Ayurvedic recipe – Digestion-enhancing buttermilk

Buttermilk is considered as a digestive elixir! 

There is an old India saying that goes:  

“Nectar is to gods;
buttermilk is to humans”

In my home in Kerala, buttermilk is made every day and we finish off the lunch (always rice) by having spiced buttermilk. Ayurveda considers it as a medicine that alleviates all diseases. 

 In this blog, I’m sharing you a healthy and delicious buttermilk recipe that is part of my daily lunch!

Ayurvedic buttermilk recipe 

There are different variations of buttermilk explained in Ayurveda, of which this is the Ayurvedic buttermilk recipe traditionally followed in most households in Kerala including mine and in my hospital since many generations.
 

Ingredients (Makes 1 glass of buttermilk):

• 2 tablespoons of yoghurt 
• 1.5 glasses of water 
• Himalayan pink salt 
• Ginger 
• Cumin powder 
• Curry leaves  
• Coriander leaves 

How to prepare:  

• Churn the yoghurt and water in a blender for 2 minutes.
• Leave and let it settle for 1 minute.
• Take the clear liquid out – this is our magical buttermilk (the traditional version). You can remove the cream part that separates and warm it to make ghee.
• Add a pinch of Himalayan pink salt for taste, half inch piece of fresh crushed ginger, a pinch of cumin powder and garnish with curry leaves or coriander leaves.

There you have the best kind of buttermilk!   

This buttermilk is extremely good to take along with lunch (to finish off the meal) especially during fall and winters. 

Benefits  

This buttermilk has the following benefits:  

• Lakhu  

Light and helps bring lightness to the body. 

• Kashaya, Amla 

Astringent and sour in taste and is thus ideal to have by the end of your meals.

• Deepana 

Enhances your digestive fire (Agni) and helps digestion. 

• Kapha, Vatajit  

Improves conditions due to increased Kapha and Vata.

Buttermilk in various forms is a known cure for various health conditions. This buttermilk is good for irritable bowel syndrome, indigestion, malabsorption, initial stages of liver dysfunction, anaemia and skin diseases (both internal and external). It is also best known for its “lightness” property that makes it the best drink if you are trying to lose weight. 

Looking for more Ayurvedic recipes? Read my blogs to learn more!