Considered to be one of the most popular cooling beverages among Indian households, Buttermilk, or chaas, which is made using curd, water and other ingredients like pepper, salt, and green chilies, has now become a common after-meal drink. Unlike lassi, chaas or buttermilk is not sweet, and, as a result, contains fewer calories. In addition to that, it is quite beneficial for hydration on a hot summer day, as it helps in maintaining the body’s temperature. Many enjoy this refreshing drink even as a snack, or a part of a small meal accompanied by fruit. Buttermilk is a go-to drink for many, in fact, if you are trying to lose weight, this is a healthy option for several reasons. A glass of buttermilk cools you down, keeps you refreshed, helps keep your gut flora healthy and is low in calories.
Filled with probiotics (thanks to curd), buttermilk is a drink that has various health benefits to offer. Here are some of the reasons as to why a glass of buttermilk or chaas can be a great addition for your health chart:
Table of Contents
Benefits of Buttermilk (Chaas)
1. Buttermilk Is Loaded With Calcium
Calcium is an important mineral, which is considered to be the building block for bones and teeth. However, most people who are lactose intolerant fail to digest milk, and hence can succumb to severe calcium deficiency. Since, buttermilk is made of curd, a fermented milk product in which the lactose of milk is converted into lactic acid by adding a strain of bacteria; it can be quite a great source of calcium for people who are suffering from lactose intolerance as they can easily digest it.
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2. A Remedy For Acid Reflux
Yes, you read that right, but it is not the curd that gives buttermilk this ability, it is the additional spices such as a sprinkle of black pepper powder that fight against the rising acidity of the stomach (1). Acid reflux is caused when the acidity of the stomach is increased and it starts producing an irritating sensation in its inner lining. At times like these, spices such as ginger (2), and pepper, play a vital role by neutralizing the pH level, thus relieving the body from the irritation.
3. Buttermilk Is A Good Source Of Vitamins
Considered to be a great source of vitamin B and other minerals such as potassium, Buttermilk contains all the necessary nutrients that can be effective for the production of energy by breaking down the nutrients and greatly improves the process of digestion.
4. Natural Hydrator
The natural cooling nature of curd is enough of a proof for buttermilk’s hydrating effects, moreover, it constitutes of salt, water, curd, and spices all of which play their part in the hydration of cells. During the months of summer, a drink loaded with electrolytes, just like buttermilk, can be a healthy alternative for other packaged energy drinks, as it has very few calories, but is quite high in protein as well.
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5. Beneficial For Digestion
There is no way in which we can talk about curd based beverages and not talk about their vital role in the digestive health of a body. This probiotic-rich drink is responsible for reducing the intestinal transit time and further aiding in getting rid of undigested material. The addition of ginger, pepper, and jeera (cumin), which are also an important part of buttermilk’s ingredient list, play an excellent role as digestive agents. Thus, if you need a drink that could help you when you are experiencing indigestion, then turning towards chaas might just do the trick.
Buttermilk Recipe | How To Make Chaas
As a phenomenally beneficial and easy to make drink, buttermilk’s popularity has been increasing day by day. Being salty in taste, when served cold, buttermilk could be one of the best summer coolers and energy drinks, as it contains fewer calories and fat.
The basic ingredients that you’ll require to prepare a glassful of this cooler drink are:
- 1 ½ cup of curd
- 1 cup of water
- Pepper (as required for the taste)
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- Garnishing (mint leaves)
The steps involved for the preparation of buttermilk are:
- Take the 1 ½ cups of curd and 1 cup of water, and blend them together until the desired consistency is achieved.
- While mixing the two, add pepper and ½ teaspoon cumin powder to the mix. The quantity of pepper could be up to you depending on how much savory you like your chaas to be.
- When the mixture attains a certain smooth texture, you can further add garnishing such as mint leaves or coriander leaves.
- Buttermilk is best served cold.
Buttermilk Vs Lassi
One of the most debated topics, when it comes to categorizing curd-based cooler drinks, is the difference between buttermilk and lassi. Lassi is a direct result of the churning of the curd, which is in turn prepared by adding live cultures into the milk, thus fermenting it. Moreover, lassi is prepared by adding external sweeteners to the mix. And unlike lassi, buttermilk, though having the same first stage of preparation, is quite light and savory in taste as compared to lassi, as it is prepared by the addition of spices rather than sugar.
Review Reading: We review products over days, and sometimes weeks, so you can shop better. Read our Tastiest Mishti Doi To Buy Review here.
First, let us take a look at the similarities between the two. Since both lassi and buttermilk are rich in probiotics, which are the bacteria that break down the lactose in milk and convert it into lactic acid, thus making both lassi and buttermilk, a great source of calcium for people who are lactose intolerance.
Both the beverages prove to be a combative force against the rising stomach acidity as they help in providing a safe cover to the inner lining of the stomach. And both, while being rich with probiotics, can be sufficiently helpful in keeping the intestinal health intact.
Although, due to no additional sweetening agent, buttermilk or chaas usually have about 60% fewer calories than lassi, and roughly about 80% less fat as compared to other sweetened curd-based items, thus, making it a great option for people who are looking to lose some weight.
So what are you waiting for? Indulge yourself in this cooler and don’t forget to add some garnishing for a refreshing twist.