Mattha (Maharashtrian Spiced Buttermilk)
What follows post Diwali is a whole lot of guilt feeling due to excessive sweets and snacks consumption. Our body was crying for a detox and I am slowly planning the meals at home to cut carbs, sugar. Key focus is to concentrate on vegetables, buttermilk and some home made smoothies that are sugar free. Do check out the Mixed Fruit Smoothie with No added Sugar on the blog. A perfect breakfast on the go option and great for detox too.
The recipe I have shared today, is called Mattha which is a popular and refreshing drink from Maharashtra. It is a deliciously spiced buttermilk or Chaas in Hindi that is just perfect for a detox and the hot weather in Mumbai.
Mattha Buttermilk Recipe from Maharashtra
Mattha is usually had after a heavy meal to aid digestion. One can also opt to have it post lunch, as a mid morning snack or simply when the weather demands. It soothes and cools the body. Curd is a natural probiotic that helps in promoting gut bacteria. Mattha or Chaas never goes out of style and is one of the most easiest forms of detox at home.
So, Mattha is made with basic ingredients like roasted jeera powder, ginger, coriander, salt and ofcourse, Yogurt! During summers, we store the mattha in earthern pots so that they naturally remain cool. In fact, we South Indians make something similar to Mattha called Neer Mor, which is equally tasty and delicious.
Mattha
Dahi or Thayir as we South Indians call it, is always available in our refrigerator at home. Most families make it a point to set the curd at night before sleeping.
Mattha is good to consume for people of all ages. Be it a child (good dose of Calcium) or senior citizen, this is one drink that has no restrictions. Diabetics, in fact, are advised to consume dahi / buttermilk to keep them full for longer and ensure the blood sugars are in check.
So head over to the simple recipe below and make a fresh batch of Mattha. Eat light and detoxify your system this week.
Taking this Mattha to the #170FoodieMondayBlogHop where the theme is #DetoxRecipes.
Recipe for Mattha (Maharashtrian Spiced Buttermilk)
Ingredients (4 glasses of Mattha)
- 1 cup of Fresh Yoghurt or Dahi
- 1.5 cups of Water
- 1 tsp of Roasted Jeera Powder
- 1 tblsp of grated ginger
- A pinch of hing or asafetida
- 1 tblsp or more of finely chopped coriander leaves
- Kala Namak or Black Salt to taste
Method
- Whisk the curd / dahi / Yoghurt and add roasted jeera powder, ginger, hing and coriander leaves.
- Mix well and now add the water to adjust the consistency as desired.
- Add salt to taste. You can add iodized salt or Himalayan pink salt too if you prefer instead of kala Namak or black salt.
- Whisk again, refrigerate for couple of hours and serve chilled along with meals or as a mid morning snack / drink with couple of nuts.
Recipe Notes
- The curd used for the Mattha is made with Cow Milk.
- If you prefer adding some green chillies, please do so. I avoid it when serving to guests etc as all cannot handle the spice.
- Adding hing and ginger aids digestion and this is a perfect appetizer drink too.
- Serving in earthern pots and glasses helps it to further elevate the taste and ensures the Mattha or chaas remains naturally cool.
Vidya Narayan