Chaas or Gujarati Spiced Buttermilk

Photo by:

Melati Citrawireja

While gathering recipes for our cookbook, we discovered and tested more dishes than we could possibly include. These bonus recipes are straight from the home kitchens of our farm partners: seasonal staples, and heirloom favorites you won’t find anywhere else. For more such recipes, order The Diaspora Spice Co. Cookbook here!

Chaas is simple in concept—thinned spiced yogurt consumed after just about every meal in a Gujarati family. It’s a digestive, a great source of probiotics, and a way to cool you down and get electrolytes. We’ve given you two chaas masalas. The Sakariya family recipe—a mix of nine herbs and spices that are considered to be anti-inflammatory and aid in digestion while also being lip-smackingly tangy—and my much more pared down family recipe of cumin, chilies, and salt. Adapted by Asha Loupy.

Cook's note: If you have a kitchen scale, this is a great recipe to pull it out for. We’ve found that many herbs, like dried mint leaves, can vary widely in volume, so it’s best to go off the weight. The water content in yogurts varies, so make sure to start with the lowest measurement of water and then work your way up to your desired consistency (we like ours about the texture of buttermilk).

Ingredients

FOR THE CHAAS MASALA

36 (2 grams) fresh curry leaves
2 tablespoons (10 grams) Nandini Coriander
1½ tablespoons (15 grams) Jodhana Cumin
¼ teaspoon (½ gram) ajwain seeds
2 cups (10 grams) dried mint leaves, very lightly packed
2 tablespoons (15 grams) moringa powder
2½ teaspoons (13 grams) fine sea salt
1 teaspoon (5 grams) black salt
Pinch of asafoetida, optional

FOR THE CHAAS

½ cup plain, full-fat yogurt (not Greek)
½ to ¾ cup chilled water
2 to 3 teaspoons Sakariya Family Chaas Masala

Methods

FOR THE CHAAS MASALA

Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add the curry leaves and toast, stirring frequently until they turn bright green, dry out, and start to brown around the edges, 1 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a spice grinder and return the skillet to medium heat.
Add the coriander seeds and cumin seeds, and toast, swirling the pan occasionally, until fragrant and the coriander has turned a couple shades darker, 45 seconds to 1½ minutes. Transfer the toasted spices to the spice grinder with the curry leaves and let cool completely. Add the ajwain seeds to the spice mixture and grind into a fine powder.
Add the dried mint in batches and continue to grind into a fine powder. Add the moringa powder, fine sea salt, black salt, and asafoetida, if using, and pulse to combine, 5 to 10 pulses. Transfer to an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 3 months.

FOR THE CHAAS

Place the yogurt, ½ cup chilled water, and the chaas masala of your choice in a mason jar or shaker. Seal and shake vigorously to combine, 10 to 20 seconds. If the chaas is too thick, add water 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency. Taste and add more chaas masala, if desired, giving it a couple more shakes to combine. Pour into 2 glasses and enjoy immediately.