Summer season can be really hard on us. The rising temperature, scorching heat and uncontrolled sweat often lead to several health issues, including indigestion and bowel problems. And let's agree, none of us would want our tummy to be irritated during an already tough weather. What do you do then? If you ask us, we tweak our diet and include loads of cooling foods to stay healthy and hydrated. Of course, dahi tops our list! A potent probiotic, dahi not only helps keep the tummy cool, but also aids digestion, metabolism and formation of healthy gut bacteria for overall nourishment. We love having dahi in different forms during the summer. We enjoy it as is, make kadhi and also drink it in form of lassi and chaas. And the variety of lassi and chaas we get around fascinates us the most.
We thought of exploring the variety of lassi and chaas available across India and abroad. We noticed that every place has its unique yogurt-based drink for summer that comes with local modifications. During the search, we came across an interesting drink named Ayran. It is basically a Turkish yogurt drink that looks and tastes quite like lassi.
About Ayran - A Turkish-Style Lassi For Summer:
As per several reports, Ayran, a popular drink from the Middle-Eastern region, is considered the national drink of Turkey. It is light, soothing and helps beat the scorching heat of the region. You will find a similar drink in Iran, called 'doogh'. Ayran is usually made with dahi, sea salt and water, and topped with mint for added flavours. Some people also replace water with soda and sea salt with common salt. Then you will find recipes that include mint powder, alongside fresh mint. Ayran is usually paired with meat curry, haleem, kebab and more. Ayran works like a palate cleanser with these dishes.
Also Read: Drink Up! We Bet These 7 Unique Lassi Recipes Will Make Your Day
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What Makes Ayran A Popular Turkish Drink:
As mentioned earlier, Ayran is considered the national drink of Turkey. One of the reasons for its popularity is the benefits the drink brings along. Let's take a look at some of the major benefits of the Turkish drink Ayran.
Here're 5 Health Benefits Of Turkish Ayran:
1. Boosts Digestion:
The drink includes dahi and mint, both of which are enriched with antioxidants, promoting digestion and metabolism. Besides, the drink also helps flush out toxins and aids overall gut health.
2. Cooling Effect:
Lassi has high water content and mint has the essential oil menthol. Both these ingredients have major cooling effects on your overall health. This further makes Ayran a great drink to add to your summer diet.
3. Prevents Dehydration:
Dahi has high water content that helps keep up the water balance in the body. This not only helps you stay cool during summer, but also helps prevent dehydration due to excess sweating.
4. Aids Weight Loss:
The nutrients in yogurt helps lessen the fat content in the body through proper digestion and bowel movement. Besides, it helps keep up electrolyte balance in the body, aiding weight loss and improved immunity.
5. Promotes Skin Health:
Both dahi and mint are considered a great sources of vitamin C and antioxidants. While vitamin C helps keep up the glow on your skin, antioxidants help purify the blood, leading to nourishment.
5-Minute Summer Drink Recipe: How To Make Turkish Ayran?
There is more than one way to make the drink. You can also customise the ingredients as per your choice. Traditionally, you need to churn dahi and water manually to prepare the drink. But the process can be tedious at times. Hence, here we bring you the simplest recipe that can be prepared in not more than five minutes. All you need to do is, add yogurt, water and salt in a blender and blend. Then pour it in a glass, top with ice cubes and mint leaves and serve chilled. Click here for the detailed recipe.
Try it today and let us know how you liked it.