Handia (Rice Beer)

Name: Handia (Rice Beer)
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 72 h
Total time: 73 h
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Jharkhandi
Ingredients: 1 kg Rice; 2 pcs ranu tablets (herbal fermentation starter); 2 litres Water; 4 pcs sal or mahua leaves

A lightly alcoholic, mildly sour fermented rice beer central to Santhal tribal life, made using rice and a traditional herbal ferment cake called ranu.

🇮🇳India· Jharkhand

Prep: 60 min
Cook: 4320 min
Total: 4380 min
Servings: 6
Difficulty: Hard
Calories: 120 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 4 gathered

Servings

1 kg Rice — parboiled, coarse variety
2 pcs ranu tablets (herbal fermentation starter) — crushed
2 litres Water — for boiling rice and later dilution
4 pcs sal or mahua leaves — to line the pot, optional

Equipment

•Earthen pot (matka)
•Cloth for covering

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 120 kcal
fat: 0.5 g
carbs: 22 g
fibre: 1 g
protein: 2 g
calories: 120 kcal

Instructions

1
Boil the rice until it is fully cooked and slightly soft. Spread it out to cool down completely.
2
Crumble the ranu tablets (herbal starter cakes) over the cooled rice. Mix them in thoroughly.
3
Line an earthen pot with sal leaves if using them. Pack the rice mixture firmly into the pot.
4
Cover the pot tightly with a cloth. Leave it undisturbed in a warm spot for 3 days to ferment.
5
After 3 days, pour water into the fermented rice mash. Stir well to loosen it up.
6
Cover the pot again. Let it rest for 1-2 more days until the flavour turns mildly sour and tangy.
7
Strain the liquid through a clean cloth into cups. Press the rice solids firmly to squeeze out all the liquid.
8
Serve fresh in clay cups. The drink becomes stronger and more sour the longer it ferments.

Chef's tips

The ranu tablet, made from forest herbs, gives handia its unique flavour and cannot be replaced with commercial yeast. Fermentation happens faster in warmer weather.