Recipe: Strawberry Yogurt Lassi

It’s not officially summer quite yet, but the recent temperatures here in New York say otherwise. I decided to take advantage of the early days of strawberry season and cool off with an icy strawberry lassi.

A lassi is a traditional Punjabi drink made with yogurt. The most traditional forms are salty, rather than sweet, and are believed to aid digestion. Sweet lassis often feature mango, sometimes with rosewater. Instead, I whipped up this light and refreshing strawberry lassi to provide some relief on these hot pre-summer days.

For us in NYC, strawberries are in abundance at the Greenmarket, and we can’t get enough of them. So I plopped a pound of strawberries in the blender, along with some organic plain Greek-style yogurt, and a few ice cubes. After a quick whirl, I poured it slowly into a tall glass, then sprinkled it with just a touch of cardamom.

My strawberries were sweet enough that I didn’t need any additional sugar or honey, but feel free to add some if you need to. You can also make this lassi with frozen berries; if you do, omit the ice cubes.

While I’ve had more mango lassis over the years than I can remember, I never thought to make this drink with strawberries. And now having whipped up Nina’s recipe, I’m not quite sure how I overlooked this combination for so long. It’s cool and refreshing, and the combination of flavors make it more interesting than a regular smoothie.

I opted to add honey to my lassi. I was a little worried it might be too sweet, but it wasn’t at all. The extra sweetness was subtle, and proved a nice compliment to the tangy yogurt. And since I really love cardamom, I blended a healthy pinch into my lassi rather than just sprinkling it on as a garnish. If you’re a fan of this spice, I highly recommend following my lead.

– Kelli, June 2015