This masala chaas is a spiced salty lassi or yogurt drink perfect as a cool, refreshing drink for the summer, or as a digestive aid after an indulgent meal.
A lot of South Asian food, especially around the festivals and celebrations like Eid or weddings is heavy and indulgent.
As much as we love our Biryani and Korma, we also love to offset that full feeling with something a little lighter.
This salty lassi yogurt drink is perfect for those days!
Why we love this Masala Chaas?
- Spices like fennel and cumin aid in digesting heavy foods
- The yogurt and mint are refreshing, and cool you down, especially in the summer heat.
- Highly flexible recipe to add and remove spices to your tastes and preferences
Recipes you’ll love
If you’re looking for more easy weeknight curry recipes, here are some of our favorites:
Ingredients for Salty Lassi or Masala Chaas
- Yogurt – This is the base of this recipe. Full fat yogurt or Dahi is best for this recipe
- Whole Spices – fennel seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seed, whole black pepper, and mustard seeds, are all added to this drink for their refreshing and digestive properties
- Cilantro & Mint – these herbs add a refreshing taste to this drink
- Ginger & Garlic – it’s best to use fresh ginger and garlic for this recipe
- Green Chili – adds some heat to this drink, and can be adjusted to your liking
- Sugar and Salt – balance out the drink
Tips for Masala Chaas
- It’s best to grind the whole spices separately, to make sure they are finely ground when added to the yogurt.
- This salty lassi yogurt drink is best served chilled.
- The drink can be adjusted to your preferences. Adjust the chilis to your preferred spice level. Add water if you prefer a more liquid drink.
- Masala Chaas can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for 1-2 days. Make sure to stir before serving as the spices may settle.
When to serve Masala Chaas?
This Masala Chaas is best served chilled. You can make it ahead of time and store it in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Enjoy this masala chaas as a refreshing, cold drink in the summer.
This Masala Chaas is the perfect drink to serve at the end of your favorite indulgent meals. Some of our favorites are:
- Pakistani Chicken Biryani Recipe
- Korma: Chicken braised in a Yogurt sauce
- Halwa Puri Cholay: A Classic Pakistani Brunch
If you give this Masala Chaas recipe a try, we’d love to see it! Tag us on Instagram @thespicemess
Masala Chaas – Salty Lassi
Ingredients
Whole Spices
- 1 tablespoon Fennel seed saunf
- 1 tablespoon Cumin seeds jeera
- 1 tablespoon Coriander seeds dhaniya
- 1 teaspoon Black pepper whole
- 1 teaspoon Mustard seed rai
Herbs and Aromatics
- ½ cup Cilantro
- ½ cup Mint
- 2 cloves Garlic
- ½ inch Ginger
- 2 Green chillis
- 2 cups Yogurt
- ½ – 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
Instructions
- Grind the whole spices (fennel, cumin, coriander, black pepper, mustard) into a fine powder using a spice grinder mortar and pestle. Set aside.
- Separately, add the mint, cilantro, garlic, ginger, and chillis to a blender and grind into a smooth paste.
- Next, mix the powder and paste along with the yogurt, salt, and sugar.
- Add more yogurt if it is too spicy. Or add water if it is too thick.
- Strain before serving to remove any whole spices or aromatics if desired.
- Pour into individual glasses, and garnish with mint.
- Enjoy chilled. This drink is perfect for the summer or served alongside heavy meals like Biryani.