Kambu Koozh

Kambu Koozh is a healthy porridge made using whole bajra millet, buttermilk and side accompaniments. Kambu Koozhu is a healthy breakfast and a natural body coolant too. Kambu Kool is relished with raw onion, pickle, mor milagai, papad as a meal. Learn to make Kambu Koozh with step by step pictures.

Summer has started and I am already seeing kambu koozh stalls in the streets. In the street stalls, kambu koozh is usually stored in large mud pots which are natural coolants. It is very easy to make kambu koozh at home. Do try and enjoy the health benefits!

About Kambu Koozh

The traditional way of cooking kambu is to cook it in thick bottomed vessel but we need to baby sit for it and also its very time consuming. I have tried the open pot method and found that cooking in clay pot makes cooking faster.

I love it with milagai vathal and hubby loves it with raw onion. Though I don’t make all the side dishes shown in the pic, I wanted to show the accompaniments for kambu koozh so clicked with all these and of course enjoyed them too .

Certain foods are best consumed in summer to cool the body and keep it refreshing and this kambu koozh is one among them. I bought and stored kambu some 4 months back.

I had few kambu/bajra/pearl millet) recipes in mind but somehow cooking with the millet kept delaying that the pack was kept untouched. Finally a day came or I should say the vazha ilai plate motivated me and I made kambu koozh last month and clicked it.

After that its been regular for breakfast and we just love it…its so refreshing! When hubby said that most of all the side dishes were the same in the street shops too as the ones I have presented for clicking, I was overjoyed….yay!! so I have done justice right?!!! Check for neeragaram which I posted last summer. 

Kambu is rich is fiber and makes a complete meal…so you can make the spread for lunch skipping rice. Kambu is believed to generate heat so the buttermilk compensates for it making it the best body coolant for summer.

Kambu Koozh Video

Kambu Koozh Ingredients

• Pearl millet – Choose to use whole bajra or broken ones.
• Water – Use regular drinking water to cook bajra or kambu.
• Buttermilk – Use thick or thin buttermilk as per your choice.
• Salt – Salt is added to taste.

Similar Recipes

• Ragi Porridge
• Millet Porridge
• Aadi Kummayam
• Aadi Paal
• Paal Payasam

How to make Kambu Koozh Step by Step

Pressure cooker Method

1.I used broken kambu so used it as such. Rinse the kambu well and transfer to pressure cooker and add water and pressure cook in low medium flame for 3-4 whistles in low medium flame.

2.Once pressure releases, open and switch on the flame. Keep stirring till it becomes thick enough to roll into a ball. Let it cool down for few mins, then roll them into balls as shown.

2.Place the kambu balls in a bowl containing water till immersing level. Let it rest for an hour(you can leave it overnight in the fridge too), you can refrigerate it. Then mix it well. I used my whisk for this. 

3.Mix well without any lumps, then finally add buttermilk, required salt and give a quick stir.

Serve with raw onion or vadams or pickle of your choice.

Open pot method

1.I used whole kambu this time. Rinse well, then drain water completely dry for few mins then add to mixer jar and grind it to a coarse mixture.

3.To a clay pot (you can use any utensil but clay pots usually cooks faster) measure and add the flour. Measure and add water accordingly. Cook in low medium flame.

4.Keep mixing with a ladle to avoid lumps. It will thicken, will take at least 15 minutes.

5.Switch off and cool down completely. Then make big balls, add water to it. Allow it to rest for overnight in room temperature or just few hours is also enough.

6.Then open and mix well without lumps.

7.Add salt and buttermilk. I used homemade buttermilk extracted while taking butter so it was a bit thick and creamy. Mix well and serve chilled. Adjust with water if you want to make it more runny.

Enjoy!

Expert Tips

• My friend told that we can make the cooked kambu balls and refrigerate it the previous night itself. And morning you can just mix it with buttermilk and serve it .I think that the traditional way too which lets the millet to ferment and it gives a slight tangy taste too.
• I am not sure whether broken bajra is available at all stores, you can pulse it in mixer. Actually I took the whole kambu pack when the sales pati enlightened me saying that broken bajra is easy to cook so got this.
• I have seen readymade bajra powders too, but I recommend getting the millet.
  You can use chilled buttermilk too.
  It usually gets thick after cooling down so switch off accordingly.
  You can even cook kambu in a thick bottomed vessel, Keep stirring occasionally, when the rice is cooked all the water will be absorbed and switch off when it is thick enough to hold as a ball. but it takes time so I usually use the pressure cooker method.
• Make the drink little runny so that its drinkable. But if you like it as porridge then make it spoon-able.
• Kambu sadam is just to stop with making balls and serving with kuzhambu.

Serving and Storage

Serve it with pickle, vadam, raw onion and mor milagai.

If you have any more questions about this Kambu Koozh Recipe do mail me at sharmispassions@gmail.com. In addition, follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest ,Youtube and Twitter .

Tried this Kambu Koozh Recipe? Do let me know how you liked it. Also tag us on Instagram @sharmispassions and hash tag it on #sharmispassions.

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Kambu Koozh Recipe

Kambu Koozh is a healthy porridge made using whole bajra millet, buttermilk and side accompaniments. Kambu Koozhu is a healthy breakfast & a body coolant too. Kambu Kool is relished with raw onion, pickle, mor milagai, papad as a meal. Learn to make Kambu Koozh with step by step pictures.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Servings3

AuthorSharmilee J

1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 1 cup pearl millet I used broken kambu
• 3.5 cups water
• 3 cups buttermilk
• salt to taste

Instructions

• I used broken kambu so used it as such. Rinse the kambu well and transfer to pressure cooker and add water and pressure cook in low medium flame for 3-4 whistles in low medium flame.
• Once pressure releases, open and switch on the flame. Keep stirring till it becomes thick enough to roll into a ball. Let it cool down for few mins, then roll them into balls as shown.
• Place the kambu balls in a bowl containing water till immersing level. Let it rest for an hour(you can leave it overnight in the fridge too), you can refrigerate it. Then mix it well. I used my whisk for this.
• Mix well without any lumps, then finally add buttermilk, required salt and give a quick stir.
• Serve with raw onion or vadams or pickle of your choice.

Video

Notes

• My friend told that we can make the cooked kambu balls and refrigerate it the previous night itself. And morning you can just mix it with buttermilk and serve it .I think that the traditional way too which lets the millet to ferment and it gives a slight tangy taste too.
• I am not sure whether broken bajra is available at all stores, you can pulse it in mixer. Actually I took the whole kambu pack when the sales pati enlightened me saying that broken bajra is easy to cook so got this.
• I have seen readymade bajra powders too, but I recommend getting the millet.
  You can use chilled buttermilk too.
  It usually gets thick after cooling down so switch off accordingly.
  You can even cook kambu in a thick bottomed vessel, Keep stirring occasionally, when the rice is cooked all the water will be absorbed and switch off when it is thick enough to hold as a ball. but it takes time so I usually use the pressure cooker method.
• Make the drink little runny so that its drinkable. But if you like it as porridge then make it spoon-able.
• Kambu sadam is just to stop with making balls and serving with kuzhambu.

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