Torani — refreshing fermented rice water
Rice and its cooking water left to ferment overnight, then diluted with fresh water, salted, and sometimes spiked with onion, chili, and lime. A tangy, thirst-quenching food-drink, drunk in the morning to face the heat.
Rice and its cooking water left to ferment overnight, then diluted with fresh water, salted, and sometimes spiked with onion, chili, and lime. A tangy, thirst-quenching food-drink, drunk in the morning to face the heat.
Nothing is wasted, you see. The evening rice, we would leave it in its water overnight, covered, and by morning it had taken on that little tangy taste that wakes you up. We would add salt, sometimes an onion and a chili, and that was our strength before going to the fields under the great sun. Drink it cool in the morning: it soothes the stomach and keeps you going until noon.
- •Cooked rice and its cooking water — leftover from the meal (fermented base)
- •Water — to cover (fermentation medium)
- •Salt — a pinch (seasoning)
- •Onion, chili (optional) — a little (spice)
Torani — refreshing fermented rice water
Rice and its cooking water left to ferment overnight, then diluted with fresh water, salted, and sometimes spiked with onion, chili, and lime. A tangy, thirst-quenching food-drink, drunk in the morning to face the heat.
Why this dish? A drink of Odisha's rural economy: the rice cooking water is not thrown away, but left to ferment overnight into a tangy, refreshing non-alcoholic beverage. It matches the sobriety and frugality claimed by Draupadi Murmu, and the hot climate of her native Odisha.
Nothing is wasted, you see. The evening rice, we would leave it in its water overnight, covered, and by morning it had taken on that little tangy taste that wakes you up. We would add salt, sometimes an onion and a chili, and that was our strength before going to the fields under the great sun. Drink it cool in the morning: it soothes the stomach and keeps you going until noon.
Ingredients (period version)
- Cooked rice and its cooking water — leftover from the meal (fermented base)
- Water — to cover (fermentation medium)
- Salt — a pinch (seasoning)
- Onion, chili (optional) — a little (spice)
Ingredients
- Cooked rice (preferably day-old) — 1 bowl (fermented base)
- Filtered water — 3 to 4 cups (fermentation and dilution medium)
- Salt — to taste (seasoning)
- Chopped onion — 1 small (optional) (spice)
- Green chili — 1, slit (optional) (heat)
- Lime — 1 wedge (tangy freshness)
Method
- Place the cooked rice in a container and cover generously with water.
- Cover and let ferment at room temperature overnight (8 to 12 hours).
- In the morning, lightly mash, dilute with fresh water, and strain if a clear drink is preferred.
- Season with salt, add onion, chili, and a squeeze of lime to taste.
- Serve well chilled, as a morning or hot afternoon drink.
How it was made : Torani (pakhala in its spoon-eaten version) was born of peasant economy: keeping rice in water preserved it from heat, and the light fermentation made it more digestible and hydrating. A drink and food of Odisha's field workers, it was drunk from earthenware bowls kept cool.
The contemporary twist : Serve in a tall glass with ice, lime slices, and fried curry leaves—a rustic fermented lemonade for hot days.
Draupadi Murmu · Charactorium