A brief guide to Karkidaka Kanji: When & how to eat it, health benefits, and more

Karkidakam is a month to focus on both health and spirituality. This season, it is especially important as we navigate the challenges posed by seasonal diseases. While some habits have changed, doctors note an increase in the consumption of locally sourced, original foods. Eating herbal porridge once a day during Karkidakam will help improve your health.

During the month of Karkidakam, digestive power typically decreases. Karkidaka Kanji (herbal porridge), with its many herbs, is excellent for boosting digestion and balancing the three doshas: Vatham (rheumatic), Pitham (metabolic), and Kapham (mucosal).

It is best consumed in the morning on an empty stomach but can also be eaten in the evening.

Using Karkidaka Kanji continuously for a month is beneficial, though some people use it for 10, 20, 30, or 40 days as needed. Herbal items like Karkidaka Kanji and Chyavanaprasya always help ensure proper stomach function.

How to prepare Karkidaka Kanji for five people

Dr. Thottam Sivakaran Namboothiri, an eminent Ayurveda practitioner and Vedic scholar, explains:

• Njavara rice/Kuthari rice (Rose matta rice)/Unakkalari (Raw rice) - 300 gm
• Collect herbs like Mukkutti (little tree plant), Keezharnelli (Stonebreaker), Cheroola (Mountain knotgrass), Thazhuthama (Red-spiderling), Muyalcheviyan (Lilac tasselflower), Karuka (Bermuda grass), Cherukadaladi (Pastureweed), and Poovamkurunnila (little ironweed) along with their roots. Wash and crush them. Add in crushed roots of Kurunthotti too.
• Take Uluva (fenugreek), Ashaali (Common cress), and Ariyaarukal (a six grain combo available in local herbal stores) and pulverize them.
• Cook the rice along with the crushed herbs (60 gms) by keeping them as a poultice. Add in the pulverized medicines. Once it’s cooked, add scraped coconut, cumin fried in ghee, and a few shallots.
• If needed, you may also add rock salt, but locally-made jaggery or palm jaggery is preferable. Consume the medicinal porridge at least once a day. Never reuse the poultice; prepare a fresh one daily.

Healthcare in the time of rain
During the rainy season, take care of your health by staying safe at home. Digestive power decreases significantly during this time, so make light food a habit. Porridge, especially Karkidaka Kanji with its several herbal ingredients, is ideal. Drink herbal water boiled with items such as dried ginger. General instructions for Karkidakam include avoiding fish and meats, besides drumstick greens.

Apply medicinal oil (thailam) to your body and bathe in warm water; Dhanwantharam Kuzhambu is good for this purpose. The season poses a high risk for rheumatic diseases, so avoid hard exercise and practice yoga, pranayama, and meditation instead.

Include vegetable leaves in your diet, such as those from plants like Thazhuthama (red-spiderling), sickle senna (Thakara), cowpea (Payar), ash gourd (Kumbalam), melon (Mathan), yam, thumba, spinach, and malanga (Chembu).

Herbs and grains

here is a list of some common herbs and grains that are used in the preparation of kanji and other Aryurvedic dishes:

The six rice combo (Ariyaaru)
Chickpea
Cumin
Black cumin
Fennel seeds
Ashali (Common cress)
Fenugreek
Coriander seeds
Blackcurrant
Ayamodaka (Bishop’s seed)
Kurunthotti (Jelly leaf)
Turmeric
Dried ginger
Shatakuppa (Dill seed)
Cardamom
Castor
Clove
Star anise
Indian Sarsaparilla (Nannari)
Orila (Desmodium gangeticum)
Moovila (Pseudarthria viscida)
Atapatiyan (Holostemma ada-kodien)
Nilappana (Curculigo orchioides)
Vayalchulli (Hygrophila auriculata)
Putharichunda (Indian Nightshade)
Thazhuthama (Red-spiderling)
Changalavaranda (Bone setter)