Nothing quenches thirst like a lassi
Here are tips for making an especially good batch.
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By Zaynab Issa, The New York Times
Imagine gathering around the dining table, stomach empty and throat dry, eyes fixed on the clock as it inches toward the relief of iftar, the fast-breaking evening meal. For Muslims, this — patience, restraint and dreams of the next bite of food — is the daily rhythm of Ramadan, the month of fasting from dawn to dusk, which started Friday evening.
Hydration is especially essential when fasting. But next to the savory, flavorful samosas, kebabs and other salty, rich options at iftar, water feels boring, even if you’re abstaining from it all day.
Homemade lassi is a great alternative. The drink’s origins can be traced back to the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, and it’s been consumed for more than 1,000 years, with good reason. The simple yogurt-based refreshment, blended with sweet or savory ingredients, is versatile, easy to make, and especially ideal for slaking thirst any time of year.
Here are tips for making an especially good batch:
Start with great yogurt
Dahi, an Indian yogurt easily found at South Asian supermarkets, is the ideal choice for both texture and flavor. It’s creamier than more readily available plain, whole yogurt and, while still tangy, it has a subtle sweetness and an almost slightly savory quality. That said, plain whole-milk yogurt will work well. For thicker, creamier yogurt, leave the container in the back of the fridge for a week to separate from the whey. Then measure out the yogurt, leaving the whey behind.
Don’t add water
Originally, lassi was made with water and yogurt poured back and forth between jugs to aerate and blend. Therefore, many recipes will call for thinning the yogurt with water, then chilling it in the fridge. But, blending the yogurt with ice speeds the cooling process and froths the drink, all while adding body.
Try all the varieties
There’s a lassi for everyone, whether your tastes lean sweet or savory.
Salted lassi is one of the most popular styles. Using Himalayan pink salt promotes hydration, but standard kosher or table salt similarly achieves the signature flavor. Black salt, or kala namak, adds a sulfuric flavor. Other additions include cumin seeds and chaat masala. And in South India, curry leaves, fresh cilantro, green chiles and even asafetida, also known as hing, are blended in.
Sweet lassi, in its simplest form, mirrors salted lassi but relies on granulated sugar rather than salt. Aromatic additions like cardamom, rose water, saffron and nuts can enhance the flavor. Fruit lassi often using similar spices as sweet lassi, but adds in fresh or frozen fruit, as in strawberry lassi, or fruit pulp, a common choice for mango lassi.
To make either style, start with a base recipe and adjust, adding different spices, extracts or fruit, or a combination, as desired. Then, let the blender do the work. Since there aren’t many other ingredients at play, start with less of the flavorings than you think you might need, adding more after tasting the first blend.
Drink it cold
One thing is nonnegotiable, though. Lassi is best served chilled, so keep ice and frozen fruit on hand to quickly blend some up at a moment’s notice. And when serving lassi to a crowd, consider chilling the glasses and serving pitchers ahead of time — stainless steel is great choice for maintaining the chill — so everyone, fasting or not, gets a true taste of just how refreshing lassi can be.
Recipe: Salted Lassi
Lassi, a refreshing yogurt-based drink from the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, is often consumed in hot weather as a cooling, hydrating beverage that promotes healthy digestion. Variations abound, but this simple salted version remains beloved. Some salted lassi include kala namak (black salt), which has a more pronounced sulfuric flavor, but standard salt and sea salt are often used as well. Other popular seasonings are cumin seeds (used here) and chaat masala. Using South Asian dahi (yogurt) is ideal for achieving the drink’s classic tart, creaminess. Avoid using Greek yogurt or skyr in its place, as they can be too thick, but if you can’t find dahi, plain whole-milk yogurt will work well.
By Zaynab Issa
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 cups plain whole-milk yogurt, preferably South Asian dahi (see Tip)
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds (see Tip), plus more crushed cumin seeds if desired for serving
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, such as Diamond Crystal, or 1 1/4 teaspoons Himalayan pink salt
- 1 1/2 cups ice (6 ounces)
Preparation
1. Add yogurt, cumin seeds, salt and ice to a blender. Blend, gradually increasing the speed, until smooth. For a thinner consistency, blend in 1 tablespoon of water at a time.
2. Pour into glasses and top with a small sprinkle of crushed cumin seeds, if desired. Serve immediately.
Tips
Whole milk dahi can be found at most South Asian supermarkets.
You can also substitute 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin for the cumin seeds.
Recipe: Strawberry Lassi
Strawberry lassi is a popular variation of lassi, the yogurt-based blended beverage with origins in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent. This refreshing drink is made with frozen strawberries instead of ice to add flavor while keeping it cool. Sugar is the traditional sweetener in lassi, but the maple syrup here adds a subtle earthiness and dissolves quickly while blending. South Asian dahi (yogurt) is ideal for achieving the drink’s characteristic tart creaminess, but plain whole-milk yogurt will also work well. (Greek yogurt and skyr can be too thick for lassi.)
By Zaynab Issa
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 cups plain whole-milk yogurt, preferably South Asian dahi
- 2 to 3 tablespoons maple syrup, depending on desired sweetness
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, such as Diamond Crystal
- 4 green cardamom pods, cracked open, seeds only (see Tip)
- 1 1/2 cups/about 8 ounces frozen whole strawberries
Preparation
1. Add yogurt, maple syrup, salt, cardamom and strawberries to a blender. Blend, gradually increasing the speed, until smooth. For a thinner consistency, blend in 1 tablespoon of water at a time.
2. Pour into glasses and serve immediately.
Tip
You can also substitute 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom for the cardamom seeds.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
