Summer is here to stay for a long time in the northern part of Texas. Days are long and very warm. I can step out only during the early hours of the day or the later hours of the evening. While I am out in the garden, I am trying to wage a losing battle with all the pests, big and small, that want to invade my produce. As the saying goes, you win some and you lose a lot. But those small wins still make you smile and want for more. That’s what gardens teach us about Life.

Summers as a Child

I grew up in a similarly hot place in southern India. Summers were brutal – even more so than Texas. And we had no air conditioning. We also witnessed rolling blackouts of power as the grids struggled to stay in business. I recall heat fumes rise out of the tar roads like mirages. Never tried it, but I could have, perhaps, scrambled an egg on the hot street.

Adults slumbered during the hottest part of the day, but we kids didn’t care. Schools were closed, and that meant playing outdoors all morning and afternoon. Hopscotch, 5 stones (small round pebbles are deftly tossed and caught mid-air in various combinations), scaling huge mango trees, making manja out of broken glass for kites and a variety of activities that now seem so dangerous.

Worn out and dog tired, we’d drag ourselves back home, just as adults woke up from their afternoon siestas. After being told to wash up, I’d be served several varieties of homemade chilled drinks, depending on what was available at home.

Masala Majjige

One of my favorite drinks after a hard day’s play was this Masala Majjige. Majjige is buttermilk in my mother tongue Kannada. ‘Spiced’ is a loose translation of the word masala. Think of buttermilk as a opposite end of the spectrum to Greek yogurt.

There are two types of buttermilk. One is the Traditional buttermilk. Buttermilk was the protein rich liquid that was left behind after hand churning butter out from fresh cream. This is how buttermilk was made in most homes while I was growing up. Spices and herbs were added to this whey to make this majjige. Zero waste!

The second type – Cultured buttermilk – is made by churning yogurt or curd into a watery consistency by simply adding a lot of water. This is a probiotic-rich food.

Almost all the buttermilk that is available in stores today, is cultured. Do you recall how your family made buttermilk when you were growing up? Did you buy it from the store or make it at home?

How to Make Homemade Yogurt

Masala Buttermilk

My buttermilk is still homemade. It is not traditional but cultured, if you go by the true definition. I make yogurt from raw milk (go to Real Milk Finder to find sources of raw milk in your state in the United States).

Here’s how to make yogurt for this Masala Majjige recipe:

Heat 2 cups of milk (raw or pasteurized) on a low/medium flame using a thick-bottomed vessel. A food thermometer comes in handy. Heat milk to 180 degrees Fahrenheit. Allow it to cool to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Add 2 teaspoons of yogurt culture (you can use plain organic store-bought yogurt) and mix it in well. Cover the milk and store it in a warm place for 6-8 hours. If you have an Instant Pot, use the “Yogurt” setting and set the timer for 4-6 hours, depending on how sour you want your yogurt to be.

Yes, it is that easy to make yogurt at home! No gelatin, no preservatives, no chemicals. Nada. Just pure creamy goodness.

If you want to try out the recipe and are too busy to make buttermilk from homemade yogurt, you have a couple of options. One, buy organic whole milk yogurt from the store, preferably grass-fed. Two, buy a good quality Bulgarian buttermilk with no additives. If you are using buttermilk, use half the quantity of water, and be mindful of the salt you add, since store bought buttermilk already has added salt.

Other Healthy Drinks

If you love probiotic drinks and homemade smoothies, check out our recipes:

• Probiotic Kombucha
• Banana Avocado Smoothie
• DIY Almond Milk
• Kaanji – a Fermented Drink
• Romaine Ginger Smoothie
• Refreshing Watermelon Mint Ginger Smoothie
• Spiced Mulled Wine
• Easy Homemade Kefir
• Vegan Golden Turmeric Milk

Do you love our posts and recipes? We’d LOVE to see your creations so click a photo and tag us on Instagram with the hashtag #healthyindian3 and please give a star (★) rating below. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube & Tumblr for healthy, easy and delicious recipes and lifestyle tips.

*There could be affiliate links in this blog. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Print Pin

5 from 3 votes

Masala Majjige | Spiced Buttermilk | Chaas

This refreshingly spicy buttermilk drink is a must-have for hot summers. This comes together without any fuss. Be prepared to make a fresh second batch, as your guests guzzle it down!

Course Appetizer, Drinks

Cuisine Indian, North Indian, South Indian

Keyword chaas, masala majjige, mor, neer mor, spiced buttermilk, spicy buttermilk, summer drink

Special Diet Gluten Free, Grain Free, No Added Sugar, Nut Free, Vegetarian

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Servings 4 People

Calories 96kcal

Equipment

• Vitamix
• Kitchen Knife
• Bamboo Cutting Board

Ingredients

• 2 Cups Yogurt - Full Fat, Soured. Or store-bought Bulgarian buttermilk
• 2 Cups Filtered water - Use 1 cup if using buttermilk
• 2 Inch Ginger - Fresh
• 16 Sprigs Cilantro - Leaves + Stalk
• 1/4 Teaspoon Himalayan Pink Salt - Skip if buttermilk has salt
• 1 Teaspoon Lime Juice - Optional. Use if yogurt is not sour
• 8 Ice Cubes - Optional (if you want to served chilled right away)

Tempering

• 1/2 Teaspoon Coconut Oil
• 1/2 Teaspoon Mustard Seeds
• 1/4 Teaspoon Asafoetida (Hing) - Hing
• 1 Sprig Curry Leaves - Finely cut
• 4 Green Chili Pepper - Or to taste

Instructions

Tempering

• Heat coconut oil in a tempering dish. Splutter mustard seeds, add asafoetida (hing), green chili peppers and finely chopped curry leaves. Allow to temper for a few seconds.
  
• Add the above tempering, roughly chopped ginger root, cilantro sprigs and salt to a high speed blender.
  
• Add yogurt/curd. Add water, ice cubes (if using) and lime juice (if the yogurt is not sour enough). If using full fat yogurt, use more water. If using buttermilk, add less water.
  
• Blend at high speed until everything is blended and the buttermilk is frothy.
  
• Taste and adjust the water, salt, spice and sourness levels. Give it one more churn in the blender.
  
• Mix and refrigerate or serve right away.
  

Notes

*Use organic ingredients wherever possible

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Masala Majjige | Spiced Buttermilk | Chaas

Amount per Serving

Calories

96

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

5

g

8

%

Saturated Fat

 

3

g

19

%

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

1

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

1

g

Cholesterol

 

16

mg

5

%

Sodium

 

363

mg

16

%

Potassium

 

241

mg

7

%

Carbohydrates

 

9

g

3

%

Fiber

 

2

g

8

%

Sugar

 

7

g

8

%

Protein

 

5

g

10

%

Vitamin A

 

741

IU

15

%

Vitamin C

 

19

mg

23

%

Calcium

 

163

mg

16

%

Iron

 

1

mg

6

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.