Mattha

Mattha or Chhach as its called in orth india is an Indian drink made from buttermilk-" taak" as we call it in marathi (usually a byproduct while making homemade butter). So we can also call it spiced buttermilk.Its a cooling drink & often served during hot summers in india.Mattha is a part of maharashtrian wedding feast along with jalebi & masale bhat!
It is a healthy drink generally served before or after a meal, though it can also be drunk with the meal, and it is thought to help with digestion.It is a home remedy for soothing an upset stomach because it has lactobacilli -friendly bacteria.

Ingredients

2 cups curd/ yogurt or 3 cups of buttermilk

1 teaspoon chilli-ginger paste

2 curry leaves

2 tablespoons sugar (as per taste)

2 tablespoons chopped coriander

Salt to taste

For the tempering

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

a pinch asafetida

2 teaspoons ghee

Procedure

1. Add the chilli-ginger paste, curry leaves, sugar and salt to the buttermilk (if using curd/yogurt add 1-2 cups of water to make instant buttermilk though it wont give the same taste something is always better than nothing!!).
2. Prepare the tempering by heating the ghee and frying the cumin and mustard seeds until they turn brown. Add the asafoetida .
3. Add the tempering to the buttermilk and stir well .
4. Sprinkle coriander on top and serve cold.