Cheese

Sweet Lassi with Rose Water

August 10, 2015
4
2 Ratings
  • Makes 2
Author Notes

The basics of making lassi are simple: You start with a good-quality tangy yogurt that’s unsweetened and unflavored and blend it with spices and fruit of your choice. You'll see recipes that call for milk, but I stick with tradition and add only ice-cold water to the yogurt. When milk is added (which I don’t recommend), I feel you’re crossing into the grey zone where the drink becomes more of a yogurt-based smoothie rather than an actual lassi. You also don’t need to use Greek yogurt since you’ll be thinning the yogurt with water. —Nik Sharma

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
  • 1/2 cup ice-cold water
  • 3 tablespoons white or light brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon rose water (use 1/2 teaspoon for a stronger flavor)
  • A few ice cubes, for serving (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon dried edible rose petals
Directions
  1. Place the yogurt, water, sugar and rose water in a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust sweetness if desired.
  2. Divide the lassi into two tall chilled glasses containing a little ice, if desired. Garnish each glass with half of the rose petals. Serve immediately.

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Nik Sharma is a molecular biologist turned cookbook author and food photographer who writes a monthly column for Serious Eats and the San Francisco Chronicle and is a contributor to the New York Times. His first cookbook, Season: Big Flavors, Beautiful Food, was a finalist for a James Beard Foundation award and an International Association of Culinary Professionals award. Nik resides in Los Angeles, California and writes the award-winning blog, A Brown Table. Nik's new book, The Flavor Equation will be released in October 2020.

1 Review

beejay45 October 19, 2015
This sounds amazing! It's the first time anyone has made lassi sound palatable to me. ;) Thank you. I love rose water so I'm going to follow your recipe exactly. Do you think pandan essence would be a good alternate flavor? I bought a good size bottle and am looking for ways to use it. Thanks, again.