Drinks · Gujarat

Masala Chaas

Gujarat's thin, salty spiced buttermilk with roasted cumin, ginger, mint and coriander, drunk ice-cold with lunch.

Prep 10 min · Cook 0 min · Total 10 min · Serves 4

Ingredients

Chaas

• 1 cup Plain yogurt
• 3 cups Cold water
• ½ inch Ginger
• 1 Green chilli
• 2 tbsp Coriander leaves
• 10 Mint leaves
• 1 tsp Roasted cumin powder
• ½ tsp Black salt (kala namak)
• Salt, to taste

Method

1. Grind the herbs. Grind the ginger, chilli, coriander and mint with 2 tbsp water to a fine paste.
2. Whisk. Whisk the yogurt until smooth, then whisk in the water a cup at a time so it doesn't go lumpy.
3. Season. Stir in the herb paste, roasted cumin and black salt. Taste and add plain salt if you want it saltier.
4. Serve. Strain if you like it smooth, then serve very cold with a pinch of cumin on top.

Tips

Roast the cumin seeds in a dry pan until a shade darker and grind them yourself; it's the whole flavour of the drink.