Black Carrot Kanji/ Kaali Gaajar ki Kanji

You remember i did a photo post for black carrots?! I thought of making carrot cake using those carrots. But my daughter, Zini, was not too well, hence i decided to make something else out of those black carrots.

So searching the net for the black carrots recipe led me to Sangeeta's blog and i saw the recipe of Black carrot kanji there. And i was immediately interested, coz i love everything that's fermented or pickled...And here was a unique drink which was fermented!!!

I decided to give it a try and believe me it was tasty, not to forget healthy (helps in digestion - probiotic)!!! I will definitely make it again :) Thanks, Sangeeta for sharing :)

So if you are like me and love fermented/pickled food then do give this one a try :)

Oh and in case you can't find black carrots in your city then you can use regular red carrots too to make this drink!!

Colorful Kanji!!!

Pickled Carrots & beets...

Ingredients:

Black Carrots - 3

Red Carrots - 3

Beets -3

Coarsely ground Mustards - 4 teaspoon
Regular salt - 3 Tablespoon
Rock salt (kala namak/ Sanchal) 3 Teaspoon
Water - 1.5 Liter (approx)

Method:

1) Wash and cut the carrots and beets in pieces.

2) Parboil them. (The original recipe doesn't say that but in comment section it was advised that the 1st timers do this to avoid spoiling it, and i was 1st timer :) )

Parboiled Carrots and beets...

3) Let it cool down. Don't throw away the water used for parboiling.

4) Now in a clean sterilized jar add the carrots along with the water. Please use glassware.Don't use metal or plastic vessels. (Hence i don't own the airtight glass jar, i used my corningware pan that has a lid on it. Also I was not sure how to sterilize, so i washed the cornigware thoroughly, wiped it dry and kept it in the sun to completely dry out for an hour. And then used it)

5) Add the salts and coarsely ground mustard and mix well. (The recipe said, mustard powder, but i thought of going the coarse way coz i do the same for my pickled green chilies and i like the way the coarse mustard gives a character to the pickle :) )

Coarsely ground Mustard...

6) Cover it using a lid. Every day using  a clean spoon, push the carrots in the water.

Covered and ready to be feremented....

7) Though the recipe said a week of fermentation time, mine got fermented in 3 days!! Sangeeta suggested that it might be because of warm weather in my part of country. She also added that if left for few more days, it will keep on fermenting!!!

Once it ferments  separate the carrots and the water. The fermented water has now become Kanji!! And the carrots and beets are now pickled, Yummm!!!

Sending this to Let's cook ~ Pickles at Simply Food...

Notes:

1) If you will see the original recipe, you will realize that mine is not exactly similar. I didn't use red chili powder. (I forgot *Hanging my head in shame*). Also i didn't add Sendha namak, coz i didn't have any. Also my proportion of water was different to suit my only available vessel...Despite all these differences, it tasted good!!! This means that it's a very forgiving recipe and should be tried :)

2) I even added the pickled carrots to my Veg Pulao (because i didn't have fresh carrots). I know i killed the good bacteria, but it tasted great!!!

+techie ZM