Kanji (Island Rice Gruel)
A soft, thin rice gruel cooked until the grains break down, served as the daily staple meal across Lakshadweep households.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 150 kcal
Equipment
- •Heavy-bottomed pot
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 150 kcal
- fat
- 0 g
- carbs
- 33 g
- fibre
- 1 g
- protein
- 3 g
- calories
- 150 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Rinse the rice thoroughly with water. Drain it well.
- 2
Put the rice and water into a heavy-bottomed pot.
- 3
Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Turn the heat down to a gentle simmer.
- 4
Cook for 30–35 minutes, stirring now and then. Stop when the grains break down and thicken.
- 5
Stir in salt to taste if you like. You can also leave it plain for salty side dishes.
- 6
Ladle into bowls while hot. Serve with fish curry, chutney or dried fish.
Chef's tips
Stir often near the end of cooking so the rice does not stick. Broken rice softens faster into a smooth, loose gruel.
Ingredient substitutions
- raw rice → par-boiled rice
Storage
Refrigerate for up to 1 day; it thickens further when chilled.
Reheating
Reheat with a splash of water, stirring to loosen the consistency.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Adding too little water, which turns the dish into a thick paste instead of a loose gruel.
Serving suggestions
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