Chaas (spiced buttermilk) has been the post-meal digestive drink in Indian households for centuries, and modern nutrition science now has a clear explanation for why it works so well for weight management. The probiotic bacteria in chaas — primarily Lactobacillus acidophilus — reshape the gut microbiome, and emerging research consistently shows that a diverse, healthy gut microbiome is linked to lower body weight, less fat storage, and better insulin sensitivity.
A glass of spiced chaas has only 40-50 calories yet creates real fullness through the combination of liquid volume, protein from curd, and digestive spices that calm the gut. This recipe uses jeera, ajwain, and fresh ginger — all three stimulate digestive enzyme secretion, reduce bloating, and improve gut motility. Replacing a mid-afternoon snack or post-lunch sweet with a glass of this chaas can quietly cut 200-300 calories from your day without any willpower required.
Ingredients
How to Make It
Add the curd to a tall glass or a deep vessel. Pour in the cold water.
Whisk vigorously with a hand whisk or traditional churning stick (mathani) until completely smooth and frothy. The traditional churning creates a lighter, more aerated chaas — worth the extra 30 seconds.
Add grated ginger, green chilli if using, roasted jeera powder, crushed ajwain, black salt, and a tiny pinch of hing. Stir well.
Add chopped coriander and mint leaves.
Taste and adjust. More black salt for depth, more jeera for smokiness, more ginger for a kick.
Serve over ice cubes in summer. Drink at room temperature during monsoon or cold weather — cold chaas during these seasons can slow digestion.
Nutrition per serving
* Approximate values per serving
Health Benefits
Chaas works for weight management through several pathways. The probiotic bacteria shift the gut microbiome toward bacterial strains associated with leanness, reducing the Firmicutes dominance linked to weight gain. These bacterial changes affect short-chain fatty acid production, which in turn regulates fat storage hormones. Jeera contains thymoquinone and cuminaldehyde, which stimulate bile production (improving fat digestion) and modestly slow fat absorption. Ajwain contains thymol, a digestive enzyme stimulant that reduces the bloating that often accompanies weight-loss diets — important because discomfort discourages people from sticking with healthy eating.
Pro Tips
- →Churn the chaas properly rather than just stirring — a properly churned chaas is frothy and light; roughly mixed chaas is thicker and less refreshing. The frothiness genuinely changes the drinking experience.
- →Homemade curd gives superior probiotic count over commercial low-fat yogurt, which may have reduced live cultures after pasteurisation. Home-set curd (8-10 hours at room temperature) has billions of active bacteria per spoon.
- →Drink chaas with or right after lunch, not as a standalone snack between meals — its digestive benefits are greatest when it accompanies a meal.
- →In summer, add a few drops of rose water or a pinch of dried rose petals — cooling, aromatic, and the polyphenols in rose are a bonus.
Variations
- 1Pudina chaas: Double the mint and add ½ tsp lemon juice — intensely refreshing and especially good for digestion in summer.
- 2Haldi chaas: Add ¼ tsp turmeric for anti-inflammatory benefit — the fat in curd improves curcumin absorption significantly.
- 3Sattu chaas: Add 1 tbsp sattu along with the spices for a high-protein post-workout drink — 10g protein in 100 calories.
