Jaipur New: Local beverages

Thick sweetened yoghurt is churned with saffron, cardamom and a layer of clotted cream, then served in a clay kulhad. The name comes from makhan, the butter-fat layer that sits on top. Jaipur's version is denser than the Punjabi style and eaten with a spoon as much as drunk. Shops sell out by early afternoon in summer.

Black tea is boiled with milk, ginger, cardamom and other spices, then strained and served in glass or clay cups. Jaipur's older stalls brew over coal rather than gas, which changes the body of the tea. Sahu Tea has worked from Chaura Rasta since 1968. Chai is drunk from before dawn until late at night across the city.

Water is infused with roasted cumin, black salt, mint, tamarind and dried mango powder to make a savoury cooler. It is drunk before meals as a digestive and served cold, often with boondi floating on top. The taste is sour and salty rather than sweet. Street versions are stronger on cumin than the bottled ones.

Raw green mangoes are boiled or roasted, then blended with cumin, black salt, mint and sugar to make a tart summer drink. It is taken as protection against heatstroke, a use recorded in Indian households for generations. Colour ranges from pale green to yellow depending on the fruit. Availability is seasonal, running from April to July.

Pulp from the bael or wood apple fruit is blended with milk, sugar and sometimes cardamom. The fruit has a hard shell that has to be cracked open, and the pulp is fibrous and aromatic. Ayurvedic texts record it as a digestive, and it is drunk mainly through the hot months. It is thicker and grainier than a standard milkshake.