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Pan-Indian (Gujarat & West India especially) · Indian

Chaas (Spiced Indian Buttermilk / Masala Chaas)

Whisked yogurt thinned with water and seasoned with cumin, green chilli, ginger and curry leaves — India's cooling, savoury buttermilk. A salty-tangy digestive that beats the heat and settles a heavy meal in two minutes.

By Table & Traditions Editors

Published June 22, 2026

Two glasses of frothy pale chaas garnished with mint and a sprinkle of cumin, curry leaves nearby, on a bright table.

Chaas — spiced buttermilk — is the savoury counterpart to the sweet lassi, found in homes across India and most beloved in Gujarat and the west. Traditionally the thin liquid left from churning butter, it's now made by whisking yogurt with water and seasoning it with roasted cumin, green chilli, ginger and curry leaves. Cooling, probiotic and digestive, it's the everyday answer to summer heat and a rich thali.

Yield
Serves 2
Prep
5 min
Cook
0 min
Total
About 5 min
Difficulty
Easy

Chaas is India’s cooling, savoury buttermilk — whisked yogurt thinned with water and seasoned with roasted cumin, green chilli, ginger and curry leaves. The salty-tangy counterpart to a sweet lassi, it’s the everyday answer to summer heat and the classic digestive close to a heavy thali.

Thin and frothy, not thick

Whisk the yogurt smooth, then whisk in plenty of cold water until it’s light and pourable. Chaas is a drink-it-down buttermilk, not a thick, spoonable lassi.

Season for savoury and tang

Roasted cumin, black salt, ginger, green chilli and fresh herbs are what make it chaas rather than watered-down yogurt. Black salt gives it that signature savoury depth — taste and balance the salt against the tang.

Temper it, Gujarati-style

For the restaurant touch, crackle cumin seeds and curry leaves in a little hot oil and pour it over. Serve ice-cold after a meal. Compare with the sweet mango lassi and spiced jaljeera. More in the Drinks guide.

Ingredients

Serves
2
  • 1 cup plain yogurt (curd), preferably slightly sour Whole-milk yogurt gives the best body; a day-old, slightly tangy curd makes the most authentic chaas.
  • 1.5–2 cups cold water Chaas is thin and drinkable, not thick like lassi — adjust the water to a light, pourable consistency.
  • 1/2 tsp roasted cumin powder (bhuna jeera)
  • 1 small green chilli, minced (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
  • to taste black salt and regular salt Black salt (kala namak) gives chaas its signature savoury tang — worth using.
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander and mint
  • 6–8 curry leaves and a pinch of cumin seeds, for an optional tempering

Method

Tap a step’s number to check it off as you go.

  1. Whisk the yogurt smooth, then whisk in the cold water until thin and frothy.

    Why: Whisking well dissolves any lumps and aerates the buttermilk into the light, frothy texture that makes chaas so easy to drink.

  2. Stir in the roasted cumin, green chilli, ginger, black and regular salt, coriander and mint; taste and balance the salt and tang.

    Why: Chaas should taste savoury, tangy and gently spiced — the seasoning is the whole point that separates it from plain thinned yogurt.

  3. Optional: heat a teaspoon of oil, crackle cumin seeds and curry leaves, and pour this tempering over the chaas for a Gujarati touch. Serve chilled.

    Why: A quick tadka of curry leaves and cumin adds a fragrant, restaurant-style aroma; serving it cold is essential to its cooling job.

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Variations

  • Plain salted chaas

    Skip the chilli, ginger and herbs for a simple salted buttermilk — just yogurt, water, cumin and salt, the most basic everyday version.

  • Gujarati tempered

    Always finish with the curry-leaf and cumin tadka, plus a pinch of asafoetida (hing), for the classic Gujarati chaas.

  • Mint-forward

    Blend in a big handful of mint for a green, extra-cooling pudina chaas.

Serving & Storage

Serve ice-cold with or after a meal — it's the classic digestive end to a Gujarati thali and a reviving drink on a hot afternoon. Especially good after oily, spicy or heavy food.

Storage: Best fresh and cold. The base keeps a day in the fridge; whisk again and add the tempering just before serving, as it separates on standing.

Nutrition

Per serving (1 glass (~300 ml))

Calories
70
Protein
5 g
Carbs
7 g
Fat
3 g
Fiber
0 g
Sugar
6 g
Sodium
420 mg

Notable micronutrients: Calcium, Probiotics

Estimated using standard ingredient data. Values vary with brands and substitutions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between chaas and lassi?

Consistency and flavour. Lassi is thick, creamy and usually sweet (or, as salted lassi, savoury but still thick). Chaas is thin, light and savoury — yogurt let down with plenty of water and seasoned with cumin, salt and herbs. Chaas is a drink-it-down digestive; lassi is richer and more of a treat.

What is black salt and can I skip it?

Black salt (kala namak) is a mineral salt with a distinctive savoury, slightly sulphurous tang that gives chaas its characteristic flavour. You can make chaas with regular salt alone, but black salt adds that signature depth. It's inexpensive at any Indian grocery and keeps forever.

Why is buttermilk good after a heavy meal?

Chaas is light, cooling and rich in probiotics from the yogurt, and the cumin and ginger are traditional digestives. Together they soothe the stomach and feel refreshing after oily or spicy food — which is exactly why it's the customary close to a thali in much of India.

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