Indian & South Asian · Snack · Lunch
Chaas (Indian Spiced Buttermilk)
छाछ (Chaas)
A cool, frothy yogurt drink with toasted cumin, fresh mint and a little ginger and green chilli. It is light and tangy, and it is refreshing alongside a spicy meal or on a hot afternoon.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 2 min
- Total
- 12 min
- Serves
- 4
Calories come from: Carbs 45% · Fat 23% · Protein 32%
Track it in BerryFit and see how it fits your own daily target. Get the app ›
Ingredients
For 4 servings- 1 1/2 cups370 gPlain low-fat yogurt
- 3 cups720 gCold water
- 1 tspCumin seeds
- 1/4 cup loosely packed6 gFresh mint leaves
- 2 tbsp choppedFresh coriander (cilantro) leaves
- 1 tspFresh ginger, grated
- 1/2 smallGreen chilli (optional)
- 1/2 tspSalt
- 1/4 tspBlack salt (kala namak) (optional)
Steps
- 1
Put the cumin seeds in a dry pan over medium heat and toast them for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant and a shade darker.
- 2
Tip the seeds onto a plate to cool, then crush them to a coarse powder with a mortar and pestle or a rolling pin.
- 3
Put the mint, coriander, ginger and green chilli (if using) into a blender with about 1/4 cup of the water and blend until smooth.
- 4
Add the yogurt, the remaining water, the salt, the black salt (if using) and most of the crushed cumin.
- 5
Blend for 30-60 seconds, until the drink is smooth and frothy on top.
- 6
Taste and adjust the salt, then chill the chaas or serve it straight away.
- 7
Pour into glasses and sprinkle the remaining roasted cumin on top.
Swaps, storage and make-ahead
Swaps
- For a dairy-free version, use unsweetened plain soy yogurt instead of the low-fat yogurt, though it will taste a little less tangy.
- Use store-bought ready-to-drink buttermilk thinned with a splash of water in place of the yogurt and water for a quicker version.
- Leave out the green chilli or swap it for a pinch of black pepper if you want it milder.
- If you can't find black salt, just use a little extra regular salt; the drink will lose its slightly eggy, savoury note but still taste good.
Storage
Chaas is best drunk fresh and should not be frozen; refrigerate any leftovers in a covered jug within 2 hours and use within 1 day, stirring or shaking before serving as it will separate and lose its froth.
Make ahead
Toast and crush the cumin up to a week ahead and keep it in an airtight jar, and you can blend the full drink a few hours before serving and keep it chilled, re-blending briefly for froth.
Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.
Track this in BerryFit
Log Chaas (Indian Spiced Buttermilk) in one tap and see how it fits your remaining calories for today.
Or ask Coach Berry to change it
Allergens and nutrition
Contains: Milk
Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.
Full nutrition
| Per serving (277 g) | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 61 kcal | 22 kcal |
| Protein | 5 g | 1.8 g |
| Carbohydrates | 7 g | 2.5 g |
| of which sugars | 6.5 g | 2.3 g |
| Fiber | 0.2 g | 0.1 g |
| Fat | 1.6 g | 0.6 g |
| of which saturated | 0.9 g | 0.3 g |
| Sodium | 365 mg | 132 mg |
Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.
