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Buttermilk is created by fermenting the leftover liquid that remains after churning butter from cream. Cultured buttermilk, as it's often called, can be made at home from scratch or bought from commercial stores as well. This fermented dairy product, also known as chaas in India, is loaded with probiotic benefits, proteins, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and vitamins like vitamin B12 (Riboflavin) and B5 (Pantothenic Acid). In addition to this, buttermilk is loaded with several potent antioxidants like vitamin A, vitamin E, selenium and lactic acid bacteria, which help the body in many ways.
The probiotics aid digestion and induce relaxation, and phosphorus acts as a precursor to the sleeping hormone called melatonin. Antioxidants reduce stress in the body and fight damage caused by free radicals, and these nutrients boost immunity.
Buttermilk is beneficial to drink any time of the day. Especially when you drink it a few hours before sleep, it will help you sleep soundly no matter how high the temperature is. Apart from just drinking buttermilk, you can use it in cooking to make something delicious for the night. It's commonly used in cooking and baking to add moisture, flavour, and acidity to recipes. It's also enjoyed on its own or used as a base for salad dressings, marinades, and smoothies.
To know more about what you can make with buttermilk, check out these amazing recipes!
1) Refreshing Mint Chaas
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A soothing glass of chaas infused with the refreshing mint is all you need after a long day of work. To make this chaas at home, you’ll need 1 cup of cultured buttermilk or full-fat yoghurt, two tablespoons mint leaves, ½ green chilli, ½ teaspoon cumin powder, ½ teaspoon black salt, ½ teaspoons black pepper powder, salt and 1 ½ cups of water. Blend all the ingredients until well incorporated, and serve it in chilled. Yes, it's that easy to make.
2) Buttermilk Coleslaw
Adding cultured buttermilk to coleslaw makes it refreshing, creamy, tangy and delightful. Start by preparing simple coleslaw by combining thinly shredded cabbage, shredded carrot, shredded onions, cheese, mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, salt, ground black pepper, granulated sugar and cultured buttermilk. This straightforward recipe can be a great evening snack, a before-bed treat or a side for your dinner.
3) Buttermilk Pudding
Cultured buttermilk gives a pleasant, savoury flavour to sweet pudding. It takes only six ingredients to make this pudding. In a medium bowl, whisk three egg yolks. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine two tablespoons of cornstarch and 1/3 cup plus one tablespoon of sugar. Gradually whisk in 1 cup of heavy cream, ensuring there are no lumps, then whisk in 1 cup of buttermilk. Heat the mixture until thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Gradually whisk the hot mixture into egg yolks to temper, then return to the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. Pour pudding into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Chill for several hours. Serve with fruit sauce or cookies.
4) Buttermilk Pancakes
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The addition of cultured buttermilk to pancakes makes them fluffy and more soft when compared with baking soda. Also, buttermilk imparts a subtle tanginess that adds depth of flavour to the pancakes. To make buttermilk pancakes, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt are whisked together in a bowl and mixed with a wet mixture of r buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla extract along with some butter. The batter is fried on a non-stick skillet from both sides and enjoyed with honey or maple syrup.
5) Buttermilk Dressing For Salads And More
The tartness of buttermilk makes it a perfect ingredient to make salad dressings. You can add it to different fruit and vegetable salads, use it as a dip for fritters and croquettes or as a spread for sandwiches and rolls. To create buttermilk dressing, simply whisk together 2 cups mayonnaise, 2 cups buttermilk, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes, 1-1⁄2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1⁄2 teaspoon salt, 1⁄2 teaspoon celery salt and 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper. And your dressing is ready to serve for dinner or bedtime snacks.
6) Buttermilk Popsicles
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Once you eat buttermilk in the form of popsicles, there’s no going back. It's incredibly easy to make, and one batch can last you for the week! To make this, combine 2 cups of buttermilk (preferably 1% fat), 1 cup of organic heavy cream, 2 cups of simple syrup (made by boiling equal parts water and organic cane sugar with scraped vanilla bean for one minute), and a dash of salt. Stir the mixture well until fully combined. Pour the mixture into popsicle moulds and freeze for at least 5 hours. These creamy and flavorful popsicles are perfect for cooling off on hot days!
