Dhungari Hui Chaach (Smoked Buttermilk)

A cool and refreshing drink prepared with lightly spiced buttermilk, the mint leaves add an additional flavor from the regular chaach and it is given a dhungar with live coal, pure ghee with cumin seeds which further imparts a smoky flavor.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Refrigeration Time: 15 minutes

Cuisine-Rajasthani

Serves- 04 pax.

Ingredients and Quantity:
Curd, chilled- 500 gm
Green chillies- 01 no./ or more as desired

Mint leaves, chopped- 1/4^th bunch

Coriander leaves, chopped- a few sprigs
Ginger- 05 gm.
Salt- To Taste
Rock salt- 02 gm.
Cumin powder- 02 gm.
Water-900 ml or as required

For the Tempering:
Oil- 05 ml
Asafoetida –a pinch
Mustard seeds- 02 gm.

For the Dhungar:
Bay leaf-02 mos.
Coal, live-02 nos.
Pure ghee- 08gm.
Cumin Seeds-01gm.

Coal- 02 pieces

Clarified butter- 01 tsp.

For the Garnish:
Coriander leaves- 1/4th cup
Mint leaves- ¼ th cup

Other Ingredients:

Ice cubes: as required

Method:
Whisk the curds add crushed green chillies and ginger.

Add chopped  mint leaves and coriander leaves.
Add salt, rock salt, cumin powder and water.
Blend all the ingredients using a blender.
Now take a pan and heat oil in it.
Once it is hot add asafoetida and mustard seeds.
As the mustard seeds start cracking remove from the flame and pour on top of the buttermilk.
For Dhungar, take another utensil and a small steel bowl, place a bay leaf, on it place pieces of live coal and pour hot ghee over it, add cumin seeds and cover immediately with a lid to prevent the smoke from escaping. The bowl with coal is then removed from the utensil (Keep aside) and Chaach is poured over it immediately, swirling it around so it captures the smoky flavor / aroma.

Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Add the  ice cubes and serve chilled garnished with chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves.

Chef Tips:

1. Curd and water used to make chaach should be very cold.
   2.”Dhungar”
   Dhungar (Smoked) is a technique of imparting a smoky flavour to a dish, when a particular dish has finished cooking, a live coal is taken and pure ghee is poured on it, when it starts to smoke this is put in the pot, the smoke from the coal must be trapped in the pot by tightly closing the lid. The smoke thus trapped for about 25 to 30 minutes, permeates the cooked food / beverage.
   Occasionally the Dhungar flavour is enhanced by first sprinkling spices on the live coal such as Cumin Seeds, Cloves or Cardamom -Green or Black on the live coal and then adding pure ghee and covering it. The spices / flavourings used while giving dhungar varies according to the recipe.