Digestion8 min
Thin black pepper chaas with roasted cumin at lunch
Black pepper chaas is thin buttermilk with crushed black pepper, roasted cumin and rock salt, taken with lunch. It stays a light glass, not a thick lassi and not a fiery shot of pepper.
Pepper in the lunchtime glass
A few crushed peppercorns and roasted cumin are enough to scent a glass of thin chaas. Rock salt seasons it. The pepper should prickle mildly, the way it does in a home tadka, not burn the throat.
Ayurveda uses pungent spices in small amounts when kapha heaviness and a slow agni follow a rich lunch. This glass may soothe that heaviness. It is not a substitute for a doctor, and more pepper is not more help.
Ingredients
- 1 glass thin buttermilk
- 2 crushed black peppercorns, or a small pinch of black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon roasted cumin
- A pinch of rock salt
How to prepare
- Whisk the buttermilk with a spoon of water if it is still thick.
- Stir in crushed black pepper, roasted cumin and rock salt.
How to use
- Sip one glass with lunch.
- Keep the pepper at a pinch. Taste before adding more.
- Drink it the same day. Do not store spiced chaas overnight.
Helpful habits
- Crush pepper freshly. Ready powder loses smell and is easy to overdo.
- Roast the cumin on a dry pan until it smells nutty.
Precautions
- Skip or reduce pepper if you already have burning in the chest.
- Use fresh buttermilk, not sour leftover curd that has split.
- Supportive drink only, not a substitute for a doctor.
Frequently asked questions
How much black pepper?
- A small pinch or two crushed corns in a glass. A teaspoon would be far too much.
Can I drink it at night?
- With lunch is the idea. Pepper at night can feel too warming for some people.
Is this the same as masala chaas from a packet?
- No. This glass is only thin buttermilk, black pepper, roasted cumin and rock salt.
