Chaas is a traditional Indian buttermilk drink made with yogurt, water, herbs, spices and simple seasonings. Also called chaach or mattha, it is lightly spiced and refreshing. This recipe includes two variations – Masala Chaas and Pudina Chaas.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: Not specified
  • Total time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 2
  • Category: Beverages
  • Cuisine: North Indian

Ingredients

  • 1½ cups or 375 grams curd ((Indian yogurt))
  • 1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder ((bhuna jeera powder), add as required)
  • 1 cup water ((cold) or as needed)
  • 1 tablespoon mint leaves (– chopped or coriander leaves (cilantro), optional)
  • 5 to 6 small ice cubes (– optional)
  • ½ teaspoon black salt (or regular salt, add as required)
  • 3 to 4 mint sprigs (or coriander sprigs, for garnish)
  • 1 cup curd
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons mint leaves (or 12 to 15 leaves (pudina patta) or 2 to 3 teaspoons dried mint)
  • ⅔ cup water ((cold))
  • 1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
  • black salt (or edible, food grade rock salt, add as required)

Method

Making Masala Chaas

  1. In a blender, add the curd, roasted cumin powder, mint leaves, water and salt.
  2. Blend for 2 to 3 minutes, until the ingredients are combined and the curd has been mixed well. You should see a nice frothy foamy layer with a bit of butter fat separated from the blending.
  3. Pour in glasses. Garnish with mint leaves or coriander leaves and serve immediately.
  4. You can also place the the butter milk in the refrigerator to make it cold. Then serve later.

Making Pudina Chaas

  1. Rinse the mint leaves first. Drain all the water and then chop them roughly or keep them whole.
  2. In a blender take the curd, roasted ground cumin powder, salt, water and the mint leaves.
  3. Blend for a few minutes until smooth and you see some butter fat layer on the buttermilk.
  4. Serve Pudina Chaas in glasses.

Serving Suggestions

  1. While serving, you can add a few ice cubes if you like.
  2. Garnish with mint leaves or coriander leaves and serve cold.

Storage

  1. You can also store the buttermilk in the refrigerator and serve later. Just be sure to use within one full day for the freshest taste.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.