Chilled & Spiced Kokum-Dhania-Pudina Chaas (Buttermilk/ Taak/ Majjige).

“Chilled &Spiced Kokum- Dhania- Pudina Chaas (Buttermilk/ Taak/ Majjige)” … with the summer heat rising up there is nothing more inviting than a glass of chilled drink ... kokum and pudina have coolant properties that are extremely good for body heat, so, do include them in your food list this summer … again, chaas is also a favourite drink of all and in my home we love both spiced chaas and lassi … here is a spiced coolant to sip on chilled to quench your thirst this summer ... try it, tastes awesome ... Yummilicious …

** And with the approaching of summer, Ooofff!! the heat makes us all reach out to that large glass of chilled coolant and while there are plenty of bottled ones easily available in stores, remember, they are extremely bad for health, as they are loaded with preservatives, sugar and what not's. So, the next time you reach out to buy or drink coolants from stores, think about it and instead opt out for desi chaas, lime juice, sugar cane juice etc. they are much more safer and beneficial than the bottled ones. 

** It’s more than 2 decades since I stopped drinking any bottled drinks, except a few times occasionally during functions when inevitable. I prefer to carry my own water bottle in case of emergency or just drink them a little bit in case i am extremely thirsty and there is no water around. No, I am not at all exaggerating, its the truth, who knows it better than me about how harmful these colas and other bottled drinks are, as I have been at the receiving end and it took me sometime to recover from its effects. 

** I have tried plenty of cold drinks with fruits etc. and they have all been a healthier substitute except for the fact that they included sugar which these days is highly recommended to be avoided. This made me think that I should try to implement new methods and change my coolants to more healthier ones and this year I truly intending adding more choices here. I tried this mix and match as a summer coolant today with kokum- pudina- chaas and it tasted wonderful, quenching my thirst from heat.

** Here is my simple method of preparing “Chilled & Spiced Kokum- Dhania- Pudina Chaas (Buttermilk/ Taak/ Majjige)” … my style ….

** In a mixer grinder add ½ cup of picked and cleaned freshcoriander leaves (Kothambari pallo/ dhania), handful of mint leaves (pudina pallo), 3-4 green chillies (tarni mirsanga/ hari mirchi), few curry leaves (karbevu/ kadipatta) and grind to a smooth paste with ¼ cup of water. Remove and add this into a large vessel.

** Note : You can cut down on the number of addition of green chillies (tarni mirsanga/ hari mirchi) and add a few black pepper corns (kali miri/ mire) while grinding the above for a much healthier option too. 

** For Kokum Extract : you can freshly extract the juice of sun dried kokum or use agal which is easily available in store. Agal is a kokum extra with addition of salt only and can be easily used in curries, chaas etc. I used agal. In case you do not have agal or is not available, then just soak about 10-12 sun-dried or salt applied and preserved kokum petal in 2 glasses of warm water for about an hour. Then crush it well with the back of a spoon, sieve it through a fine sieve and you have kokum extract ready.

** Add kokum extract and either hinga uddaka ie water prepared from gummy hing (asafoetida) or hing (asfoetida) powder along with kala namak (black salt/ meeta) to taste to the ground masala in vessel. Beet one cup of thick homemade curds (dahi/ yogurt) to a smooth texture and add to the ingredients. Beat all together once again until smoothly and well blended. Add in the required amount of chilled water or crushed ice cubes to bring to a thinner buttermilk texture of individual preference. Garnish with a handful of fresh finely chopped coriander leaves (dhania/ kothambari pallo).

** Note : use chilled water while preparing the chaas to get a cold chaas. If not you can always keep it fridge for an hour to chill and then serve. In case you want to avoid chilled or cold chaas then you can use normal potable water. Also if using Agal, then be careful with addition of extra salt as it is very salty. I used homemade skimmed milk cow's milk curds, you may use any, preferably homemade. 

** “Chilled & Spiced Kokum- Dhania- Pudina Chaas (Buttermilk/ Taak/ Majjige)” is done and ready to be served. Always serve chass chilled for best of taste also check salt before serving, you can also top it with some chaat masala while serving for extra zing in taste. This chaas not only taste great but is also digestive friendly. During summer months it serves the purpose of a thirst quencher, so the next time you reach out for a bottled aerated drink, think twice and switch over to desi drinks that are not only healthy but tasty too.

** “Preparation Method of Perfect Set Curds/ Dahi” ... Curds play an important role and is a necessary part of every meal in most Indian homes. Curd is a dairy product obtained by curdling (coagulating) of milk. Freshly cultured starter should be then added and mixed thoroughly with the milk to obtain curds. Setting up of curds is an art in itself which has to be learned by individual in their own way and experience depending upon the weather of the place they stay in. Once you get the knack of it, then it’s a breeze work. Children and elders both enjoy curds alike, so learn to prepare it at home and enjoy a little bit during every meal. Sharing link below to “Preparation Method of Perfect Set Curds” if required, please browse through in leisure .... https://gayathrifoodbytes.blogspot.com/2015/03/delightful-curds-setting-of-curds.html#more

** For Preparing of Hing/ Asafoetida Water From Gummy Hing : Hing water is prepared by putting a small marble sized gummy hing (available in South Indian Stores) into a glass bottle and adding about a small cup of boiled and cooled water to it. Within a few hours the hing will slowly melt and you will get a thick whitish liquid. This is known as hinga uddaka/ asafoetida water. You can store this in fridge and use sparingly as and when needed. We GSB Konkani Saraswat Community usually prepare the same and keep it in the fridge always and use the same for dal, patrado or any other humman etc. If you do not have the gummy hing or have never used or seen it, check out the pictur collage, I have shared the same. Again, if not available, no issues, you can add hing/ asafoetida powder in which case always add it into the hot oil while tempering to get a good aroma.