KANJI OR RICE SOUP

 RICE SOUP, kanji or kanhi in Malayalam, was the poor man’s break fast in Keralm. Our maid servants used to have last night’s kanji in the morning, with chilli and salt mixed and crushed, as an appetiser. Seeing it, we children, used to wish for a taste of it, denied to us, as it is stale.

The paddy is first boiled along with the husk, then dried in the shadow and husk is removed by pounding with a pestle. The husk and bran are removed by skilfully sifting in a shallow, square, mat and the rice, thus obtained, is known as boiled rice.

 People of Keram prefer this rice which is cooked in sufficient quantity of water. The excess water is removed by half closing the vessel and tilting it to drain the water off. This soup is the kanji. I like it, if served hot.

Nowadays, it is available in poor men’s hotels, wrongly called so in Keralam, laced with coconut milk and you can see A notice in such hotels “ KANJI AVAILABLE “.