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
- Blend all the ingredients on high except the water
- Add the water to thin out the drink to your liking and store in a glass jar or bottles
- Adjust the salt and cumin as needed
- Heat the oil in a small pan, when hot, add the cumin, curry leaves and asafetida
- Take care not to burn the spices, just want to heat them through and let them bloom
- Drizzle the tempered spices, curry leaves and oil over the komal in a glass jar and serve chilled
