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Lassi Recipe (Indian Yogurt Drink)
4.8 from 98 votes

Lassi Recipe (Indian Yogurt Drink)

This Lassi Recipe offers three variations of the traditional Indian yogurt drink: Sweet, Salted, and Masala Lassi. Each blends chilled yogurt with water or milk and distinctive flavorings like cardamom, saffron, black salt, roasted cumin, or nuts. The drink has a smooth, frothy texture and ranges from sweet to savory, suitable as a refreshing accompaniment to meals or as a cooling beverage on warm days.

Prep Time
10 mins
Total Time
10 mins
Servings: 3
Calories: 374 kcal
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

For Sweet Lassi
  • 2 cups curd - cold and fresh (yogurt)
  • 1 cup water or milk - cold or at room temperature
  • 4 to 5 tablespoons sugar or add as per taste
  • 1 teaspoon cardamom powder or 8 to 10 green cardamoms or 1 tablespoon rose water
  • 10 to 12 saffron optional, strands
  • 6 to 8 ice cubes - optional
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons nuts cashews, almonds, pistachios, optional, chopped
For Salted Lassi
  • 2.5 cups curd - cold and fresh (yogurt)
  • 1 cup water - cold or at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon black salt or regular salt or edible rock salt, as required
  • 1.5 teaspoons cumin powder roasted
  • 6 to 7 mint leaves
For Masala Lassi
  • 2 cups curd - cold and fresh (yogurt)
  • 3 to 4 green cardamom seeds crushed in mortar and husks removed
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper crushed
  • 1 to 2 pinches nutmeg or ground nutmeg, grated
  • 2 tablespoons almonds or cashews or pistachios, chopped
  • 10 to 12 saffron optional, strands
  • 5 to 6 tablespoons palm sugar palm jaggery) or jaggery or sugar, chopped
  • ⅓ to ½ cup water - cold or at room temperature, add as required

Instructions

Making Sweet Lassi
    Cup of Yum
  1. In a mortar, take the green cardamom pods and crush them lightly. Remove the husks and crush the seeds to a fine powder.
  2. In a bowl or pan, take fresh chilled curd (yogurt).
  3. With the handheld wooden churner (madani)or blender or wired whisk, simply whisk the curd until it becomes smooth.
  4. Add sugar and cold water. You can also add cold milk instead of water.
  5. The consistency of this lassi is neither thick nor thin. For a thin lassi, add slightly more water and for a thicker version, add less water .
  6. Now churn or beat again with the churner, blender or wired whisk.
  7. Keep on churning or whisking until the sugar dissolves and you see a nice frothy layer on top. You can use an immersion blender for the same. Another way is to add all the ingredients in a blender jar and blend until smooth and frothy.
  8. Now add the crushed cardamom powder and saffron strands. Mix well. Do check the taste and add more sugar if required.
  9. As a substitute for cardamom powder, add rose water. You can skip all the flavoring ingredients, if you don't have any.
  10. Pour lassi in tall glasses and serve. Add a few ice cubes if you prefer. If you want, you can top lassi in each glass with 1 to 2 tablespoons of malai (the thick layer of cream which collects on top of heated milk) or 1 to 2 tablespoons of unsalted white butter (makhan).
  11. Garnish with a pinch or two of cardamom powder, 2 to 3 crushed saffron strands or chopped nuts like cashews, pistachios or almonds. Serve sweet punjabi lassi straightaway.
  12. Note that you could also make lassi in an electric blender, by simply blending all the ingredients - yogurt, sugar, cardamom powder, saffron and water or milk.
Making Salted Lassi
  1. Take the curd and water in a bowl or pan. Season with salt and roasted cumin powder.
  2. To make your own roasted ground cumin, dry roast cumin seeds in a small skillet or frying pan until fragrant. Then crush in a mortar-pestle or grind finely in a spice-grinder.
  3. With a wired whisk blend everything well till smooth. A blender or an immersion blender also works.
  4. Pour the salted lassi in glasses. Garnish with mint leaves. You can add a few ice cubes if you like. If you wish to avoid the ice cubes, then make lassi with chilled yogurt and cold water.
Making Masala Lassi
  1. In a blender take the curd, crushed seeds of the green cardamons, crushed black pepper, grated nutmeg, chopped almonds or cashews or pistachios or a mix of all three nuts.
  2. Add the saffron strands and chopped palm jaggery (palm sugar) or jaggery or sugar. Add water.
  3. Blend until smooth and frothy. Check the taste and add more palm sugar if needed and blend again. Serve straightaway topped with a few saffron strands or chopped nuts.
Serving Suggestions
  1. Serve lassi as a refreshing drink during the daytime or serve it as drink it after any Indian meal.
  2. While serving sweet lassi, garnish with some chopped nuts like pistachios or almonds.
  3. Salted lassi can be topped with fresh mint or coriander leaves and a light sprinkling of roasted cumin powder, red chilli powder (cayenne pepper) or chaat masala.
Storage
  1. Store your leftover lassi it in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days. No need to add ice cubes if you plan to store.

Notes

  • Scale the recipe to make larger quantities as needed by doubling or tripling ingredients.
  • Ensure fresh, cold yogurt that is not sour for the best lassi flavor and texture.
  • Cardamom powder, rose water, and saffron can be used individually or together for sweet lassi flavoring.
  • Adjust water quantity to achieve preferred thickness without diluting the flavor excessively.
  • Alternate sweeteners such as palm sugar, jaggery, or coconut sugar can be used in place of regular sugar depending on taste preference.

Nutrition Information

Calories 374kcal (19%) Carbohydrates 61g (20%) Protein 10g (20%) Fat 11g (17%) Saturated Fat 5g (25%) Cholesterol 32mg (11%) Sodium 123mg (5%) Potassium 444mg (9%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 59g (118%) Vitamin A 244IU (5%) Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 1mg Vitamin B6 1mg Vitamin B12 1µg (42%) Vitamin C 2mg (2%) Vitamin D 1µg (5%) Vitamin E 1mg Vitamin K 1µg Calcium 324mg (32%) Vitamin B9 (Folate) 20µg Iron 1mg (6%) Magnesium 48mg (12%) Phosphorus 260mg Zinc 2mg

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 3 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 374

% Daily Value*

Calories 374kcal 19%
Carbohydrates 61g 20%
Protein 10g 20%
Fat 11g 17%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Cholesterol 32mg 11%
Sodium 123mg 5%
Potassium 444mg 9%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 59g 118%
Vitamin A 244IU 5%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 1mg
Vitamin B6 1mg
Vitamin B12 1µg 42%
Vitamin C 2mg 2%
Vitamin D 1µg 5%
Vitamin E 1mg
Vitamin K 1µg
Calcium 324mg 32%
Vitamin B9 (Folate) 20µg
Iron 1mg 6%
Magnesium 48mg 12%
Phosphorus 260mg
Zinc 2mg

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.