Masala Chaas (or Chaach) is a refreshing, mildly spiced Indian buttermilk drink made with yoghurt (curd), mint, roasted cumin, & black salt etc. In North India, it is known by the name ‘Mattha’ and is especially consumed in summers for its cooling & digestive properties.
Traditionally, it is made by churning the cream (malai) with a wooden churner. The fat eventually gets separated, which we call butter, leaving behind a thin liquid known as ‘buttermilk’. The second way of making it is blending the yogurt with chilled water, mint & spices.
The recipe with yogurt is super quick, easy and takes less than 10 min of time. It can be enjoyed on its own or served with meals. You can use store-bought plain yoghurt or homemade curd for it.
In this spiced buttermilk, fresh herbs like coriander (cilantro), mint and aromatic spices like roasted cumin, asafoetida, and black pepper are used. The recipe is flexible as you can skip some of them or adjust their quantities as per your liking.
I would definitely recommend adding roasted cumin powder (bhuna jeera), which is made by dry roasting and grinding whole cumin seeds. With its woody-earthy scent, it adds a wonderful smoky flavour to the chaach, taking it to the next level. Black salt adds a slightly tangy savoury flavour but instead pink salt can also be used.
While on our Istanbul trip, we had a similar drink called ‘Ayran’. It is made with just 3 ingredients- yoghurt, water, salt but instantly reminded us of this Indian spiced buttermilk.
Everyday consumption of chaas reduces weight and obesity. It lubricates the intestines and thus helps in regulating acidity, gas or bloating. It is also known to be a great source of Vitamin B12. The fat content in it depends on whether you are using full fat or low fat yoghurt for it.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
- Plain Yoghurt / Curd- 1 & 1/2 cups
- Chilled Water- 3/4 cup (as required)
- Mint Leaves- 8 to 10
- Coriander / Cilantro (chopped)- 2 tbsp
- Green Chilli* (deseeded)- 1 (optional)
- Asafoetida / Heeng- A pinch
- Roasted Cumin Powder / Bhuna Jeera- 1/2 tsp
- Black Salt / Kala Namak- 1/4 tsp
- Salt- 1/4 tsp (to taste)
- Coriander or Mint Leaves – For garnishing
*Instead of green chilli, you can use crushed black pepper.
Directions:
Step 1:
Add yoghurt (curd) to a blending jar along with chilled water, green chilli, mint, coriander, salt, black salt and spices. You can even add some ice cubes but then reduce the amount of water added.
Step 2:
Blend till the mixture becomes light & frothy. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking. You can adjust its consistency by adding more water if required.
Step 3:
Pour it in 2-3 serving glasses. Garnish with mint/coriander and sprinkle some roasted cumin powder or chaat masala on top. Enjoy!
Optional: Some people add tempering on top of chaas which is totally optional. Heat 1 tsp ghee or oil in a small tadka pan. Add 1/8 tsp cumin, 1/8 tsp rai and 5-6 curry leaves. Saute till seeds begin to crackle. Pour it over the prepared buttermilk before serving.
Tips:
- Want to include more protein? Use greek yogurt for making chaach or add 1-2 tsp of unflavoured protein powder while blending.
- You can make chaas in advance and chill in fridge for 1-2 hr. Stir it well before serving.
- To make pink coloured buttermilk, add a piece of boiled or steamed beet at the time of blending.
More recipes with yogurt (curd):
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(P.S: This post was originally published on 9th May’2016 & has been updated with better recipe & images.)
If you try this chaas recipe & share pics on social media, then don’t forget to tag on Facebook, Instagram or use #kuchpakrahahai.
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(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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