Photo: Gannu03 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Kerala · Breakfast

Kanji Vellam

The starchy water drained from cooking rice — the "breakfast drink" of traditional Kerala that preceded commercial beverages. Kanji vellam is milky-white, slightly sour if allowed to ferment, and deeply nourishing. It has been consumed for centuries as a morning pick-me-up, a digestive aid, and an oral rehydration solution. The fermented version (pazhankanji) is left overnight and consumed cold.

🧺 Ingredients

• 1 cup (200 g) raw rice
• 8 cups (1.92 litres) water
• 1/2 tsp (3 g) salt
• Leftover kanji from the previous evening
• 1/4 tsp (1.5 g) salt
• 2 small green chillies (optional)
• 1 shallot, sliced (optional)
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) moru (buttermilk) or curd
• Use 1:8 rice-to-water ratio to produce plenty of kanji vellam — the excess water is the point.

👩‍🍳 How to make Kanji Vellam

1. Combine rice and water in a pot.
2. Bring to boil over high heat.
3. Reduce to medium-low.
4. Cook 20–25 minutes until rice is fully cooked.
5. Add salt.
6. Do not drain.
7. Tilt pot and ladle out the cloudy starchy water (kanji vellam) into cups.
8. The remaining rice can be eaten separately.
9. Serve hot with a pinch of salt.
10. Or cool to room temperature, add salt, moru, shallot and chilli for the fermented pazhankanji version.
11. Leave kanji vellam at room temperature overnight.
12. It will sour naturally.
13. In the morning, add a tablespoon of curd, a pinch of salt, sliced shallot, and green chilli.
14. Serve cold or at room temperature.

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