Kanji Podi (Powder for Rice Porridge)

Kanji is a simple variety of rice porridge. It is mainly served to the patients suffering from fever, stomach upset, diarrhea and also to small babies (above one year), old people as an easy to digest food.

To reduce cooking time, Kanji Podi (Powder) is prepared and stored at home to meet sudden requirements. Kanji podi is prepared with parboiled rice and mild spices like cumin seeds, asafetida and ajwain or oregano seeds. I also add little dry ginger for flavor.

Parboiled rice is known as Puzhungal Arisi in Tamil. Kanji is also known as Congee (British method of writing Tamil word – கஞ்சி), Ganji.

Kanji can be prepared as sweet or savory depending on the requirement and taste. Here is the recipe to make Kanji Podi to prepare savory kanji.

Ingredients

• Parboiled rice – 3 cup (I used idli rice)
• Cumin seeds – 1 tea spoon
• Oregano/ajwain/omum – ½ tea spoon
• Dry ginger/sukku – small piece
• Asafetida powder – ¼ tea spoon

Method

• Clean, dry roast rice in a pan (I did it in microwave oven) till slight red colour; this may take about 10 minutes in fry pan; mean time cut dry ginger into small pieces.

• When rice is half roasted, add cumin, oregano seeds, asafetida powder, dry ginger pieces and continue roasting; when the rice is golden or red remove and allow it to cool.

• Grind it to a coarse powder like rava.

• Now kanji podi is ready.

Tips

• Kanji podi can be stored without refrigeration for a minimum period of three months.