Creamy, minty, and with just a hint of spice, this masala buttermilk aka masala chaas, is the easiest way to cool off during the hot summers.
Fresh yogurt is whisked with some spices and fresh herbs to create a healthy and delicious drink that you can pair with any of your favorite Indian meals. It's light, and refreshing and takes just a handful of ingredients to put together.
It can get really hot during the summer months in India, and that's when chaas is an absolute staple in not just our household, but a lot of other homes too.
It's either this or our cucumber mint raita, a crunchy dahi boondi, or some classic mixed vegetable raita to team up with our favorite curries and rice dishes.
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What's So Great About the Recipe?
The creamy and tangy chilled yogurt with that hint of mint and spices makes it the perfect refreshing drink to enjoy with your meals, or even on its own.
I love the fact that it is so customizable too. You can easily tweak the recipe and experiment with different ingredients and add-ins.
Ingredients For the Masala Buttermilk Recipe
Yogurt: Start with homeset or packaged yogurt. Choose full-fat yogurt for the best flavor.
Ginger: For its spicy, earthy deliciousness. Use ginger powder if you don't have fresh ginger.
Cumin: Roasted cumin powder aka bhuna jeera powder adds a beautiful aroma and earthiness to the buttermilk.
Black pepper: I used freshly ground black pepper for a bit of extra flavor. Just about ½ a teaspoon should be fine.
Herbs: A simple mix of mint and coriander leaves for that beautiful green color and amazing freshness.
See recipe card for quantities.
Variations
- To lend the spiced buttermilk a nice kick of heat, add a green chili into the mixture while grinding it.
- If you have a couple of extra minutes, you can also make a simple tempering of curry leaves, mustard seeds, and a pinch of asafoetida in some oil and use it to top over the buttermilk. This simple tempering really jazzes up the buttermilk- I did the same with my almond chutney too!
- Want to enjoy a smoky and earthy taste in your Chaas? Heat a piece of coal until it is red hot, transfer it into a small metal bowl, and carefully place it on your buttermilk. Drop a spoonful of ghee or oil onto it and close the bowl or jug with a lid to allow the buttermilk to absorb all the smoky flavors.
Substitutions
- If you don't have coriander leaves, simply skip adding them and let the mint leaves shine.
- If you don't have fresh mint leaves, use dried mint leaves. This one's an absolute essential if you want your buttermilk to have a minty flavor.
- To make the masala buttermilk more flavorful, add a dash of chaat masala towards the end. I love using my homemade chaat masala here!
How to Make Masala Buttermilk
Step 1: Combine all the ingredients except the yogurt in a food processor or a blender and turn it into a coarse paste.
Step 2: Add this to the whisked yogurt in a large jug, and adjust the consistency with cold water.
Pour into individual serving glasses and top with ice cubes and a sprinkle of cumin powder and/or chopped coriander leaves.
Hint: It is a great idea to start off by using cold and refrigerated yogurt. If you're using fresh, room-temperature yogurt, you can add a couple of ice cubes into the drink towards the end, right before you serve.
💭Top Tip
It is best to use fresh or a day-old yogurt to make this buttermilk drink. That way, you'll get to enjoy the perfect balance of creaminess and tanginess.
How to Store Leftover Masala Chaas
You can store the buttermilk in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. If you have leftovers, use an airtight food-safe container to store them.
Remember that this drink tastes best when it is made and served fresh.
That said, you can prepare the Chaas Masala separately and store it for weeks. All you need to do is combine all the spices and ingredients (except the yogurt) and store it in an airtight container.
Then, when you want to enjoy it, all you need to do is whisk some yogurt and make sure all the powders and other ingredients added to the whisked yogurt are well combined.
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Spiced Indian Buttermilk
- Depending on your personal preference, you can keep the spiced Indian buttermilk thick or watery.
- If you don't have the roasted cumin powder that the recipe calls for, you can easily make it on your own. Simply heat cumin seeds in a pan over medium heat until they turn slightly fragrant. Allow them to cool down and grind them into a coarse powder.
- You can also choose to substitute the regular salt with black salt for some added flavor. If you don't have either of these, you can use pink Himalayan salt as an alternative.
- You can also use your blender to make the Chaas if you want to.
- If the Masala Chaas is thinner than you would like, you can add some more thick yogurt into it and whisk it nicely.
- Not a fan of all the spice powders and other ingredients? You can also enjoy some plain Chaas if you want to. Just don’t forget to garnish it with some chopped mint or coriander leaves right before serving it.
Serving Ideas & Suggestions
This refreshing Masala Chass made with spicy Indian ingredients can be enjoyed as a mid-day drink or teamed up with your Indian curries and rice dishes. I personally love pairing it with my Indian meat curries that have a robust, spicy flavor.
It is actually my go-to side recipe to serve with my Achar Gosht or Bhuna Gosht, served with some steaming hot turmeric garlic rice. It's also an excellent drink to serve with a spicy curry like Baigan bharta.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can use low-fat yogurt to make the Indian buttermilk. It will not enjoy the same creamy flavor and taste as the one made with the full-fat version, but it'll still taste amazing.
Greek yogurt is another great choice if you're looking to make a healthier, protein-rich version of the buttermilk. Just remember to use an unflavored, unsweetened version.
More Indian Sides
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you tried this Masala buttermilk or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Masala Buttermilk
Ingredients
- 16 ounces full fat yogurt
- 1 inch ginger
- ¼ cup mint leaves fresh
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves fresh
- ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
- ½ teaspoon roasted cumin powder
- salt to taste
- cold water as needed
- 5-7 ice cubes optional
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients except the yogurt in a food processor or a blender and turn it into a coarse paste.
- Add this to the whisked yogurt in a large jug, and adjust the consistency with cold water.
- Pour into individual serving glasses and top with ice cubes and a sprinkle of cumin powder and/or chopped coriander leaves.
Notes
- Depending on your personal preference, you can keep the spiced Indian buttermilk thick or watery.
- You can also choose to substitute the regular salt with black salt for some added flavor. If you don't have either of these, you can use pink Himalayan salt as an alternative.
- You can also use your blender to make the Chaas if you want to.
