Pachamoru, no Keralite can ever say ‘no’ to this ever loving traditional drink. Keralites use this healthy thirst quencher butter milk during summer and also as a part of sadya / feast. This traditional drink is the first thing offered to guests in olden days on visit to a house in order to make them fresh and also to cool their body.
It is very simple to make, even a small kid can make it in minutes. As far as I remember, this was an everyday drink in my grand mom’s house where we owned many cows and so made curd in large quantity and naturally there was no limit for this drink. In films I saw several times the ‘karanavar’ / the head of the family asking his wife, ‘ini kurachu sambharam aavam’.. hehe. It means, ‘now I can have some spiced butter milk’ especially during the middle of the day. This scene from the film comes to my mind whenever I make sambharam. I am very sure that you all will love this quencher.
In different parts of India, this drink is made with lots of variations and call them in different local names like ‘Chaas’ in some states of North India and Lassi in some other states of North India. In Kerala we call them Pacha moru or morum vellam and ‘neer moru’ in Tamil Nadu. People sell this drink on road sides in small stalls. When I was doing my M.Ed. course years back in Chennai, myself and friends used to have this drink from the University compound, during our break time, where small vendors sell it. We also had tender coconut drink from these vendors. It is such a nostalgic memory I keep.
This healthy drink helps in digestion. It can be a bit hot by adding chillies and ginger, flavourful by adding curry leaves. All together we can say that this tangy drink is an energy booster too.
Here I am sharing my mom’s way of making this drink. Just enjoy with this super yummy summer drink.
Sour Yogurt – 3 cups
Green Chilly (small, sliced, optional) – 3 Nrs.
Ginger (sliced) – 1 ½ ” piece
Shallots (kunjulli, sliced) – 4 or 5
Curry Leaves – 2 sprigs
Salt – to taste
Cold Water – 6 cups
How to Make Buttermilk:
Clean ginger, shallots, green chillies and curry leaves. Separate curry leaves from the stalk. Chop ginger, shallots and green chillies in to small pieces. Crush Green Chilly, Ginger, shallots and one sprig of curry leaves gently in a mortar and pestle. Transfer this to a big bowl. Add salt to this.
Whip the yogurt with a curd beater or a hand blender. Puree until smooth. Pour this yogurt in to the bowl. Keep this aside for some time for flavours to infuse. Add chilled water to this. Mix them well with a spoon or a hand blender. Add one more sprig of curry leaves to this.
Sambharam is now ready for serving. Better to serve it chilled. My Recipe Notes and Tips on Sambharam:
1. You can also use store bought yogurt or butter milk.
2. Adjust the salt and spices as per your taste/ tolerance level.
3. You can blend yogurt in a blender or in a mixer by adding little salt.
4. You can add cucumber pieces along with this which gives a slightly different taste
5. Before pouring this to glasses, stir well with a spoon.
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