Raw Mango Buttermilk (Kaccha Aam Chaas) | Indian Summer Cooler
Tangy, cooling, refreshing, this raw mango buttermilk recipe is exactly the cooler you need when the summer hits 40°C and you need to hydrate but you also crave something tangy, spicy and nourishing.
Servings: 4
Calories: 164kcal
Equipment
- pressure cooker to cook the mangoes
- grinder to grind the mango-spice paste
Ingredients
- 3 medium raw mangoes kaccha aam, washed in salt water
- 1 green chilli adjust to heat tolerance
- 30 g fresh coriander with stems roughly a small fistful, about 0.8 cup
- 1 fresh ginger peeled — 1 inch piece
- 1-2 garlic clove
- 1.5 tsp roasted cumin bhuna jeera
- 1 tsp kala namak black salt
- 0.5 tsp regular salt to taste
- 2 cups full-fat dahi curd, well chilled
- 1.5 cups cold water — start here adjust to desired consistency
- 10 ice cubes these dilute further — account for this
- 10 fresh mint leaves to garnish
Instructions
Pressure cook the raw mangoes:
- Wash the raw mangoes thoroughly in salted water, scrubbing the skin well.
- Rinse under the tap to remove any salt clinging. Place in a pressure cooker with enough water to just submerge.
- Cook for 2 whistles on medium heat, allowing pressure to release naturally. The mangoes should be completely soft – with skins loosened.
Peel and mash:
- Transfer the mangoes to a bowl and allow them to cool.
- Using a pair of tongs, peel the skins off — they should peel away with ease.
- Next, pull the flesh away gently with a fork, taking care to not scrape the seed. Discard the skins and seed.
- Now mash the flesh with the fork until you get a smooth, silky paste.
Grind the mango-spice paste:
- Transfer the mashed mango pulp to a mixer-grinder jar.
- Add green chilli, fresh coriander bunch, ginger, garlic clove, roasted cumin, black salt, and regular salt. Grind to a completely smooth paste.
- This is the mango-spice concentrate that we’ll whisk with curd later.
Whisk into buttermilk:
- Take chilled curd in a large bowl and whisk well until completely smooth and lump-free – should take about 2 minutes.
- Add the mango-spice paste and whisk until fully incorporated.
- Start adding cold water at this point, whisking as you adjust to desired consistency gradually, until you reach a buttermilk-like consistency.
- Taste and adjust salt or kala namak as needed. The colour should be a lovely golden- pale sage green.
Add ice, garnish and serve:
- Add ice cubes (account for further dilution) to the bowl or directly to tall glasses if serving later. The idea is for the melting ice to bring the chaas to the perfect pour consistency.
- Crush the fresh mint leaves with hand and scatter on top.
- Serve immediately in chilled glasses or chill in the fridge to serve later.
Notes
- Don’t skip the salt-water wash: The natural resin often coating raw mango skin can potentially irritate the lips and mouth. To remove this, scrub thoroughly in salted water before use. Rinse under the tap water to get rid of any salt.
- Pressure cook, don't boil: Boiling the raw mangoes will leach the sour flavour out into the water. Two whistles in a pressure cooker with just enough water to cover keeps all that concentrated tang locked in the flesh. In addition to making the flesh yielding and the skin ready to peel away almost by itself.
- Mind the dilution with ice: The ice will melt and dilute the chaas further; best keep that in mind so you can account for it. Whisk in a spoonful of curd if it becomes too thin.
- Prep the mango-spice paste ahead: The raw mango-spice paste can be stored in the fridge for 3 days. So make ahead to combat the heat, remove the portion needed for each day and whisk into curd, adding ice just before you serve.
Nutrition
Serving: 1glass | Calories: 164kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 275mg | Fiber: 1g