Menthi Majjiga is fenugreek flavored buttermilk, a refreshing summer drink in South India.
This recipe was originally posted in Sept 2016. Republished with new content.
Jump to:
Summer Coolant
Buttermilk is a great summer cooler. Diluted buttermilk cools and hydrates the body. Since ancient times, it is a popular summer drink. In North India it is called chaas. To make it interesting, there are many flavors of chaas and majjiga. One such flavor is menthi majjiga. Other buttermilk/yogurt based summer coolants are daddojannam and dahi vada.
What is Menthi Majjiga?
In Telugu, a South Indian dialect, majjiga is buttermilk and menthi is fenugreek. Menthi majjiga literally means fenugreek buttermilk. In Hindi it is methi chaas.
To prepare, flavor buttermilk with cumin powder and salt. Then temper it with fenugreek, ajwain (carom), mustard seeds, green chilies and curry leaves. This is a very refreshing summer drink as both buttermilk and fenugreek are body coolants.
Menthi majjiga is also a very popular side dish served with rice. Side dish version is thick in consistency, unlike the beverage which has a thin consistency. There are many versions of majjiga side dishes and one of them is a North Indian kadhi. Punjabi kadhi is one the popular kadhi recipes.
Ingredients for flavored buttermilk
Yogurt/buttermilk, fenugreek seeds, cumin are the basic ingredients. Green chilies, cilantro and curry leaves are optional although these enhance the flavor. However, please do use the optional ingredients when preparing it as a side dish.
Children might not like biting on herbs and seeds, so use the optional ingredients as per you family taste. Another option is to use fenugreek powder, as it blends into the drink and avoid biting the seeds when drinking.
Can you make buttermilk at home?
Yes you can. I usually use homemade yogurt or store bought yogurt to make buttermilk at home. Whisk yogurt and dilute it to desired consistency. Since it is so easy to prepare at home, I seldom buy buttermilk.
Is it Kids Friendly?
It depends on child's taste. Fenugreek is bitter in taste and not everyone might like it. My nephews do not like herbs and seeds in their chaas but my friend's children love it. One way to make it kids friendly is to modify the recipe a bit. Use pinch of roasted fenugreek powder instead of seeds. Roasting mellows down the bitter taste of the seeds. Also adjust green chilies accordingly.
Recipe is adapted from 'Cooking at home with Pedatha', cookbook.
📖 Recipe
Menthi Majjiga
Menthi majjiga is a fenugreek flavored buttermilk. It is a refreshing summer drink from South India.
Print Pin RateServings: 2
Calories: 168kcal
Equipment
Whisk
Bowl
Pan for Tempering
Ingredients
Buttermilk
- 1 ½ cups Yogurt I used nonfat homemade yogurt
- 1 - 1 ½ cups Water
- ⅛ tsp. Cumin crushed
- ½ tsp. Salt adjust to taste
- Few drops about ¼ teaspoon Lime Juice
Tempering
- 2 tsp. Oil
- ⅛ tsp. Mustard Seeds
- ⅛ – ¼ tsp. Ajwain / Carom Seeds I used less than ¼ tsp
- ⅛ – ¼ tsp. Fenugreek Seeds
- ⅛ tsp. Cumin Seeds
- Dash of Asafoetida / Hing I didn’t use
- 1 – 2 small Green Chilies chopped (adjust to taste)
- 4 Curry Leaves torn into 2-3 pieces
- 2-3 tsp. chopped Cilantro
Instructions
Take yogurt in a bowl, add water and whisk lightly to make buttermilk.
Add freshly ground cumin powder, lime juice, salt, mix and keep aside.
Take oil in a pan for tempering.
When oil is hot, add mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, ajwain and let the fenugreek seeds turn light brown.
Reduce the flame, add cumin seeds, asafoetida, stir and turn off the flame.
Add curry curry, green chilies, chopped cilantro let the chilies roast in the oil.
Pour it over buttermilk, stir and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- Fenugreek Seeds - Substitute seeds with a pinch of roasted fenugreek powder.
- Herbs - Not everyone likes herbs in their drink. Adjust herbs or skip all together.
- Side Dish - When making a side dish, use thick buttermilk and do not skip the herbs.
Nutrition
Calories: 168kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 655mg | Potassium: 324mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 598IU | Vitamin C: 45mg | Calcium: 250mg | Iron: 1mg
Signup to the newsletter to receive latest updates from MySpicyKitchen.
Source link