Charaka Acharya, a revered figure in Ayurveda, posits that Ayurvedic buttermilk, or takra, aids in cleansing and purifying the intricate channels within our body that deliver nutrients to our cells.
Even though Ayurvedic buttermilk is derived from yogurt, its characteristics significantly alter once it transforms into takra.
Furthermore, the act of blending while preparing buttermilk enhances agni, or the digestive fire.
Takra, in essence, is a beverage prepared using yogurt, water, and a mix of digestive herbs and spices.
The ratio of yogurt to water in its preparation is 1:4, followed by a blending process. This can be done in a blender or by shaking the mixture in a jar.
Blending helps separate the fat from the yogurt, which appears as frothy bubbles atop the takra.
One can remove this fat using a spoon or by straining the takra through a sieve.
It’s up to personal preference whether to remove all, some, or none of the fat.
The live cultures present in the yogurt serve as probiotics, greatly benefiting gut health. This highly digestible drink promotes metabolism, aids in the digestion of fats, supports hydration due to its high electrolyte content, restores healthy appetite, revives colon intelligence, and provides relief from constipation, gas, and hemorrhoids.
The quantity of fat you choose to retain in takra can be guided by your dosha.
For KAPHA individuals or those with a sluggish, weak, or slow metabolism (manda agni), takra with all the fat removed, being the lightest, is most beneficial.
VATA individuals, on the other hand, would find takra with none of the fat removed most suitable as fat provides grounding and soothing effects for them.
Regular consumption of buttermilk may lead to constipation. This can be countered by adding a bit of fresh lemon juice.
For PITTA individuals who generally possess strong digestion and can handle heavier foods but not large amounts of fat, takra with a moderate amount of fat is ideal.
Generally, takra is warming and is best suited for vata and kapha body types. However, pitta individuals can also enjoy it by incorporating cooling spices like cilantro, mint, and fennel. Pitta recipes are also recommended for use in the summer.
It’s important to distinguish takra from lassi, a well-known yogurt-based drink commonly found in Indian restaurants.
- Lassi is not the same as takra. It contains a greater quantity of yogurt, less water, and the fat isn’t removed.
- Lassi is also typically sweetened with fruits, like in the case of the popular, albeit hard-to-digest, mango lassi. In Ayurveda, fruit and milk are generally considered incompatible.
Ayurvedic buttermilk or takra is the clear liquid produced when cultured cream is blended to create butter, a process I’ve personally employed to make ghee traditionally.
The traditional method to make butter involves churning cultured, creamy yogurt to separate the fat from the liquid.
When we prepare Ayurvedic buttermilk, we essentially separate the butterfat from the yogurt.
The froth and foam skimmed off the top can be gathered and further processed into butter.
The best takra recipes for calming vata or aiding those with indigestion include roasted cumin and salt, coriander and salt, roasted cumin with fresh black pepper and salt, ground ginger with cumin and salt, asafetida with cumin and salt (useful for gas and bloating), ground ginger with cumin and coriander (for gas and bloating), and dry ginger.
For kapha individuals, takra with trikatu, black pepper, pippali and black salt, or fresh mint with black pepper and salt are recommended.
For pitta, takra with sugar, fresh or dried mint, or sugar with fresh mint are suggested.
This article is authored by Dr. Shivani Desai (M D Ayurveda).
