Strawberry lassi

I love lassis... They are the Indian smoothies made with yogurt sometimes flavoured with fresh fruits blended together, one of the best drinks especially for summers. With yogurt's natural cooling properties and delicious flavours of summer fruits, what can ever go wrong???


So, I had this delicious mango lassi the other day at my favourite Indian restaurant downtown. This was my first since I came to UK and I am glad to say I wasn't disappointed. It was the sweet kind (because in India you can also get the savoury lassis which I'm not entirely a fan of, the sweet+savoury combo however is great) with a hint of cardamom in it. This brought back memories of when my mom used to make them for me as an afternoon refreshment. And it also gave me the idea to make my own lassis…

The recipe and method is ridiculously simple… All you need is a blender…

So, for my strawberry lassi I used:

1. 450g fat free yogurt
2. 250g fresh strawberries (about 10 small ones)
3. 50g granulated sugar
4. 1 teaspoon cinnamon
(This recipe serves two medium wine glasses or one whole pint)

Blend everything together in a blender. Pour it up in a glass, add some ice and there you go… Quick and easy fun summer drink ready in minutes.

Alternatively, you can use regular sweetened yogurt, I didn't realise my fat free yogurt was sugar free too (and a bit too sour for my taste) because of which I had to add extra sugar. You can also add honey instead of sugar if you prefer. It is generally a bit thick like a rich smoothie but if you like it thin add a cup (about 50ml) of water.

For vegans, I would advice curdling a non-dairy milk of your own choice (e.g. almond milk with strawberry flavour) by following these easy steps:
-Thicken the milk: a lot of thickeners available in stores such as tapioca flour.
-Culture the thickened milk: adding of the fermenting bacteria. A bit of old vegan yogurt should do the trick or probiotics. Although you will have to experiment with quantity yourself (sorry, I'm not too familiar with this area).
-Set the curd: letting the bacteria do their job (in warm environment, such as under the sun for 6-8hrs)
-Refrigerate: till when you want to use it

And that's it :)

Now have fun making some gorgeous summer fruit flavoured lassis of your own :)


Love always,

JB’s Kitchen