Gajar Kanji Recipe (Fermented Carrot Drink)

Kanji or gajar kanji is a fermented drink made from black carrots and spices such as brown mustard seeds & red chili powder. It is a popular seasonal drink in north india, during winters and spring time.

Takes 15 minutes to make carrot kanji and about 6-7 days for sun fermentation! This traditional indian beverage is salty, tangy and mildly spicy. Also, lets not forget its vibrant, eye catching purplish-red color, beautiful right?

Confession Time: It wasn't until recent years that I truly savored the unique piquant flavors of recipes like amla chutney and kaanji. Despite its appealing appearance, I don't recall relishing a glass of kaanji as a child, although my gradmother used to make it throughtout the winter -spring season. This drink was a bit intense for my kid palate. My seasonal favorite used to be the winter pickle (gajar gobhi shalgam achar) paired with parathas.

Fast forward many years, and after learning how to make it, now I enjoy this indian probiotic drink drink every season. It is incredibly easy to make kanji. You need few simple ingredients and its one of the most easy recipes. Just keep in mind a few things when it comes to the fermentation process. 

What is Kanji

Pronounced as "kah-n-jee.", kaanji is a tart and salty indian drink made with purple carrots or black carrots. Some recipes also use other vegetables such as turnip or amla (indian gooseberries) in addition but carrots are the hero ingredient along with rai or brown mustard seeds (these seeds are smaller in size than black mustrad seeds).

Kanji has a unique flavor which is a delightful combination of tanginess (from fermentation), spiciness(from mustard powder), and mild sweetness (from carrots & beets). It is definitely an acquired taste. First sip and the mustard will hit you followed by the tang!

Authentic kaanji drink is made using purple or black carrots that are available in abundance in India during January to March months. But I use red carrots and replicate the lovely purple-ruby color using a few slices of beet root.

If you do not get red carrots, feel free to use regular carrots. In my family, thandai & gajar kanji were spring drinks and my grandmother prepared it in days leading to Holi,the indian festival of colors.

How To Make Kanji (Step Pictures)

1. In a clean cooking pot, add a litre of water and boil water. Switch off the flame.
2. While water is boiling, thoroughly wash & peel, the carrots and beetroot. Taste the carrots, sometimes the insides are bitter, discard those parts. Then cut into long sticks.
3. Add the brown mustard seeds to a clean spice grinder and grind into a fine powder.
4. Place carrot sticks along with beetroot in a tall glass jar. You could use ceramic jar too.
5. Sprinkle the mustard powder, salt, pinch of asafoetida (hing), regular salt and red chilli powder. Add a little bit of tangy kala namak (indian rock salt). Kala namak or black salt is commonly used in indian chaat and chutneys and here it contributes to the tartness of the kanji. Some peole also like adding black pepper powder, you could try it.

6. Pour hot water that we boiled over the carrot and spices.Stir using a clean wooden spoon to make sure that the salt dissolves.
7. Tie a muslin cloth (or a cotton cloth) around the the mouth of the jar.
8. Leave the kanji to ferment in the sun . In about 3-4 days, the process of fermentation begins and kanji acquires a sour taste. Depending on where you live and hence how warm it is, it could take 5-7 days. Similar to pickles, the longer you fermented, the more tart kaanji becomes.

Fermentation Process

During fermentation, the natural sugars found in the carrots and beetrrot ferment and are aided by the lactic acid bacteria present in the mixture. Combined with the sour kala namak, the drink develops a tangy flavor. The longer you will ferment, the more intense the flavor of kaanji becomes.

After 3-4 days, start tasting the kaanji to check if it has reached the desired level of fermentation and flavor. At this stage you could adjust the salt if needed.

Storing & Serving

Kanji drink has a good shelf life. You may store it at room temperature for a week. Or store kanji in the refrigersator for 2 weeks. It is best enjoyed cold. Serve it over ice cubes if you wish. Similar to jal jeera, I love to top mine with some boondi (fried gram flour balls). 

While serving you could add a few pieces of pickled carrots and beets. These vegetables can also be added to salads or for topping sandwiches or wraps too.  

Recipe Tips

• Use clean hands and utensils always. Such fermented recipes need utmost care when it comes to hygiene to avoid bacterial formation.
• Sterlize Glass Jar- I suggest sterlizing the glass container that you are going to use for fermentation. You could sterlize in boiling water, oven, dishwasher or microwave. The linked article explains the different methods nicely.
• Stir Regularly - Stir 1-2 times a day while kanji during the fermentation process. You could gently shake the jar or use a clean wooden spoon to stir.
• Make Small Batches - I prefer to make small batches of kaanji to preseve its color & flavor.
• Be Patient - Fermented foods take a while to develop flavors. The intensity of sunlight plays a huge role during fermentation as well. For the first 2-3 days, you might not taste any sourness. Don't add any more spices at this stage becasue the flavor might get too intense later.