Spiced beverage
In most konkani households it is customary to offer guests the choice of kashaay as a beverage along with tea or coffee. The kashaya piTTo (powder) is usually made and stocked in airtight containers for a few months at a time. The base ingredients are coriander seeds and jeera and some saunf. Other ingredients like pepper or methi can also be added according to individual taste. I like the taste of saunf and hence I add it generously. This kashaya has a soothing effect on the body and also aids in digestion and needless to add it tastes yummy. People prefer to drink this over tea or coffee especially in the evenings.
Ingredients
To make kashaaya piTTo (powder)
- Whole coriander seeds - 1 cup
- Whole jeera - half cup
- Whole saunf - half cup (or less)
To make kashaay
- kashaaya piTTo
- Milk and water
- sugar
Method
- To make the kashaya piTTo, dry roast the ingedients on a low flame, one ingedient at a time till you get a nice aroma.
- Let the ingredients cool down at room temperature and then powder them in a grinder. Store in an airtight container.
- To make the kashaay, to half cup of water, add a spoonful of the kashaya powder, sugar to taste and bring to a boil. Add milk and let it rest for a bit.
- Strain the beverage and serve. You can adjust the quantity of water, milk and sugar according to taste.
Preparation time: 20 minutes