Our grandmothers knew a thing or two about thriving in the harsh Indian summer, long before electrolyte sachets and designer smoothies became the norm. Their hydration strategies were simple, seasonal and incredibly smart. Relying on natural collers like buttermilk, tender coconut water, and one truly underrated hero: Ragi Ambli. Made from finger millet and buttermilk, Ragi Ambli is a powerhouse of probiotics, minerals and gut-friendly nutrients that help cool the body from within. As the mercury rises, it's the perfect time to revisit these traditional recipes that worked with, not against the climate.
We spoke to celebrated chefs who grew up drinking Ragi Ambli, all champions of Southern Indian culinary wisdom. They recall how Ragi Ambli was more than just a cooler. It was a ritual, a memory, and a health essential. Whether it was served plain with buttermilk and salt or dressed up with onions, coriander, and a tadka of spices, this humble millet drink was seasonal eating at its best. As millets stage a proud comeback on the global food map, it's time, Ragi Ambli, too, found its way back into thermoses, cafe menus, and our daily routines.
Chef Regi Mathew, Culinary Director & Co-Owner Kappa Chakka Kandhari
"Ragi Ambli is a drink made with finger millet and yogurt and is very popular in Karnataka as well as in northern Kerala - mainly the areas with Konkani influence. This is how our ancestors managed different types of food according to seasons. Eg: Karkkidaka kanji during the rainy season; butter milk and ragi ambili during summer. We used food and seasonal ingredients and customised our eating habits and diets to deal with the various seasons. Ragi Ambli is a savoury drink with multiple health benefits, probiotic, minerals and perfect source of nutrients during the hot summer months. It helps to cool down the body and hydrate and hence is an effective beverage during the season."
Chef Arun Kumar T.R.
“Growing up in Bangalore and spending my holidays in Kerala, summers, though not as intense as these days, nevertheless hot, were times when we were given cooling drinks especially after spending hours playing outdoors. There was of course the natural, ready-made Coconut water that our grandmothers would have their handymen get fresh off the trees. Nothing more refreshing than that! Apart from this, grandmothers had a whole arsenal of traditional summer coolers – natural, effective and often made with just a few ingredients: Neer Mor (Spiced Buttermilk), Panakam / Panagam (Jaggery, water, dry ginger, cardamom, black pepper), Nannari Sarbath (Sarsaparilla root syrup, lime juice,water), Paanakam Pal (Spiced Rice Water / Kanji Vellam), Bael fruit juice and Ragi Ambli (finger millet ragi flour , water, and buttermilk). If there's ever been a grandma-approved, climate-smart, gut-friendly drink, Ragi Ambli it is. Ragi Ambli isn’t just a drink. It’s a cultural memory, a sustainable choice, and a nutritional gift from our ancestors. Today you will find it on the streets of Bangalore dispensed from matkas and often garnished with chopped onions, coriander leaves and pepper. Given the fact that today the millet ragi is considered a superfood, it deserves a modern comeback—maybe in thermos flasks in offices or sold chilled in cafés, just like kombucha.”
Chef Ebaani Tewari, Kari Apla
“My mum used to make a version of Ambli every summer morning—it was our breakfast ritual. Back then, I didn’t realize how smart that was. Now I do. It’s slow food that works hard for your health. Grandmoms along coastal India knew hydration wasn’t just about water, but cooling the body from within, with techniques and ingredients that respected the climate. That’s wisdom we need to bring back.”
Chef Mathew Varghese, Kari Apla
“In the southern states, summer eating has been instinctively smart. Whether it is Ragi Ambli in Karnataka, Koozh (a millet porridge) in Tamil Nadu, or Kerala’s spiced Pacha Moru (buttermilk), our grandmothers knew these weren’t just comfort foods, they were functional. Ragi cooled the system, buttermilk rehydrated, and a simple tadka of mustard seeds, curry leaves, and hing turned it into a powerhouse for the gut. Today, we’re finally circling back and bringing these to our tables – not as relics, but as everyday staples that make sense in today’s climate.”
Chef Naren Thimmaiah, Karavalli
"Ragi is one of the main crops grown in the plains of Karnataka. One of the main reasons why Ragi is popular in Karnataka is because it is grown in the plains where rainfall is comparatively less to Southern Karnataka and Ragi crop does not need much water to grow.
As per the ethos of the populace eating what grows in the region, Ragi is the mainstay of the food habits of this region. Apart from eating it as a main meal in the form of Ragi muddle with local leafy curry or the meat curries, Ragi Ambli is the drink which keeps people hydrated throughout the day. This is a healthy and nutritious drink made by using key ingredients of Ragi powder, buttermilk and salt. Addition of chopped coriander or ginger is optional.
The reason why it is healthy is because of the nutrients, fiber, calcium, and probiotics present in this drink. It is also low in glycemic levels which helps in managing diabetic levels. This is good for digestion purposes and has cooling properties. These are the very reasons mothers insist to add this drink in the food habits of the family specially during summer. What is helping the cause is the heightened level of awareness on the advantages of using millets and its health benefits. Apart from the cooling Ragi Ambli made with buttermilk during the summer, mothers switch to Ragi Malt, where they bring Ragi powder to boil in milk by adding little sugar or Jaggery and give nourishing Ragi Malt to the family. Now with Ambli and Malt in place, dessert can’t be far behind! We at Karavalli have this most popular healthy dessert, Ragi Manni which is a super cooler dessert from the Mangalore region. This absolute vegan dessert by the method of preparation where we cook the sieved Ragi flour with a hint of cardamom powder in coconut milk and allow to set in molds to get a chilled refreshing dessert. A must try for a healthy dessert in Karavalli!
This is a best case of humble local drink finding its place among stars of the healthy superfoods! So the question of whether Ragi Ambli deserves a comeback this summer is a no brainer…IT SHOULD like every year!"