Vegetarian Nombu Kanji

Recipe PREP 50 min COOK 35 min

Vegetarian Nombu Kanji

PREP 50 min COOK 35 min

Description

During Ramadan, Tamil Nadu mosques serve nombu kanji - a hydrating, gut-soothing one-pot dish. This vegan version swaps meat for vegetables and coconut milk. Packed with carbs and fiber from rice and lentils, plus MCTs and lauric acid from coconut milk, it's deeply nourishing. Spices add antioxidants, while mint and vegetables provide essential nutrients.


Note: You can also cook the kanji in a traditional pressure cooker. Add the rice, dal and vegetables and cook on medium heat for 15 minutes or to 5 whistles. Wait for 5 minutes for the residual pressure to release before opening the lid.

Ingredients

4 SERVES
  • 2 tsp ghee
  • 1-inch-long cinnamon stick
  • 3 cardamom pods
  • 3 cloves
  • 2 green chiles, chopped into small bits
  • 10 (100 g) sambar shallots, peeled and halved
  • 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
  • 2/3 cup (40 g) finely chopped carrots
  • 2/3 cup (30 g) finely chopped cabbage
  • 2/3 cup (40 g) finely chopped green beans
  • ½ cup (10 g) finely chopped cilantro
  • ½ cup (10 g) finely chopped mint leaves
  • ½ tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 tsp salt, or to taste
  • 2/3 cup (125 g) seeraga samba rice, soaked for 30 min
  • 1/4 cup (65 g) split yellow lentils, soaked for 30 min
  • 6 cups (1½ L) of water
  • 2 cups (500 ml) fresh or canned coconut milk

Directions

  1. Step 1
    In a medium stockpot, heat the ghee and add the whole cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves. Sauté until fragrant, for about a minute. Add the green chiles and sambar shallots and sauté for a minute. Add the ginger-garlic paste and cook until the shallots soften.
  2. Step 2
    Add all the vegetables, cilantro, mint, turmeric, and salt to the pot. Drain and add the rice and dal. Add 6 cups of water and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.
  3. Step 3
    Stir in the coconut milk and cook on medium-low heat for 2 minutes, stirring continuously, until hot. Serve the nombu kanji warm in soup bowls.

Substitutions: Use any non-sticky, short-grain rice instead of seeraga samba. If using long-grain rice, soak the grains for 10 minutes, drain and spread the rice to dry on a kitchen towel or a tray. Coarsely pulse rice to grits in a grinder or a food processor before using it in the recipe.

Try It With: Pickle and poppadom

Photo by Thomas George

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