Mint & Coconut Milk Komal

Lassi or chaas is a big part of Indian cuisine, rooted in Ayurveda, these yogurt drinks are cooling and work as a digestive aid, a fact that we now know as being rich in probiotics that support a healthy gut.

When I’m in India, every meal is accompanied with the Gujarati version of lassi – Chaas is made from fresh yogurt that my sister sets using that morning’s non-homogenized milk with her day old culture. Wrapped and left alone on the kitchen counter for 3-4 hours, we always have the perfect yogurt for the chaas each meal.

Usually flavored with crushed roasted cumin and black salt, my sister Meena, also serves it with a ‘tadka’ or tempering, using curry leaves, whole cumin and a pinch of hing or asafetida, taking the flavors of fresh yogurt to another level. One of my favorite versions with a hint of herbs is served chilled in recycled amber beer bottles at a small hole-in-the-wall thali restaurant in the heart of Bombay’s Zaveri Bazar – Bhagat Tarachand, a place I often haunted during my days as a budding journalist the Times of India down the street.

This version is called Komal and is inspired by the versions of chaas I have enjoyed in India and a recipe from a cookbook my mother gave me when I got married, by none other than by the guru of Gujarati cooking, the late and talented Tarla Dalal.

Serves 8-10

Blend:

1 can of coconut milk
1 container of plain yogurt
3-4 cups of water
¼ cup mint leaves
¼ cup cilantro
¼- ½ tsp. fresh ginger
1 inch fresh jalapeño (optional)
½ – 1 tsp. ground roasted cumin
¼ tsp. black salt
sea salt if not using black salt (as needed)

For the Tempering:

1-2 tbs. olive oil or coconut oil
½ tsp. whole cumin
1/8 tsp. asafetida
8-10 fresh curry leaves

1. Blend all the ingredients on high except the water
2. Add the water to thin out the drink to your liking and store in a glass jar or bottles
3. Adjust the salt and cumin as needed

Tip – If you’re trying black salt for the first time, try a little at first, it has a strong sulfur aroma and too much could cause flatulence, so go easy – it’s a digestive aid like cumin but with a punch!

4. Heat the oil in a small pan, when hot, add the cumin, curry leaves and asafetida
5. Take care not to burn the spices, just want to heat them through and let them bloom
6. Drizzle the tempered spices, curry leaves and oil over the komal in a glass jar and serve chilled

Follow the Fork!