It’s summer, take a chill pill: Classy Lassi

This drink is so simple yet very effective in cooling down your body in summer. Given the temperature conditions, it is no surprise that it is prevalent all over India with some variations. This drink regulates your digestive system, relieves constipation, reduces the risk of heat stroke tremendously, cures blisters you get in your mouth and tongue during summers. For centuries, this has been and still is a home remedy in India for most of the heat-related health issues. In this article, I will be discussing a sweet and a savory version of this drink.

Lassi (sweet): This drink is very common in Northern part of India, predominantly in Punjab state. Take a cup of plain yogurt/curd in a blender/mixie jar. Add half a cup of water. It is not rocket science. We are just making buttermilk from Yogurt. The amount of water really depends on the consistency you want. Add 2-3 teaspoons of sugar. Take a cardamom/Elaichi (Indian spice), crack it open, add just the seeds and not the skin. The skin won’t ruin the taste, but it will be very annoying to drink. You have to spit out the pieces of skin for every sip. Add few (about 3-4) drops of vanilla extract. Blend everything in a blender and the drink is ready. The variations are infinite. You can also add fresh fruits like strawberry, mango and pineapple while blending to give it an extra kick.

Lassi (savory): This is very common in southern part of India, predominantly in Tamilnadu state. It is not called ‘Lassi’. It is called as ‘Neer More’ (translated as diluted buttermilk). It has the same health benefits mentioned above. If you really don’t have a sweet tooth, you might like this version. Again, the dilution ratio depends on the consumer. But instead of adding sugar and vanilla essence, add some salt, a small piece of ginger, a small green chilly, cilantro and/or curry leaves (which are available in Indian stores). If you don’t want the hassle of going to an Indian store, you can skip curry leaves. Blend everything in blender.

In both the versions, you can pretty much customize anything and you can fine tune it to your taste. You can drink it anytime of the day. You can also drink it with a meal like coffee or iced tea. Try this drink and post your experiences/suggestions in this blog.




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