The Yogurt Drink That Cools You Down Better Than Ice Water

Q: What is Mattha Drink?

Mattha, also known as Chaas or Taak, is a staple Indian cold drink that I actually only really learned about now with my mother living here in Canada with me for a couple of months! I used to drink this to beat the crazy New Delhi heatwaves growing up, but when I left my hometown and arrived to Canada, I completely forgot about this beverage. I love it when I’m reintroduced to things I’ve forgotten about! If you want to create a nostalgic experience for someone or try out a new summer tradition, then be sure to put your heart in a glass as part of your Live to Cook one-month challenge! You can get started on your cooking journey for free by signing up to my email newsletter, plus you’ll receive all of my new recipes straight to your inbox!

Q: Can I Use buttermilk?

Sure thing! Buttermilk in India is referred to the same thing as mattha. Basically, mixing yogurt with water here will create the buttermilk. You won’t need to add extra water unless you really want to if you’re using buttermilk instead of yogurt. Got buttermilk instead of yogurt? Then by all means go for it!

✦ Join the Kitchen

This spiced yogurt drink can be prepared in minutes with lots of different flavor varieties! I’ll give you all the ideas later on in this post, so be sure to check it out!

Mattha is adored by Indians when it’s blazing hot outside. It was a favourite of mine but I hadn’t had it in so many years. I really thank my mom for reintroducing mattha to me, and I’m excited to share this unique cold drink recipe while it’s still hot and sunny here in Canada!

To follow along with your new favourite drink for summer, be sure to watch the video. It would mean a lot to me if you would subscribe to my YouTube channel if you haven’t already, and be sure to press the bell button to be notified when all of my new recipes are live! Let’s get started!

What is Mattha Drink?▼

Mattha, also known as Chaas or Taak, is a staple Indian cold drink that I actually only really learned about now with my mother living here in Canada with me for a couple of months! I used to drink this to beat the crazy New Delhi heatwaves growing up, but when I left my hometown and arrived to Canada, I completely forgot about this beverage. I love it when I’m reintroduced to things I’ve forgotten about! If you want to create a nostalgic experience for someone or try out a new summer tradition, then be sure to put your heart in a glass as part of your Live to Cook one-month challenge! You can get started on your cooking journey for free by signing up to my email newsletter, plus you’ll receive all of my new recipes straight to your inbox!

Why You’ll Love This Easy Mattha!

THREE ingredient recipe! (not including water!)
Fast to make
Refreshing and hydrating
Customizable
Nutritious
Kid-friendly

do I Need A Blender to Make Mattha?▼

Nope, a blender is not necessary to make the drink itself! You can easily mix everything together in a large bowl or in your serving glass! You could use a blender if you want to blend ice with the drink, but as a personal preference I don’t. However, we will use a blender in order to grind up the freshly roasted cumin seeds.

Is Mattha healthy?▼

Yes, this Indian yoghurt drink is indeed healthy! Yogurt is excellent for your digestive system because of its probiotics, and it’s full of calcium for strong bones and teeth.

Can You Drink Mattha Every Day?▼

Why not! You’ll save some time if you make a large batch of the freshly ground cumin, but even if you roast and grind the cumin seeds fresh every time, this process isn’t too long!

While this drink is typically enjoyed in the summer to cool you down, I always say that there’s no specific time of the year to enjoy your favourite food or drink! You’re probably inside while you’re drinking this (though I do recommend sitting outdoors in the summer with your mattha!), so even if you’re having mattha in the winter, you can always be cozy inside!

Can I Use buttermilk?▼

Sure thing! Buttermilk in India is referred to the same thing as mattha. Basically, mixing yogurt with water here will create the buttermilk. You won’t need to add extra water unless you really want to if you’re using buttermilk instead of yogurt. Got buttermilk instead of yogurt? Then by all means go for it!

Is Mattha the Same as Lassi?▼

While there are definitely. Mattha is made with yogurt and water, and it is always spiced. Furthermore, the texture of mattha is thin and runny. On the other hand, a lassi is like a smoothie, thick and viscous. Lassis can be either sweet or spiced. As you see in the picture below, on the left is a Plain Lassi prepared for my wife because mattha just isn’t for her tastebuds!

Two glasses of mattha on a wooden board: plain yogurt drink on left, spiced version with cinnamon on right.

Tools Needed to Make Mattha

Ingredients for Indian-Spiced Yogurt Drink

This ingredient list is so short and simple that you can prepare Mattha any time! For individual ingredient quantities and to save the recipe for later, scroll to the bottom of this post or press the “Jump to Recipe” button for the FULL PRINTABLE recipe card. You can also scale the recipe based on how many glasses you want to make - all ingredient quantities are automatically adjusted!

Ingredients for mattha displayed on wooden board: Astro yogurt container, bowl of ground spices, and glass bowl of cumin seeds.

Plain yogurt: I recommend you use full fat plain yogurt. My favourite yogurt is the Balkan yogurt by Astro, and I get it full fat. This has an even better flavor than Indian yogurt, and I use this yogurt in everything - from marinades to dips, such as my Cucumber Raita or Mint Cilantro Chutney. As I describe in my Make Cooking Fun! free guide to get creative and exploring your potential in the kitchen, if you’ve got vanilla yogurt or Greek yogurt or some other type of yogurt, these should all work fine! Use whatever yogurt you have on hand (or buttermilk if you have it!) and experiment to see what gives the tastiest mattha for you.
Cumin seeds: They’ll be roasted and freshly ground to give an incredible aroma and flavor to the mattha.
Salt: Always to taste.
Water: As needed to give you the texture of mattha you’d like.

How to Make This Easy Mattha Recipe

Roast cumin seeds on a pan on low heat. Keep stirring until they turn brown in color.

Roasting cumin seeds in a pan on low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon until golden brown.

Cumin seeds being roasted in a gray pan on low heat, turning golden brown in color.

Allow the roasted cumin seeds to completely cool down. When cooled down, grind them up into a powder. Store and keep any extra powder in a cool, dry place.

Roasted cumin seeds being ground in a blender with a white blade visible against the brown seeds.

Blender pitcher containing yogurt drink mixture being blended with ice and roasted cumin powder.

If making a large batch of mattha, add the yogurt into a mixing bowl. Add salt and the cumin powder and whisk well.

Yogurt whisked with salt and cumin powder in a glass bowl for mattha recipe.

Yogurt with cumin powder and salt whisked together in a glass bowl, ready to be thinned with water.

Yogurt mixed with roasted cumin powder and salt in a glass bowl with a whisk.

Add water as desired to thin out the drink.

Whisking yogurt, salt, and cumin powder together in a bowl to make mattha, creating a foamy mixture.

Serving Suggestion

Distribute the mattha in serving glasses or in a tall glass jar or bottle. Garnish with a sprinkle of freshly ground cumin and fresh herbs if desired! Enjoy!

Two glasses of creamy mattha yogurt drink with visible spice garnish on a wooden board.

Tips for a Satisfying Mattha

Keep stirring the cumin seeds until they are roasted evenly and brown.
Roasting the cumin seeds will provide a more intense cumin flavor due to natural release of oils in the spice. You can use ice cold water or room temperature water, depending on what temperature you want the drink.
For a small amount of roasted cumin seeds, you can roast them over a tava pan (what is used to make flatbreads).
Store any extra roasted cumin seeds in a glass spice jar.
Make your own yogurt if you’re very ambitious! This would be done with boiled milk and yogurt.
Add more or less water depending on how thick you want the mattha.
If you have roasted cumin powder on hand, you can use this to save some steps and time.
Add ice cubes for an even colder beverage.
If you’re making a single glass, you can whisk the ingredients together directly in your serving glass. However, if making a big batch, it’ll be easier to mix in a mixing bowl and then distribute the drink evenly.
Experiment with different spice and flavour combinations in addition to different textures and temperatures to customize the mattha specifically for you!

Two glasses of mattha yogurt drink on a wooden board; one plain with milk, one topped with cinnamon powder.

Variations of Mattha

Masala: Add some other spices to the yogurt, such as black salt or black pepper. You can also add in fresh grated ginger and/or green chilies.
Boondi: You can top your mattha with boondi, which are small besan (chickpea flour) balls.
Herb: Add in fresh herbs like mint or cilantro.

Can I make Mattha ahead of time?▼

Sure! It’s really easy to double or triple the recipe and have a big batch on hand. Plus, if you allow it to chill in the fridge, the flavours will have time to absorb in the yogurt and your drink will be very nice and cold!

While the yogurt will likely split from the water, all you’ll need to do to refresh it is to give it a nice shake. Store your mattha in an airtight container or in a mason jar. I wouldn’t recommend keeping mattha in the fridge for more than 3 days due to the splitting.

Other Refreshing Summer Drinks!

Starbucks Iced White Chocolate Mocha

Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments! If you’ve tried this recipe, be sure to post it on social media and tag it with #cookingwithanadi and mention me @cooking.with.anadi. Thank you!

Recipe by Anadi Misra

Refreshing Mattha Recipe - Indian-Spiced Yogurt Drink

Cool down with a refreshing glass of Mattha! This easy Indian-spiced yogurt drink is quick to make, perfectly seasoned, and wonderfully cooling. Get the simple recipe now.

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20 min

Prep

20 min

Total

glasses

easy

Level

Ingredients

Tap any quantity to scale

(3 g) cumin seedsShop →
(80 g) thick yogurt(6% Balkan-style preferred; Greek yogurt also works)
salt(to taste)Shop →
water(as needed)

Instructions

1
Roast cumin seeds on a pan on low heat. Keep stirring until they turn brown in colour.
Roast cumin seeds on a pan on low heat. Keep stirring until they turn brown in colour.
2
Allow the roasted cumin seeds to completely down. When cooled down, grind them up into a powder. Store and keep any extra powder in a cool, dry place.
Allow the roasted cumin seeds to completely down. When cooled down, grind them up into a powder. Store and keep any extra powder in a cool, dry place.
3
If making a large batch of mattha, add the yogurt into a mixing bowl. Add salt and the cumin powder and whisk well.
If making a large batch of mattha, add the yogurt into a mixing bowl. Add salt and the cumin powder and whisk well.
4
Add water as desired to thin out the drink.
Add water as desired to thin out the drink.
5
Distribute the mattha in serving glasses or in a tall glass jar or bottle. Garnish with a sprinkle of freshly ground cumin and fresh herbs if desired! Enjoy!
Distribute the mattha in serving glasses or in a tall glass jar or bottle. Garnish with a sprinkle of freshly ground cumin and fresh herbs if desired! Enjoy!

Nutrition per serving

Calories

Protein

Carbs

Fat

Fiber

Sugar

1207mg

Sodium

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Tested & written in Anadi’s kitchen