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Indian · Punjabi

Kanji (fermented carrot drink)

Vegetarian

काँजी · kāñjī

A tangy, deep purple North Indian drink of black carrots fermented for a few days in salted water with crushed mustard seed and red chilli.

Kanji (fermented carrot drink) is an Indian cold drink, ready in about 72 hours 15 minutes and made with carrot and mustard seeds. It serves 8 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep
15 min
Cook
0 min
Total
72 h 15 min
Serves
8
Level
Easy
Calories
33

Plus 3–5 days fermenting at warm room temperature.

Ingredients

8 small glasses

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Wash a 2-litre glass or ceramic jar with hot soapy water, rinse well and let it dry.

  2. Step 2

    Put the carrots (opens in a new tab) (and beetroot (opens in a new tab), if using) into the jar with the crushed mustard seed (opens in a new tab), salt, black salt (opens in a new tab) and chilli powder. Pour over the cooled boiled water and stir well with a clean spoon.

  3. Step 3

    Make sure the vegetables are submerged, cover the mouth with muslin tied with string and leave in a warm, sunny spot for 3–5 days, stirring once a day with a clean, dry spoon.

    • 2 min

    Food safety: Keep the vegetables under the liquid. Discard the batch if you see fuzzy mould or it smells rotten rather than pleasantly sour.

  4. Step 4

    When it tastes pleasantly sour and pungent, refrigerate. Serve chilled in small glasses with a few carrot (opens in a new tab) pieces.

    • 2 min

About this dish

Origin
North India (Punjab, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh), India · Commonly attributedA late-winter drink, often made around Holi when black carrots are in season.Also popular in PakistanMore food from India
Dish
Snack · Lunch · Cold drinks
Cooking method
Fermented, No-cook
Taste
sour, salty, spicy (chilli heat), earthy
Diet
Vegan · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb
All labelsVegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Whole-food focused · Paleo-style · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · Low-fat
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Make-ahead · Budget-friendly
Cook more with
Carrot · Mustard seeds · Black salt (kala namak) · Cayenne / chilli powder
Techniques
Fermentation

Allergens

  • Contains: Mustardfrom mustard seeds

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

33 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 243 g · recipe makes 8

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 12%
  • Carbohydrate 62%
  • Fat 25%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy33 kcal13 kcal
Protein1.1 g0.4 g
Carbohydrate5.5 g2.3 g
Net carbohydrate3.8 g1.6 g
Sugars2.5 g1 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre1.7 g0.7 g
Fat1 g0.4 g
Saturated fat0.1 g0 g
Trans fat0 g0 g
Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
Sodium1175 mg484 mg
Salt equivalent2.9 g1.2 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
181 mg
Calcium
42 mg
Iron
0.4 mg
Magnesium
18 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
422 µg
Vitamin C
3 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
13 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: beetroot.
  • Black salt (kala namak): Table salt (FDC 173468) used as a stand-in; kala namak is mostly sodium chloride with sulphur compounds that give its eggy aroma.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • The brine is about 1.5% salt; warm weather speeds fermentation, so start tasting from day 3.

Common mistakes

  • Using chlorinated tap water straight from the tap, which can slow fermentation; boil and cool it first.

Serve with

  • Serve with moong dal pakoras or vadas.

Food safety

  • Use clean utensils every time you stir or ladle.
  • Refrigerate once sour; discard if mould forms or it smells off.

Storage

  • Keeps about 1 week in the fridge once fermented.

Variations

  • Kanji vada (India): Rajasthani and North Indian version with small fried lentil dumplings soaked in the kanji.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Customise in Sip & Blend

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

  • Carrot, black (purple) carrots, peeled and cut into batons400 g
  • Beetroot, peeled and cut into wedges (optional)1 piece · 80 g
Used in step 2

Less sweet, dairy-free, caffeine-free or for more people — the original stays as it is.

Customise in Sip & Blend

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