The most popular and typical antidote to India's brutal summer heat is buttermilk. And the cool drink takes many delicious forms across India. Some more spicy. Some extra tangy. Some a tad sweet. Go ahead and whip up any from this selection of recipes, that not only cool your body but also nourish your gut. And they taste glorious to boot.
Divya Nair's recipe for buttermilk is quite unlike chaas, a variety of buttermilk more popular in several parts of India. Hers is spiced with crushed curry leaves, green chillies, cumin, ginger. Ideally store it in a matka, or earthen pot, for a few hours before serving.
Please find the recipe here: Moru Sambaram
Refreshing but savoury, with a hint of asafoetida, the highlight of this cucumber preparation, by Vindhya Karwa, is its distinct smoky punch that comes from infusing the fragrance of glowing charcoal into the drink.
Please find the recipe here: Smoked Cucumber Buttermilk
Sangita Agrawal also has a smoked version of buttermilk, but hers follows the classic recipe, using dahi, kala namak, ginger, chillies, with the flavour of the lit charcoal providing the improvisation.
Please find the recipe here: Smoked Masala Chaas
It is a light, tangy, but spiced South Indian delicacy, rooted in traditional Karnataka cuisine. Heera M Jadhav makes glasses of chilled buttermilk or majjige with a fragrant tempering of cumin, mustard, red chillies, fenugreek and ginger-garlic.
Please find the recipe here: Majjige Saaru
Mayur Sanap's kanji recipe has both buttermilk and bhaat (rice) elements. The traditional Maharashtrian probiotic-rich dish is made from fermented leftover cooked rice, yoghurt and spices and is had as a side or the main course of a meal.
Please find the recipe here: Bhaat Kanji
Good ol' chaas is a cinch to put together and slakes thirst faaaast. The classic summer drink has diluted yoghurt and spices. Have it with lunch or on a steamy afternoon to cut the heat.
Please find the recipe here: Masala Chaas
A bit of a departure from buttermilk, Sahara Star chefs experimented with chaas to come up with a creative fusion dessert that blends Italian panna cotta, made from cream and lemon zest, and Indian-style matha or buttermilk.
Please find the recipe here: Chaas Panna Cotta