Kambu (Pearl millet) is a great dish for the gluten intolerent people. Apart from offering excellent taste, these millets contain essential mineral and nutrients, which provide the body with a variety of advantages.
Kambu koozh (Pearl millet porridge or Bajra Porridge) is a refreshing, healthy drink for a hot summer. Pearl millet is one of the most healthy millet variety. It has a balanced nutrition of protein, fiber and starch which makes this millet wholesome and healthy. We can make many different recipes using pearl millet.This koozh (Porridge) is one of the best recipe using Bajra. A filling and cool drink for a nice morning. Since the nutrition is very high in this pearl millet, its recommended to have this koozh for breakfast or for lunch so we have more time to digest. Fermented porridge enhanced with sour curd along with green chili, ginger and cumin seeds incorporates a nice spicy taste to the porridge.
Usually shallots or finely chopped onions are added to the koozh while serving. We can also relish with fried Mor Milagai, manathalkali or sundakkai vathal or just with sour raw mango spiced with chili powder and salt. These accompaniments make this koozh even more interesting to consume. Choice of accompaniments are our choice. A simple shallot or green chili itself is enough too.
Tips for making Kambu Koozh:
We can use Pearl millet as whole grain or like broken like sooji. Or we can also directly use the Pearl millet flour for this recipe.
If you use Pearl millet as whole grain or like broken like sooji, dry grind it to smooth powder and then cook in hot water.
The ratio of flour to water is 1:6. For 1 measure of pearl millet flour take 6 measures of water.
While cooking pearl millet flour in water, cook in medium flame for atleast 15 mins. If the mixture gets very thick in 7-10 mins, add more water and keep cooking for 15 mins to get rid off its raw smell.
We can also add mashed cooked rice or poha to speed up the fermentation process.
Kambu (Pearl millet) is a great dish for the gluten intolerent people. Apart from offering excellent taste, these millets contain essential mineral and nutrients, which provide the body with a variety of advantages.
Take the pearl millet in a mixer and grind it to a little coarse powder. Measure the kambu flour. Take 5 measures of water in a sauce pan and add the kambu flour and mix well
Keep the flame in medium and stir continuously. Within 5 mintues, the koozh starts getting thicker. Stir continuously to avoid sticking to the bottom of the pan. When the koozh is thick, switch off the flame. Allow the koozh to come to room temperature. We can see the koozh gets further thickened.
Now add cold water to the koozh and make it to a drinking consistency. It should be diluted nicely. Cover the koozh vessel with a lid and keep it aside overnight for fermentation. Generally in hot weather, the koozh gets nicely fermented. If you stay abroad and during winter, fermentation process takes more time, so we can also add 1 fist full of mashed cooked rice to the koozh which helps the fermentation process to be quicker. But adding cooked rice is optional.
The next day morning, the koozh would have nicely fermented. Now take the curd in a mixer along with green chilli, ginger and cumin seeds
Grind the curd to a nice paste. Add salt to the koozh and mix well. Then add the ground curd to the koozh and give it a nice stir.
Now healthy and tasty kambu koozh is ready. Serve with chopped onions / shallots, green chillies, Mor Milagai and enjoy the drink!
Video
Notes
Fermentation process is optional.. This was the conventional method used by the farmers and villagers as they cant afford for milk / curd. We can prepare the koozh and use it immediately also. We can mix sour buttermilk instead of more water so that the sourness in the koozh is maintained,Also during fasting days, we can avoid this fermentation and also curd/buttermilk will also be not used and those days, we can add milk to the koozh and have it or we can add lemon juice to the prepared koozh and we could have it. In any ways, this koozh is very very healthy and stuffy.
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Method with Step by Step Pictures:
Take the pearl millet in a mixer and grind it to a little coarse powder. Measure the kambu flour. Take 5 measures of water in a sauce pan and add the kambu flour and mix well
Keep the flame in medium and stir continuously. Within 5 mintues, the koozh starts getting thicker. Stir continuously to avoid sticking to the bottom of the pan. When the koozh is thick, switch off the flame. Allow the koozh to come to room temperature. We can see the koozh gets further thickened. Now add cold water to the koozh and make it to a drinking consistency. It should be diluted nicely.
Cover the koozh vessel with a lid and keep it aside overnight for fermentation. Generally in hot weather, the koozh gets nicely fermented. If you stay abroad and during winter, fermentation process takes more time, so we can also add 1 fist full of mashed cooked rice to the koozh which helps the fermentation process to be quicker. But adding cooked rice is optional.
The next day morning, the koozh would have nicely fermented. Now take the curd in a mixer along with green chilli, ginger and cumin seeds
Grind the curd to a nice paste. Add salt to the koozh and mix well. Then add the ground curd to the koozh and give it a nice stir.
Now healthy and tasty kambu koozh is ready. Serve with chopped onions / shallots, green chillies, Mor Milagai and enjoy the drink!
Thank you for sharing the recipe and the history behind kambu koozh. Especially appreciate your side notes of when we shouldn’t take, and preparation options.
One small query – have you heard of koozh prepared using other grains? I was thinking in terms of simple rice koozh. Fermented option, without adding dahi at end. It would be same procedure – cook soupy rice ganji and let it sit 24 hours at room temperature in a closed container?
It isn’t often that these traditional and simple recipes are brought to light. Thank you for sharing. A question … what is your opinion about using kambu (bajra is the other name, I understand) as flour rather than whole grain. Where I live in Southern California, it is virtually impossible to get the whole grain. Thanks, Dido.
Thank you for your response, Sowmya. In going in to the store to buy flour now, I noticed they have ‘parboiled’ Bajra on their shelf. How does this product work for your recipe? Thanks, Dido.
Sorry to be honest I have not tried Parboiled bajra. In my knowledge it should work. We usually make Parboiled rice kanji. So parboiled bajra should also work.
In south Tamilnadu we wet grind the Kambu and let tbhe mixture stand in the day, old rice water speeds up the fermentation. In the evening we pour the fermenting mixture into boiling water and stir, it is ready by the morning!
Useful tip
Thank you so much for sharing a healthy and tasty recipe
Can we have kambu koozhu for dinner
Any millets take more time to digest. So its always preferred to take during breakfast or early evening than for dinner
Will bean soup be easier to digest if you add kambu to the recipe?
any millet is rich in protein and fiber so we need be physically active to digest the intake
Thank you for sharing the recipe and the history behind kambu koozh. Especially appreciate your side notes of when we shouldn’t take, and preparation options.
One small query – have you heard of koozh prepared using other grains? I was thinking in terms of simple rice koozh. Fermented option, without adding dahi at end. It would be same procedure – cook soupy rice ganji and let it sit 24 hours at room temperature in a closed container?
Thank you Gayatri. Check this recipe of Parboiled rice kanji – https://www.subbuskitchen.com/parboiled-rice-porridge-puzhungal-arisi/
Hope this helps
It isn’t often that these traditional and simple recipes are brought to light. Thank you for sharing. A question … what is your opinion about using kambu (bajra is the other name, I understand) as flour rather than whole grain. Where I live in Southern California, it is virtually impossible to get the whole grain. Thanks, Dido.
Thank you 🙏. Yes we can use Kambu flour. Soak the kambu flour for 30 mins and then use it. Cook it more to get rid off its raw smell.
Thank you for your response, Sowmya. In going in to the store to buy flour now, I noticed they have ‘parboiled’ Bajra on their shelf. How does this product work for your recipe? Thanks, Dido.
Sorry to be honest I have not tried Parboiled bajra. In my knowledge it should work. We usually make Parboiled rice kanji. So parboiled bajra should also work.
great collection. E-cook book. love it
Thank you so much 🙏
what if we add curd and cook it ?
After adding curd do not cook or cook in low flame for a min or less. more cooking makes it curdle and watery
In south Tamilnadu we wet grind the Kambu and let tbhe mixture stand in the day, old rice water speeds up the fermentation. In the evening we pour the fermenting mixture into boiling water and stir, it is ready by the morning!
Nice to know! will try this way next time.