Kanji Drink: The Original Indian Probiotic (Black Carrot Recipe)

What Is Kanji Drink?

Kanji drink is a sour, fermented drink from North India. It is made from black carrots, mustard seeds (rai), salt and water. It tastes tangy and pungent. A well-fermented batch is full of lactic acid bacteria. Black carrots grow mainly in North India, and families in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi make kanji at home in winter.

Many families serve kanji around Holi. Black carrots are only sold for a short time each year. When you cannot find them, you can make a milder kanji with orange carrots and a little beetroot.

If you have never tasted kanji, imagine a sharp, sour, mustard-spiced water with a deep purple colour from the black carrots. It is bold and pungent. It is also low in calories, with no added sugar.

Why Kanji Is India's Original Probiotic Drink

Long before kombucha reached Indian stores, kanji was India's own fermented drink. As kanji ferments, lactic acid bacteria grow in the jar and turn it sour. This is the same broad group of bacteria that sours curd, kimchi and sauerkraut.

What the lab found: Researchers at Punjab Agricultural University made kanji from black carrots, salt and rai, and let it ferment for 5 days at room temperature. The pH fell to 3.47. Lactic acid bacteria rose from 3.96 to 8.33 log CFU per ml. That is about 200 million bacteria in each ml. The main strain they picked out was Pediococcus acidilactici. The authors called kanji "a potential plant-based probiotic with high antioxidant activity" (Sharma and others, 2021).

This was one lab batch, not a test in people. Home batches vary, and nobody counts the bacteria in your glass. So treat kanji as a tasty fermented drink, not as a probiotic pill.

The mustard seeds give kanji its sharp, pungent taste. Salt matters just as much. The National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP) says the amount of each ingredient affects flavour and, in many cases, safety (NCHFP). So do not cut the salt by much, and keep the carrots under the water. A batch can still spoil. The tips below show how to tell sour from spoiled.

How Kanji Drink Is Made (Quick Overview)

Kanji takes about 15 minutes to set up, plus time for boiled water to cool. It then ferments for 3 to 5 days. You need 4 main ingredients: black carrots, mustard seeds, salt and water. This batch makes about 2 litres.

Ingredients

• 500 to 700 g black carrots (called kali gajar)
• 2 to 3 tablespoons yellow mustard seeds (rai), coarsely ground
• 2 litres water, boiled and then cooled
• 2 to 4 teaspoons salt, to taste (plain salt with no additives)
• Optional: 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder

Steps

1. Wash, peel and cut the black carrots - Cut finger-length sticks, about 1.5 to 2 inches long. Thin sticks go soft.
2. Coarsely grind mustard seeds - Do not make a fine powder. Rough pieces work best.
3. Boil the water and let it cool fully - The Punjab Agricultural University kanji studies also used boiled and cooled water.
4. Add everything to a clean glass jar - Carrots, mustard, salt, chilli powder if using, and the cooled water. Keep the carrots under the water.
5. Stir well - Make sure the salt dissolves fully.
6. Cover with a cloth - Tie with a rubber band, or use a loose lid. Do not seal it tight. Keep it in a warm or sunny spot for 3 to 5 days. Stir once a day with a clean spoon.
7. Taste on day 3 - It should be tangy and sour. If it is still flat, wait 1 or 2 more days. In cold weather it can take up to 7 days.
8. Strain and serve cold - Move it to the fridge once it tastes sour. Drink it within a few days, and smell it before you serve it.

For exact amounts, Hindi steps and troubleshooting, see our step-by-step gajar kanji recipe.

Use a glass jar for fermenting. InstaCuppa does not sell a fermenting jar or pitcher right now. Once the kanji is strained and chilled, the InstaCuppa Glass Water Dispenser 5 Litre can serve it from a 304 steel tap. It is a serving dispenser, not a fermenting jar.

Health Benefits of Kanji

Kanji is a tasty drink, but the science on it is small. Here is what the research does and does not show.

• Live lactic acid bacteria - In the Punjab Agricultural University lab batch, the count reached about 200 million per ml after 5 days. Home batches are not tested.
• Anthocyanins - Black carrots are rich in anthocyanins, the purple pigments that colour kanji. The lab kanji showed 79.96% antioxidant activity in a test tube. A lab test does not prove a health effect in people.
• A traditional digestive drink - Many North Indian homes drink kanji with meals. No human trial has tested whether it helps digestion.
• Low calorie - The lab kanji had 36.32 mg of sugars per ml. That is about 7 g of sugars, or about 29 kcal from those sugars, in a 200 ml glass. Kanji has no added sugar.
• Vitamin A: not measured - Black carrots get their dark colour from anthocyanins. The kanji study did not measure vitamin A, so do not count on kanji for it.

What the research does not show: No study has tested kanji drink on heart health, immunity or weight in people. The kanji numbers above come from one lab batch (Sharma and others, 2021). Researchers at the same university also warn that traditional kanji can pick up harmful germs during storage, because its fermentation is not controlled (Kaur and others, 2023). Enjoy kanji as a fermented drink, not as a medicine.

Kanji vs Kombucha: Which Is Better?

Neither is "better." They serve different purposes. Kanji is easier to make and deeply rooted in Indian tradition. Kombucha is fizzy and works as a soda replacement. Kombucha times and sugar come from the NCHFP kombucha tea recipe. Many people enjoy both.

Tips for Perfect Kanji Every Time

• Use black carrots for the classic taste - Black carrots (kali gajar) give the deep colour and sharp tang. They are sold in winter markets across North India. Orange carrots with a little beetroot also work, but the taste is milder.
• Grind mustard coarsely - Fine powder makes kanji cloudy and overly pungent. Coarse pieces give a balanced flavour.
• Use glass, stoneware or stainless steel - Do not use brass, copper, iron or zinc pots. The NCHFP lists these metals as a cause of dark pickles (NCHFP). Food-grade plastic is safe, but it may take a purple stain.
• Warmth helps in winter - Keep the jar in a sunny or warm spot. Warmth speeds up fermentation in cold weather.
• In summer, keep it shaded - Heat makes kanji sour faster. Taste it every day.
• Know sour from spoiled - Good kanji smells sour and sharp. A smooth white film that is not fuzzy is usually kahm yeast, which Illinois Extension calls safe; skim it off. Fuzzy mould, a slimy feel or a rotten smell means you throw the whole batch away (Illinois Extension). Read more in White Fungus on Pickle: Why It Happens and Is It Safe.