Lassi (Sweet and Salted)
Thick, cooling Punjabi-style yogurt lassi with two easy versions: a sweet one scented with cardamom and rose, and a salted one with roasted cumin and mint. Ready in ten minutes.
Ingredients
Equipment: Blender or hand whisk (madhani), 4 tall glasses, small dry pan for roasting cumin
Method
Dry-roast the cumin seeds in a small pan over medium-low heat for 1 minute, until darker and fragrant. Tip them onto a plate to cool, then grind coarsely.
Make the sweet lassi: put half the yogurt, half the cold water or milk, the sugar, cardamom powder and 4 ice cubes into a blender.
Blend for 30–40 seconds until completely smooth and frothy on top. Taste and add a little more sugar if you like it sweeter, then add the rose water and pulse once.
Pour into two glasses. Spoon the malai over the top and scatter with sliced pistachios.
Make the salted lassi: rinse the blender jug, then add the remaining yogurt, the remaining cold water, salt, most of the roasted cumin, the mint and the remaining ice cubes.
Blend for 30 seconds until smooth and pale green-flecked. Taste and adjust the salt, adding the pinch of black salt if using.
Pour into the other two glasses, dust with the last of the cumin and serve straight away while cold and frothy.
Cooking tips
- Use yogurt that is fresh and mildly tangy. Very sour yogurt makes a sharp lassi that needs a lot of extra sugar.
- For a thicker lassi, use less water and more ice, or hang the yogurt in a muslin cloth for 20 minutes first.
- Chill the yogurt and water well beforehand so the ice does not dilute the lassi too much.
- Blend just until frothy. Over-blending with lots of ice can make it watery.
Substitutions
- Replace the sugar with honey or jaggery powder (gur), stirred in until dissolved.
- Use kewra water instead of rose water, or leave it out.
- Use dried mint (1/2 tsp) or fresh coriander in the salted lassi if you have no fresh mint.
- Swap the pistachios for almonds, or skip the malai for a lighter drink.
Serve with
"Serve the sweet lassi with a Punjabi breakfast of aloo paratha, or as a cooling drink after spicy food. The salted lassi goes well with biryani, kebabs and heavy lunches in hot weather."
Storage
"Best served fresh. Keep leftover lassi (without ice) in a covered jar in the fridge for up to 24 hours."
Reheating
"Do not heat. Shake or stir well before serving, since it will separate slightly, and add fresh ice if needed."
Nutrition per serving, estimated
Estimated from the ingredient list. Values vary with brands and portion size.
You might also cook
PakistaniDoodh Patti Chai
Strong black tea brewed straight in milk, the way it is poured at dhabas across Pakistan. Add cardamom if you like.
PakistaniMasala Omelette
The dhaba-style omelette: eggs beaten with onion, tomato, green chili and coriander, cooked thin and folded.
PakistaniAloo Paratha
Whole-wheat flatbread stuffed with spiced mashed potato and griddled in ghee until crisp in spots.
PakistaniAloo Gobi (Dry-Style Potato and Cauliflower Masala)
A dry, gently spiced curry of potato and cauliflower with cumin, turmeric and fresh ginger. Easy to make in one pan and good with hot roti for a weekday lunch.
Pakistani kitchen
PakistaniMutton Chops Masala (Pressure-Cooked Lamb Chops in Thick Onion-Yogurt Masala)
Mutton chops are marinated, pressure-cooked until soft, then finished in a thick, glossy masala that clings to the bone. A good Sunday dinner with naan or rice.
Tawa Naan (Soft Yogurt Naan Cooked on a Griddle)
Soft, bubbly naan made with yogurt and milk, cooked on a hot tawa or in the oven. A dependable flatbread for karahi, daal and kababs, no tandoor needed.
PakistaniChicken Corn Soup
A thick, gently peppery soup of shredded chicken, sweet corn and silky egg ribbons, in the style of Pakistani Chinese restaurants. Easy to make at home on a cold evening.
Kulcha (Oven-Baked Yogurt Bread with Nigella and Sesame)
Soft, fluffy round breads made with yogurt and milk, topped with nigella and sesame and brushed with butter. They bake in a hot home oven and go well with chanay, daal or any curry.