Homemade cold drink: Mattha – Erakina

Introduction 

Summer is the season full of holidays and a dreadful hot climate. People get dehydrated quickly during this season because of the exposure to hot weather. So people drink water and juices to hydrate themselves. In that order, Mattha is a famous drink in the Indian subcontinent’s homes, and it is made from yogurt and buttermilk. Let’s see some of the facts about Mattha and how it is prepared.

Mattha

Mattha is a Maharashtrian drink made from yogurt and buttermilk. It is a drink made to beat the heat because of its cooling properties, and it is also called Chaas. The ingredients used in the recipe make it spicier and healthier for the human body. The availability of yogurt and buttermilk and the taste of the Mattha made it famous in India.

The people of India make them in large quantities and store them in their refrigerators to preserve and serve them chilled. But people should stir them well before drinking to avoid the settling of yogurt on the bottom of the glass.

Preparation

To prepare Mattha, we need the following ingredients to prepare. The ingredients are:

• Yogurt
• Water
• Roasted cumin
• Green chillies
• Mint leaves
• Salt
• Sugar if needed and
• Coriander leaves

First, we need to take a pan and roast the cumin seeds on a low flame. We need to roast them till they get a little reddish-brown in colour. Then we need to crush them and make them powder. After that, whisk the yogurt to change its state from semi-solid to liquid. Then separate the green chili seeds and chop them very small.

After the chopping is done, add them to the yogurt, including some salt for the kicking taste. Then add the powdered cumin seeds and stir them well for the spices to get mixed well with the yogurt. Store them in the refrigerator for a while, and serve the drink by decorating them with mint leaves. The chilled Mattha is ready to serve.

Kids and others can have a refreshing cold Mattha drink in the hot summer and get hydrated.

Health benefits

The spicy Mattha and the ingredients in it contain many nutrients. Let’s see some of the health benefits of consuming buttermilk.

• Lower your body temperature

The chilled buttermilk and ingredients like cumin seeds and mint help reduce body temperature. By this, we can prevent ourselves from getting heat bubbles, pimples, etc.

• Hydration

A single glass of buttermilk consists of water and many electrolytes like sodium, potassium, magnesium, etc. These electrolytes hydrate our bodies and prevent us from developing dehydration-related diseases.

• Improves digestion

The presence of lactic acid and healthy gut bacteria in buttermilk helps improve digestion and body metabolism. We can improve digestion and lose a little weight by doing so.

• It strengthens the immune system

The presence of lactic acid bacteria in buttermilk can help improve the body’s immune system. These are used in fermenting food products, and these bacteria activate the immune system and boost them. Through this, we can be able to fight fever, colds, and other diseases and recover fast.

• May help with blood pressure

The daily consumption of buttermilk can help slightly reduce blood pressure levels. The presence of milk peptides and bioactive proteins helps reduce systolic blood pressure.

• It helps in digestion

Drinking buttermilk after a meal can help prevent indigestion and constant burping. It neutralizes the acids in the stomach and reduces acidity, and the cumin powder helps improve the process.

These are some of the health benefits that buttermilk offers us to improve our health. Drinking one large glass of buttermilk every day is beneficial to a person in many ways. Adding a little buttermilk to the diet helps with constipation, which is helpful in weight loss. And since it is made from dairy products, it does help in improving skin health. So let’s prepare the famous Mattha drink, spend the summer hydrated, and improve our body’s health.