Kanji Cherupayar is a poplar recipe from Kerala. Kanji is a type of rice porridge or gruel made with cooked rice and water. The rice breaks down well and turns silky smooth. It is a comfort food and aids in digestion and gut health. It is usually served for sick patients as well as taken as an immunity booster. Cheru payar are green grams (mung beans). They are a good source of protein. Mung beans provide relief from hyper acidity and improves digestion. Kanji and Cherupayar are eaten as a breakfast meal in many places in Kerala. Especially in the various Ayurvedic centres and resorts. It is believed that kanji water balances all three doshas Vata, Pitta and Kapha). It’s warmth balances Vata, as it is watery, it balances Pitta and because it produces perspiration, it balances Kapha.
Kanji can be made with any kind of rice. In Kerala, it is usually made with red matta rice. But jasmine, sona masoori, red, brown or any other starchy rice works as well. Kanji is also popular in other Asian countries such as China, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore, where it is known as ‘congee’. It is also called ‘jook’ in Cantonese. Congee is often served with fried onions and boiled eggs. It is also a street food in many Asian countries.
Kanji Cherupayar is often served with pickles and pappadoms (fried or roasted) to church goers on Good Friday. Especially among the Orthodox community from Kerala, church services on Good Friday are long. Besides, it is also a day of fasting for Christians. Therefore, kanji and payar was considered to be an appropriate meal option https://www.onmanorama.com/food/features/2020/04/10/john-paul-tradition-serving-kanji-good-friday.html
A link to making cherupayar thoran can be found on https://relishdelish.ca/recipes/kerala-style-cherupayaru-thoran-mung-beans-with-coconut/
Ingredients
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For Kanji (Rice Porridge/Gruel)
- For Cherupayar Thoran
Instructions
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For Making Kanji with cooked rice
- Put cooked rice and 5 cups of water in a large pot and bring it to a boil. After the water comes to a boil, add salt to taste and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes on low flame, stirring the pot until rice porridge comes to the preferred consistency, adding in more water if necessary. Serve warm. For Making Kanji In Instant Pot
- Rinse rice and add it to Instant Pot along with 10 cups of water. Set to cook on Pressure Cook Mode for 20 minutes.
- Allow the pressure to release naturally.
- Then open and remove the lid. Simmer if required to desired consistency, for 3 to 4. The rice porridge thickens as it cooks. If you want it watery, add some more water. Serve warm. For making Cherupayar Thoran
- Soak green mung beans in water for about 6 hours or overnight.
- Drain the beans, put it in a pressure cooker with about 4 to 5 cups water and cook for about 10 minutes. The mung should be cooked but not mushy. Alternatively, cook the beans on stove top on medium flame. Cook until all the water evaporates and the beans are fully cooked (not mushy).
- Grind coconut, cumin, garlic and chopped green chillies to a fine paste adding very little water and keep aside.
- Chop onion and ginger finely.
- Heat oil in a wok or large pan. For tadka or tempering, add mustard seeds. When seeds splutter, add onion, curry leaves, ginger and asafoetida. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add salt and turmeric.
- Now add the coconut paste into the tempering and fry for a couple of minutes.
- Finally add in the cooked green mung and give it a gentle mix. Stir for 2 or 3 more minutes and serve cherupayar thoran with rice porridge or kanji (congee).