What are your preferred summer beverages? I have a looong list! I love buttermilk, varieties of lassi, watermelon juice, good ol’ lemonade, chilled cold coffee, fresh lime soda, aam panna  😍, roohafza, mango shake, iced latte, an occasional Thumbs Up  😉, banta (although it’s not available where we are) & on top of my list is ice cold water! Did I cover everything  🤔 I think I did.
Buttermilk is one of my favourite drinks in summer. It is a lightly spiced beverage made with yoghurt. It’s light, refreshing & very good for the gut. The recipe is very very simple & comes together in just 5 minutes, if you have pre-soaked sabja (chia) seeds. Usually I make buttermilk without adding the seeds but this time I tried it this way to make it healthier 😀 And I must say it really tastes good! Leaving you with a quick recipe to this cooling beverage that will quench your summer thirst.

Chia छास (Buttermilk with chia seeds)

Course: BeverageCuisine: IndianDifficulty: Easy

Servings

2

servings

Prep time

5

minutes

Cooking time

10

minutes

A lightly spiced buttermilk made healthier with chia seeds.

Ingredients

• Yoghurt: 200ml

• Water: 200ml

• Chia seeds: 2tsp

• Green chilli: 1; minced

• Bhuna jeera (roasted cumin) powder: 1/2tsp

• Ginger: 1/2tsp; minced

• Black pepper: 1/2tsp

• Mint leaves: 10; finely chopped

• Salt to taste

Directions

• Soak the chia seeds in 100ml of water for 20-30 minutes.
• Beat the curd with 100ml of water. Make sure no lumps remain.
• Add the chia seeds (with the water in which they were soaked), minced green chilli, roasted jeera powder, black pepper powder, minced ginger & salt.
• Tip in the chopped mint leaves and give everything a good mix.
• Serve chilled.
  

Notes

• You can increase or reduce the quantity of water according to the consistency you prefer.
• Use freshly roasted cumin powder for best result.
• Skip the green chilli if you don’t like the spice in your buttermilk.