Is it that time of the year, where summer is on and the heat is full blown and you’re stocking the refrigerator with all the possible cold drinks? Well, from cold juices, to cold coffees, chilled milkshakes and smoothies, I’m sure you’ll love anything cold to go with the heat. But, have you tried the super refreshing drink, which is one of the best cold drinks for summer – spiced buttermilk or “masala chaas”, as the Indians call it.
Trust me, it is one of the most refreshing and cooling drinks I have ever had and if you’ve not tried it yet, you must because or else you’re really missing out on something good and absolutely healthy as well. Also, it is super easy to make at home. Cannot get any better, can it? Check out this article for the benefits of drinking spiced buttermilk and of course, how to make it at home too!
Benefits of drinking spiced buttermilk:
The base ingredient of spiced buttermilk is yogurt and thus, drinking this drink gives you all the benefits of consuming yogurt.
Here are some of the main benefits of consuming spiced buttermilk:
- Improves digestive functioning: It helps promote the growth of healthy gut bacteria in the stomach.
- Helps build body immunity: Yogurt contains probiotics that help fight diseases.
- Helps prevent osteoporosis: Yogurt contains high levels of calcium, in turn strengthening the bones.
- Maintains body temperature: It is cooling for the body and is therefore often consumed as a summer drink to bring down the body temperature naturally.
- Helps reduce stress levels: Yogurt probiotics and good fats along with antioxidants, that can keep the body cool and can help you de-stress.
- Maintains general health and promotes weight loss: During summer, we tend to have a lot of cold drinks like juices, milkshakes, smoothies, etc., that can be a cause for rapid weight gain. Therefore, spiced buttermilk is a healthy alternative to other cold drinks (to have during summer) as it is rich in antioxidants and can also help improve body metabolism, thus keeping one’s weight in check.
How to make spiced buttermilk at home?
Ingredients:
- ½ cup yogurt
- 1 cup of water
- 2 mint leaves
- ¼ tsp cumin (jeera) seeds
- Salt to taste
for spicy buttermilk recipe –
- 1 small green chilli (optional)
- 2 thin slices of ginger (optional)
Method:
Into a mixer blender, add in the yogurt, along with the green chilli, ginger, mint leaves, coriander leaves and jeera seeds. Give it a good blend until properly combined.
Then, add in the water and some salt to taste. Blend well until properly mixed and then, strain it into a glass and it is ready to drink.
Tip: You can use chilled water (if you wish to consume it right away) or refrigerate for 2 hours before consuming to have it chilled.
Shelf-life: Since it contains yogurt blended with other ingredients, I’d recommend that it be consumed within 24 hours for the best freshness.
How often can you consume spiced buttermilk?
Since it is a natural and healthy drink, you can even have a glass or two every day.