Masala chaas or spiced buttermilk is a refreshing Indian drink that is mildly spicy and tangy, usually savored after meals to improve digestion. Made using just 4 ingredients, it gets ready in just 5 minutes. Here is how to make it.
Here are some more summer drinks, that can be made at home – Nimbu Shikanji, Aam Panna, Jeera Soda, Jaljeera, Kulukki, Mohabbat Ka Sharbat, Mango Mastani, and Kanji Drink.
Jump to:
About This Recipe
Masala chaas is an Indian beverage made using yogurt and spices. It is basically yogurt diluted with water and perked up with some herbs and spices. It is a very popular drink in India, especially in Gujarati and Rajasthani households.
Masala chaas helps to cool down your body and also provides you the necessary hydration and hence it is a must make beverage during summers. It also helps in digestion and is recommended to drink a glass full of masala chass post any meal.
It is made differently in each home, and can also be named differently but the basic ingredients used for the same are yogurt, water, cumin powder, and salt.
You can make a big batch, refrigerate it and keep sipping for upto 2 days.
Ingredients
You will need just a handful of ingredients to make chaas or buttermilk.
Yogurt – Yogurt (Curd) is the base of this drink. Use fresh yogurt that is very slightly sour to make chaas. The yogurt should not be too sour.
Spices – You will need salt, black pepper powder, and roasted cumin powder. Homemade Cumin Powder gives the best flavor to this drink. Make it using my recipe.
Herbs – Cilantro (Coriander) and mint give a very refreshing feel to the buttermilk. Do not skip to add these herbs. If you don’t like them coming into your mouth while sipping the chaas, then you can strain the chaas after the flavors have seeped in.
How to make Masala Chaas?
Add 1 cup plain yogurt and 2 cups of chilled water to a large mixing bowl or a jug. Whisk well using a wire whisk so that there are no lumps. You can even use a blender to do the same.
Add ¼ tsp black pepper powder, regular salt to taste, ½ tsp roasted cumin powder, 8-10 finely chopped mint leaves, and 1 tsp finely chopped cilantro (coriander leaves) to the bowl and mix well.
Chill the chaas for a few hours before serving. If you don’t like mint and cilantro coming into your mouth while sipping, strain the chaas once the flavors have seeped in (2-3 hours). You can also blend all the ingredients in a blender. By doing so, mint and coriander will get blended with the yogurt and they will not come in your mouth yet give the flavor.
Health Benefits
Buttermilk comes with a lot of health benefits, some of them are:
- It helps in digestion and is considered great to treat constipation. It also calms the stomach after a spicy meal.
- Cools your body down and saves you from the harmful UV rays of the Sun.
- Hydrates your body. Gives you energy, on a sunny day.
- Buttermilk is a great source of vitamins like vitamin B complex, proteins, and potassium. It is a great drink to beat diseases caused due to vitamin deficiency.
- Reduces blood pressure.
- if you add pepper and ginger in the Chaas, it also helps with the acidity problems.
Frequently Asked Questions
Technically buttermilk is the by-product of making butter. But these days it comes from an industrial process more similar to yogurt-making than churning butter. In India, we use these two terms interchangeably, however it is not correct technically.
Both these Indian drinks are made with yogurt but are very different from each other. Chaas is a little watery, whereas Lassi is thicker in texture.
Generally, Chaas is salted, whereas traditionally Lassi is sweet and is flavored with saffron and dry fruits.
Chaas is also less acidic and has a slightly sour taste when compared to the Lassi.
Masala Chaas is an everyday affair at my home and you can drink it every day in Summers, as it helps cools down your body and also helps in digestion.
As it is cold in nature, it is not advisable to have it in winter so often, as it may cause cold. But you can still serve it along with your meals from time to time.
You can drink buttermilk at night as it provides many health benefits such as it aids digestion, promotes sleep, and also improve the quality of your sleep. But it’s good to avoid it if you have a cold.
Variations
Simple Chaas – This is just a combination of yogurt and water which is flavored with salt and cumin powder.
Tadka Chaas – In this version, buttermilk is given a tadka of cumin seeds, curry leaves, and green chilies. This is very popular in South India.
Beetroot Chaas – Beetroot is peeled, chopped, pureed, and then mixed with buttermilk. It not only gives a beautiful color to it but also adds to its nutrition.
Boondi Chaas – You can add Boondi which we generally add in the raita to the chaas too. It gives a nice crunch to it. Just make sure that you add the boondi right before you serve if you like your Boondi to remain crunchy.
Cucumber Coriander Chaas – Puree the cucumber along with coriander, green chilies, ginger, and add to the buttermilk.
Pudina (Mint) Chaas – Puree the mint leaves with green chilies and ginger, add to the buttermilk.
Smoked – This is one of my favorite way of making Chaas. You can make either simple or masala chaas and then smoke it with coal. It gives it a beautiful earthy flavor.
Ginger – You can grate the ginger and squeeze to get the juice. Then add the juice to the chaas along with the other ingredients.
You might also like
Recipe Card
Masala Chaas Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 2 cups chilled water
- salt (to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder
- ½ teaspoon roasted cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped cilantro
- 8-10 finely chopped mint
Instructions
- Add yogurt, and water to a large bowl. Whisk well using a wire whisk so that there are no lumps. You can even use a blender to do the same.
- Add black pepper powder, salt, cumin powder, mint leaves, and coriander leaves, and mix well.
- Chill the chaas for a few hours before serving.
- If you don’t like mint and coriander coming into your mouth while sipping, strain the chaas once the flavors have seeped in (2-3 hours).
- You can also blend all the ingredients in a blender. By doing so, mint and coriander will get blended with the yogurt and they will not come in your mouth yet give the flavor.
Divya Shivaraman
so beautiful photography and props….what a wonderful cooler to quench the sun
Tasneem
Tasty summer cooler
Neha Mathur
Thnx 🙂
Bhakti
Love your recipes?
Neha Mathur
Thnx 🙂