Kambu Koozh is a very common breakfast in rural parts of Tamil Nadu especially during summer months. Kambu koozh is also known as pearl millet porridge, kambu kool, is consumed widely in South of India due to its cooling health benefits. In this blog post, I have shared porridge or koozh made with whole pearl millet and check my instant bajra porridge made with pearl millet flour. Learn how to make authentic kambu koozh recipe with step by step pictures and video.
Kambu Koozh
This is one of the traditional recipe and such a healthy recipe for you. It is such a hot hot summer here, this koozh just cools you instantly. I have an instant version of kambu koozh made with pearl millet powder.
About Kambu Koozh (Kambu Kool Recipe)
Kambu also known as bajra or pearl millet in english is a healthy grain which falls in the millet category. The grain is grown in large in Africa, India and other parts of the world. Including the nutritional grain in our daily diet is beneficial in so many levels.
Kambu koozh is also known as pearl millet porridge, kambu kool, kambankoozh is consumed widely in South of India due to its cooling health benefits.
Kambu is widely used in making kambu rice or kambu sadham. Pearl millet or Kambu has lots of natural cooling benefits in them. Making porridge out of pearl millet is one of the easy way of including pearl millet in your diet.
We use them often in our meals in the form of Dosa, Rava Dosa, Kambu sadham & Pearl millet puttu. For my sweet cravings, I have even made kozhukattai (millet dumplings) and Millet cake.
These recipes might take a bit of time to make. But if you want to get the nutritional benefits of pearl millet easily. Then this breakfast is your choice.
Similar Porridge Recipes
Watch Kambu Koozh Video
Kambu Koozh Ingredients
Pearl Millet | Kambu - Kambu also known as bajra or pearl millet in english is a healthy grain which falls in the millet category. Kambu is ground into coarse powder and cooked to make kambu sadam.
Curd - use sour curd or yogurt to mix with cooked kambu rice. Sour curd has tons of health benefits in them which makes the summer kambu koozh cooling.
Salt - add rock salt or pink himalayan salt for best taste.
Toppings - onions, green chillies, mor milagai, cumin seeds is added to kambu koozh to make it more tasty.
How to Store Kambu Sadam for Kambu Koozh
Kambu rice takes time to cook. So it is best to cook in bulk and store in fridge. Cooked kambu rice can be stored in fridge upto 4 to 5 days.
- You can cook kambu rice either in pressure cooker or open pot.
- Shape it into balls and store in fridge in a container.
- When making kambu koozh, take one ball from fridge and soak them in water for 10 hours at room temperature and make koozh the next day.
How to Make Kambu Koozh (Stepwise Pictures)
Grinding Pearl Millet | Kambu
1)Start by washing kambu rice. We are going to cook kambu or pearl millet. Take kambu or pearl millet. I am using organic kambu for this recipe.
2)Take pearl millet in a bowl and wash it well. Wash it in multiple changes of water.
3)Now add ¼ cup of water.
4)Rub the water into the pearl millet. Let it soak for 1 hour.
5)Take soaked pearl millet in a blender, we are going to blend this into a coarse powder.
6)Don't add too much water when grinding. The mixture has to be slightly coarse in texture.
7)This is the texture you want the pearl millet to be.
8)Take the ground pearl millet powder in a bowl. This is your coarse pearl millet powder.
Cooking Pearl Millet
9)I used a heavy bottom pot to cooking pearl millet. Take kambu flour in a heavy bottom pan.
10)Add in hot water in to the kambu flour. Whisk it using a hand whisk.
11)Cook the kambu flour on low heat while whisking often to cook the kambu flour.
12)Now the pearl millet is cooked completely. This will take around 20 to 30 minutes of cooking on low heat. The cooked pearl millet has to be thick.
13)Add in salt and mix well. This is optional, you can skip salt.
14)Remove the cooked pearl millet in a shallow plate. Allow the kambu to cool completely.
Shaping Kambu Soru
15)Dip your hands in cold water for shaping the cooked kambu soru.
16)Take small portion of the cooked kambu soru in your hands.
17)Shape it into a smooth ball. This is your kambu sadam.
18)Kambu soru is ready to serve with any curries of choice. You can enjoy with fish curry, chicken curry or puli kuzhambu.
Fermenting Kambu Soru
19)Kambu soru has to be fermented. For fermenting kambu soru, take the shaped kambu soru in a bowl.
20)Cover the kambu soru with water. Allow it to ferment overnight or at least 10 hours so the kambu soru can ferment.
21)Cover the kambu soru with lid and allow it to ferment overnight. If you are planning to consume this later. You can store this in fridge until use.
Making Kambu Koozh
22)Take the fermented kambu soru in a bowl. We are going to mix the kambu koozh in this.
23)Mash it well so it is crumbled.
24)Add the soaked fermented water. Instead of using fermented water you can use fresh water.
25)Mix the kambu mixture with your hands so the cooked pearl millet is evenly mixed.
26)Add salt to taste.
27)Kambu koozh is ready to consume. You can consume it just like this. Or flavour kambu koozh with onions or chillies.
Flavouring the Kambu Koozh
28)Add in chopped green chillies.
29)Add in chopped onions and mix well.
30)Add in yogurt. I like to use sour yogurt into the kambu koozh.
31)Mix kambu koozh, taste and adjust the seasoning.
Serving Kambu Koozh
32)Take a mud serving pot. Serving kambu koozh in mud pot makes it cool and refreshing.
33)Pour the kambu koozh into the pot. Let it sit in the pot for 10 minutes. Serve.
34)Enjoy Kambu Koozh.
How to Cook Kambu in Pressure Cooker
Take pearl millet in a bowl, add in ¼ cup of water, rub well. leave it for 1 hour. Take this in a blender and make it like a rava consistency or crush it lightly.
In pressure cooker, take 3 cups of water. Bring this to a full boil. Add in the pearl millet flour and mix well. Cover and pressure cook for 3 to 4 whistle. Simmer the flame and cook for 5 mins. turn off the heat and let the steam escape all by itself. Open the cooker, add in salt and mix well. Use as required.
Expert Tips
- You can dry roast pearl millet and coarsely powder them in a blender and store for later use.
- instead of cooking this in open pot, you can cook in pressure cooker for 3 to 4 whistle.
- Use sour yogurt for best taste, also use chopped onions or shallots.
Storage
You can cook kambu rice, shape it into balls and store in fridge. When making kambu koozh, take one ball and soak them in water for 10 hours at room temperature and make koozh the next day.
Cooked kambu rice can be stored in fridge upto 4 to 5 days.
More Millet Recipes to try
📖 Recipe Card
Kambu Koozh Recipe | Pearl Millet Porridge Recipe
Equipment
- Cooking pot
- Mixing Bowl
- Blender
Ingredients
- 1 cup Pearl Millet | Kambu | Bajra
- 3 cups Water
- Salt to taste
For Kambu Koozh Topping
- 10 no Shallots | Sambar Onion | Chinna Ulli chopped finely
- 2 no Green Chillies chopped finely
- 1 cup Sour Curd | Yogurt
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Take pearl millet in a bowl, add in ¼ cup of water, rub well. leave it for 1 hour. Take this in a blender and make it like a rava consistency or crush it lightly.
- Take this in a blender and add in hot water. mix this really well and keep cooking on low heat for 25 to 30 minutes. Keep mixing in between. Or pressure cook for 3 to 4 whistle. By this time the pearl millet will be cooked.
- Transfer the mix to a big plate, cool it lightly. Dip your hands in water and shape the mix into balls. You can serve this as kambu sadam immediately.
- Put the balls in a bowl, cover with water and leave it at room temperature to ferment for 10 hours. If you are using it longer, store in fridge as long as you need.
- When making koozh, take the ball, mash it lightly with your hands, pour the water in which it was soaking. Add in curd, green chillies, salt and shallots. Mix well, Pour this in a earthernware pot and serve.
Video
Notes
- You can dry roast pearl millet and coarsely powder them in a blender and store for later use.
- instead of cooking this in open pot, you can cook in pressure cooker for 3 to 4 whistle.
- Use sour yogurt for best taste, also use chopped onions or shallots.
Storage
You can cook kambu rice, shape it into balls and store in fridge. When making kambu koozh, take one ball and soak them in water for 10 hours at room temperature and make koozh the next day. Cooked kambu rice can be stored in fridge upto 4 to 5 days.Nutrition
If you have any questions not covered in this post and if you need help, leave me a comment or mail me @[email protected] and I will help as soon as I can.
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Mumtaz begum
I love koozh.. Is this which we get in temple?
Aarthi
@Mumtaz begumno that is different made from ragi, will share it soon
Akila
Hi mam, how long we should keep in refridgerator
Aarthi
@Akilau can keep it overnight
shanmuganathan rajakumari
Thank ur aarthi......by cing ur blog I start to cook.....god bless u and ur family.....ur doing good job aarthi......
pari pari
Dear aarthi y should we kept in refrigerator & hw many days Wil be keep in that.also r u adding water to the ball & refrigerator
Aarthi
@pari pariu can store this for 3 to 4 days in fridge. adding water will keep it moist and will ferment a little
Unknown
In ancient days they don't have refrigerator na? Then what is the traditional method?