Takra Recipe: Spiced Buttermilk in the Ayurvedic Kitchen

Takra is thin, spiced buttermilk, known as chaas, chhaas or mattha in much of India. It is made by whisking yoghurt with plenty of water and a pinch of salt and spice, and it is served at the midday meal in homes from Gujarat to Tamil Nadu. It tastes tangy, light and refreshing, and it is far less heavy than a glass of milk or a bowl of curd.

The classical texts discuss takra at length, so it has an unusually rich place in the tradition. This page gives a simple recipe, the traditional reading, and honest cautions. It is a drink to enjoy with food. It is not a treatment, and nothing here claims it cures anything.

The recipe at a glance

• Time: 5 minutes, plus a few minutes for tempering if you wish.
• Makes: 2 tall glasses (about 2 cups, 500 ml).
• Equipment: a bowl and whisk, or a jar with a lid, or a blender.

Ingredients

• Half a cup of fresh, plain, set yoghurt (about 125 g), preferably not too sour
• 1 cup of cool water (250 ml), or a little more for a thinner drink
• A quarter teaspoon of cumin seeds, dry roasted and lightly crushed (about 0.5 g)
• A pinch of rock salt or ordinary salt
• A few fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped
• Optional: a slice of fresh ginger, finely grated, and a curry leaf or two
• Optional pinch of ground black pepper or a tiny pinch of asafoetida (hing)

Method

1. Whisk the yoghurt in a bowl until smooth, then add the water in a thin stream while you keep whisking. For a more traditional texture, churn it with a wooden whisk or shake it in a closed jar for a minute.
2. Dry roast the cumin seeds in a small pan over a low heat for about 30 seconds until fragrant, then crush them lightly.
3. Stir the cumin, salt, coriander leaves and ginger into the buttermilk. If you like a tempering, warm half a teaspoon of ghee, add the curry leaf and a pinch of hing for a few seconds, and pour it in once it has cooled a little.
4. Taste, and adjust with water or salt. Serve cool or at room temperature, not iced.

Use yoghurt that is fresh and mildly sour. A very sour curd gives a harsh drink. Drink it the same day, and refrigerate any leftovers for no more than a day.

Variations

• Thicker lassi-style drink. Use equal amounts of yoghurt and water for a creamier chaas.
• Gujarati style. Add a little green chilli and a teaspoon of chopped fresh coriander, and serve with lunch.
• Mint takra. Blend a few mint leaves into the drink and sieve it. This is a common choice in hot weather.
• Plain. Skip the spices and drink it with only a pinch of salt.

The Ayurvedic reading (traditional)

The classical texts describe takra among the products of milk, with several kinds distinguished by how much water is added and how it is churned. The Ashtanga Hridayam and the Charaka Samhita both give buttermilk a prominent place, and later writers repeated those descriptions. Teachers describe it as tangy and astringent in taste, light, and said to be warming in its after-effect. These are traditional descriptions and are not measurements of temperature or nutrition.

In that reading, takra is light and digestible, in contrast to heavy curd. It is traditionally said to be suited to a meal and to the tradition’s care for agni, the digestive fire, and that is why households serve it at lunch, which the tradition calls the main meal. See meal timing. Spices such as cumin, ginger and hing are described as making it easier to take.

On the doshas, the common teaching is that takra, being sour and light, tends to suit vata and kapha when it is fresh and mildly spiced, and that people with a pitta nature, or who feel hot after sour foods, should take it thin, fresh and without chilli. Teachers differ on the details. Many advise against buttermilk at night, in the hot dry months of summer, and when the weather is chilly and damp, while others serve it year round. The page on seasonal eating shows how the tradition thinks about adjusting by season. Grishma, the hot season, is the usual time for cool, thin buttermilk with mint and cumin.

Some teachers also say takra should not be mixed with fruit, and cautions about sour foods with milk appear on the page about food combining. Modern nutrition has not confirmed such rules, so take them as part of the tradition, not as a safety rule.

What modern research says

Fermented dairy such as yoghurt and buttermilk contains live cultures in many products, and studies suggest fermented dairy can be part of a healthy diet. That is a general nutrition finding, though, and not evidence for the traditional claims about takra, which are not well studied. Commercial buttermilk may be pasteurised after culturing, which removes live cultures, and may contain added salt and sugar, so check labels.

Who should be careful

• Milk allergy. Takra is made from dairy. If you have a milk allergy, avoid it. Lactose intolerance varies, and fermented dairy is often better tolerated, but not by everyone.
• High blood pressure, heart or kidney conditions. The pinch of salt matters if your doctor has asked you to limit sodium, so reduce or leave out salt, and watch commercial buttermilk, which can be salty.
• Pregnancy. Pregnant women are normally advised to choose only pasteurised dairy. Use shop-bought, pasteurised yoghurt, and avoid raw-milk curd.
• Babies and young children. Cow’s milk products are not suitable as a main drink for babies under a year, and children should drink only what a paediatrician advises.
• Weakened immunity. Take extra care with food hygiene, use clean utensils and chilled yoghurt, and do not leave takra out in the heat.
• Diabetes. Plain buttermilk has little sugar, but flavoured and sweetened versions may. Check labels.
• Spices and allergy. Cumin and coriander belong to the carrot family, so avoid them if you are allergic to that family. Asafoetida should be left out for small children unless a doctor says otherwise.

This recipe is general education, not medical advice. Please read the medical disclaimer, see a doctor about any health concern, and a registered Ayurvedic practitioner (BAMS in India) if you want Ayurvedic treatment.

Frequently asked questions