There is scarcely an Indian household, where the good old dahi does not take a central place during mealtimes, especially in summers. Whether it is in the form of boondi raita or a tall glass a chaas enjoed with a pinch of hing tadka, dahi can safely be listed as one of the most versatile ingredient to shake up a variety of cool, summer drinks.
What’s more almost every state and region has its own peculiar preparation of dahi based drinks that have restorative, cooling and refreshing properties. Besides being tasty to the core, dahi also delivers some very useful health benefits. Rujuta Diwekar, celebrity nutritionist to Bollywood stars such as Kareena Kapoor Khan and Alia Bhatt talking about the benefits to dahi says, “Dahi is full of nutrients and minerals such as calcium that makes the bones stronger.”
Here’s some of the most interesting dahi concoctions popularly enjoyed all across India.
So, from adding a twist to your plain lassi to rustling up a new curd based smoothie blend, there is a lot more than what you thought you can do with curd at home.
Neer Mor
Image Credit: flickr
Enjoyed across the regions in Southern India, Neer Mor is a dahi based drink mostly prepared with the onset of summers. A household favourite in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala this summer coolant has amazing digestive properties. The common in ingredients used in this drink are asfoetida, ginger, mustard seeds it is a spicy buttermilk with pungent flavours. It has various health benefits such as providing the body its required dosage of calcium. It was traditionally served as a welcome drink in South Indian households in clay pots. Tell us what is more simplistic and charming than being served with a spicy buttermilk based drink in a kulhar on a hot summer day?
Piyush
Image Credit: Flickr
As lovely as its name this sweet drink is a Mahrashtrian specialty. Made from shrikhand and dahi this blend is a dessert come sweet drink rolled into one. More popularly known as shreekhand milkshake it also combines the goodness of milk and saffron giving it a royal flair. A Gujarati favourite, piyush is commonly served in restaurants and roadside dhabas across Ahmedabad and all across Gujarat during the hot months.
Gondhoraj Ghol
Image Credit: pixabay
It tastes as exotic as it sounds and this Bengali staple is a must try if you a yoghurt fan. In a true blue Bengali tradition of giving surprising twist to flavours, the tanginess of dahi is teased with a sprinkling of gondhoraj lemon from the region. The big lime from the region is a potent salad ingredient but its sweet, tarty tastes wonderfully enhances the dahi based drink. A must try whether you are in Kolkata or not.
Read Also: What Makes Aam Panna The Ultimate Summer Drink?
