Neer Mor | Majjige | South Indian Buttermilk

During peak summer the mercury soars to 38 degrees C on a worst day. Yet it wouldn’t stop me from going out, either taking my daughter for her swimming classes or to a market. After soaking in the sun for hours we(me and my kiddos) return home with a deep tan on my skin. First thing I want to do after returning home is quench my thirst. Neer mor (or majjige as called in kannada or Chas in hindi) is what I prefer to drink. I store bottles of mor/buttermilk in fridge and drink it through out the day. In earlier days this refreshing drink was offered to visitors to refresh them during those sweltering summer months. This refreshing spiced buttermilk/neer mor cools you down during the hot summer days.

Traditionally neer mor is made by churning curd/yogurt in a clay pot using a hand churner. After a long churning process, butter is separated from the curd and a thin liquid is left out. The fat or butter is scooped off and the thin liquid is seasoned and served as butter milk. In this recipe I have used a blender to churn the curd, if you have time you can try the traditional method.

Buttermilk is common is almost all house hold, and there are various ways to make them. I make about 5 different types of buttermilk. This is just a guide for spiced buttermilk which is very common.

 

Here’s a guide to Neer Mor recipe

Ingredients:-

Curd/Yogurt – ½ cup
Water – 2-3 cups(depends on your consistency of the curd)
Ice Cubes – few pieces
Salt to taste

To temper-
Oil – ¼ tsp
Mustard seeds – ⅛ tspn
Cumin seeds – ¼ tspn
Curry leaves – 3-4 nos torn into small pieces
For Garnish-
Coriander leaves – 2 tspn(finely chopped)
Green chilies – 1 no(finely chopped)

Instructions:-

1. In a blender add curd, water and ice cubes and pulse for 3-4 minutes until it well combined and you see frothy fat on top. Scoop off the fat with a spoon.

2. In a small pan, heat oil. Add mustard seeds and wait till they crackle. Remove the pan from stove and add cumin seeds and curry leaves and allow them to crackle.

3. Pour this into the buttermilk,add the garnish and stir well.

4. Serve them in clay pot if you have. You can refrigerate this buttermilk for 1 or 2 days. Drink it every time you feel thirsty and feel refreshed! 😀
My Notes-
1. You can add ginger pieces and hing(asafoetida) while tempering. I avoided as I dont like raw ginger bites.
2. You can grind green chilies and add it to the drink to make it really spicy buttermilk.