To make buttermilk: Blend thick curd (make sure the curd is fresh and hasn't turned sour. If slightly sour, add some milk to neutralise) with water (1 cup of curd : 2.5 to 3 cups of water) and stir well. If you want it to be thick and creamy, you can reduce the amount of water and run it in the mixer once.
Just buttermilk with salt tastes great. The flavours are good if you want to try out some variety.
Add salt, dry mango - amchur powder (if you like it tangy) and a teaspoon of fresh seasoning (tadka - a drop of ghee with mustard seeds, cumin seeds-jeera and asafoetida-hing ). Mix well and serve in a tall, clear glass. You can use chopped fresh coriander (hara dhaniya) / fresh mint (Pudina) leaves for seasoning.
Spicy buttermilk
Slit a few green chillies (2 chillies are good for 4-5 cups) vertically and crush an inch of ginger well. Put it into the vessel containing buttermilk, add salt and stir well. Leave this for at least an hour. Strain out the chillies and ginger before you serve. Garnish either with fresh coriander or mint leaves. This tastes better without the mustard - jeera- hing seasoning.
Crush a handful of fresh Mint leaves and roasted jeera in a mortar and pistle (the flavour is better when done this way) / run it in the mixie if it is more convenient. Add the paste to the buttermilk, andd salt to taste. Garnish with mint leaves. You may add half a chilli while grinding, if you want it to be spicy.
Jaljeera flavour
Add readymade Jaljeera powder to buttermilk and stir well. Garnish with crisp boondi and mint leaves.
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You can also try out the sweeter version of buttermilk - Lassi by substituting salt with sugar
and use flavours such as fresh mango pulp / rose syrup / Cardomom - elaichi etc.
Mango Lassi:
Rose Lassi
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