India does have its unique beverages and drinks that are both tasty and nutritious. Indian beverage or Indian drink is a significant aspect of Indian cuisine and includes a variety of distinctive and pleasant drinks. Here we have gathered a list of India’s most common native drinks and beverages. So, let’s get started.
Besan Milk/ Besan Doodh
Besan Doodh / Besan Milk is a traditional wintertime beverage in India’s northern states. Since ancient times, besan milk has been a successful cold and cough treatment.
Preparation for making Besan Milk
Heat the ghee in a pan or Kadai, and then add the besan. Roast the besan for 4-5 minutes over medium heat until it turns light brown and fragrant. Fry for yet another minute after adding turmeric. Add a little more milk and stir well to avoid lumps before adding the rest. Allow it to boil for another 4-5 minutes. Finally, include the black pepper powder, dried ginger powder, saffron threads, and almonds. Let it boil for 3-4 minutes more. Milk will start to thicken. Continue scraping the edges in between. When finished, turn off the heat and stir in the jaggery. Serve immediately and enjoy your drink.
Lassi
This Indian drink is prepared with plain yoghurt and additional flavorings. There are several lassi varieties, which can be sweet, salty, or fruity. Lassi provided a refreshing relief from the scorching summer heat of Punjab. While Sweet Lassi was more of a morning beverage, Salted Lassi was thinner and served throughout the day, including with meals.
Preparation of making Lassi
A strong blender is useful because we’re utilizing a lot of ice. Regular blenders may require you to break the ice with the milk partially. Blend the items in a blender until there is no longer ice. Blend for a shorter duration of time if you want to preserve some of the ice chunks. The top will naturally turn foamy. Taste and adjust for sweetness, tartness with yoghurt, and cooling with ice. Pour into two extensive drinks or three to four small glasses. And enjoy your refreshing Lassi that can be made easily at home.
Strawberry Coconut Lassi
Strawberry Coconut Lassi is a refreshing take on a basic yoghurt drink made with juicy strawberries and creamy coconut milk. Coconut milk replaces yoghurt in this dish. You blend fresh strawberries with ice, buttermilk, unsweetened coconut milk, and sugar. A cold glass of luscious Lassi will provide quick energy and pleasant vibes for the summer. So let’s see how it’s prepared.
Preparation of making Strawberry Coconut Lassi
First, wash and clean the strawberries. Remove the leaves and split them in half. Pour the glass, top with a few ice cubes, and serve immediately. In a blender, combine fresh strawberries and cooled milk and mix until smooth. Then add sugar and cooled yoghurt and whisk till frothy, and then pour a cold glass of strawberry lassi and enjoy.
Masala Chai
A hot cup of masala tea, whether in the morning or the evening, is a basic drink for all Indians and is essential to wake up and stimulate the body. You can have it with hot samosas or pakode for a beautiful snack meal.
Preparation of making Masala Chai
In a pot, put the spices such as cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, and star anise in equal parts and then combine the roasted ingredients to make a powder. Combine the ground mixture and the additional ingredients in a wok filled with boiling water. Stir and bring to a boil. Serve hot and enjoy it with biscuits or snacks that you love.
Thandai
Thandai is a traditional Indian refreshing beverage made with milk, almonds, and spices. It’s a lovely beverage to make, particularly in the summertime in India. So let us glimpse how it is prepared.
Preparation of making Thandai
To prepare Thandai, combine almonds, peppercorns, poppy seeds, cardamom, fennel seeds, and watermelon seeds in a paste. This spice and nut mixture combines milk, sugar, saffron, and rose water, aside from the spices-nut mixture with the milk for about 1 hour to allow the milk to absorb all of the flavours. Since we will eventually filter the combination, the milk must absorb the flavours first. Thandai is best served cold.
Royal Falooda
It comprises various components: milk, jelly cubes, ice cream, rose syrup vermicelli, and ice cream. Basil seeds are added to make it more pleasant and healthful. Falooda, when consumed after a spicy meal, aids digestion and cools the body.
Preparation of making Royal Falooda
Bring a pot of water to a mild boil before adding the vermicelli – wide varieties of vermicelli are available, so make sure the ones you choose suit Falooda. Allow the vermicelli to simmer for 3 minutes before draining and rinsing with cool water, aside from the basil seeds, in a small bowl of cold water for at least 10 minutes. In a separate small dish, combine the rose syrup and cool milk and stir until completely dissolved. Pour a tablespoon with rose syrup, then place it at an angle to the side of the glass, allowing the syrup to flow gently as you spin the glass – this step is optional and only for decoration.
Pour the basil seed mixture into the glass, followed by the vermicelli – the number of basil seeds and vermicelli in each glass may be adjusted to suit your tastes. Drop a spoon of vanilla ice cream into the glass, followed by the rose syrup mixture, and then repeat with the remaining ingredients. Enjoy a hot summer day with a sprinkle of rose syrup!
The Bottom Line
We hope that you found our list of healthy Indian traditional drinks useful. Hopefully, you will be able to make these healthy and delicious drinks at home as well. Those who are interested in making food and learning different cooking styles can follow the “Spicyum” page for more recipes like these. The Spicyum page consists of all Indian dishes and some Indian beverages like this. Check them out and give them a go to start your cooking journey!