Hi…I kept kaanji in the sun for 5-6 days since the temp is very low but the kaanji got fungus on top …wot should I do?