Kambu Koozh/Kanji, a healthy porridge made from the pearl millet. Kambu is one of the healthy millets and it has lot of micro nutrients in it, but it's been considered as poor man food in Tamilnadu. In our society, we had this illusion in our mind, if any food item is cheap or less in price than we thought that it doesn't have much nutrients in it. But in reality, it's totally opposite.
All the simple whole foods are always less in price and have more nutrients than the processed food and we should include them more than the processed food for a balanced diet.
Though i have been cooking millets regularly at home, i haven't shared many recipes here in the blog, so i have chosen "Whole Grain" as theme for the second week in this Mega BM to push myself to cook & click more millets recipe and share here. Yep, for the whole week, it's gonna be only millet recipe
Now comes to pearl millet, i have known from many article, that the pearl millet is extensively used in Gujarat & Rajasthan state during winter days because of this millet heat generating properties.
But it's total contradict to what we believe in Tamilnadu, that this kambu/pearl millet kanji is considered as good to consume during summer days because of its cooling properties. May be fermenting the cooked millet change the properties of millet from heat to cool?? i don't know. If you guys know, let me know.
Procedure
Notes:
As i already mentioned in my kambu kali post, both the kali and koozh/kanji prepared from the pearl millet are an acquired taste. If you're making this for first time, start with this koozh, adding buttermilk into this koozh actually reduce the strong flavor of kambu.
Once you have developed the taste for kambu, then include kali in your diet. Having this koozh with butter milk is really soothing and gives you instant cooling effect on hot summer days . The kambu koozh can be prepared immediately after the kambu kali is cooled, but it's advisable to soak it overnight for that cooling effect. 
Kambu Koozh
Preparation Time : 8 hrs | Cooking Time : 20 mins | Serves : 4
Recipe Category: Millets | Recipe Cuisine: Indian
Recipe Category: Millets | Recipe Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients
Kambu/Pearl millet/Bajra - 1/2 cup
Water - 2 cups
Salt - to taste
Buttermilk - as needed
Kambu/Pearl millet/Bajra - 1/2 cup
Water - 2 cups
Salt - to taste
Buttermilk - as needed
Soak the kambu for atleast 4 hrs or overnight, drain the water from it and put it into the blender/mixie jar.
Pulse it few times, till they become coarse powder. Heat the water in the pressure cooker and bring into boil.
Add the grounded kambu and salt and mix it well. Put the lid & whistle on and cook it for 3 whistle in medium flame.
Once the pressure is released from the pressure cooker automatically, open the lid and mix it well with ladle, at this stage, it would be watery, but don't worry, let it covered and set aside to cool.
Once it cooled, again give a good mix, wet your hands and take a portion of cooked millet and roll into a smooth ball. Do the same for the remaining.
At this time, you can have them as kali with any kulambu as i did here and for the kanji, soak all the kambu kali in the water and let it set aside for overnight on counter top. No need to refrigerate.
On the next morning, take the needed kali in separate bowl along with enough soaked water and mix it well with your hands or whisk until it's smooth without any lumps.
Add the needed butter milk & salt, mix it well and it's ready to serve.
Serve with some raw pearl onions, green chili and pickle of your choice.
Related: How to make Kambu Dosai
Notes:
- After a day, still you have any leftover kali. You can keep the remaining in the refrigerator along with the soaked water.
- If you feel, that the soaked water has more tartness into it, it may happen if the room temperature is high. Take out the kali, discard the water and soak it in fresh water again and keep it in refrigerator.
