SWEET LASSI
INDIA | PAKISTAN | BANGLADESH
Sweet lassi is usually consumed in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh between meals or when guests come to visit. When I was in Pakistan recently, I stopped at a lassi vendor and watched him whisk his lassi with a special wooden implement called a madani, which has a long, thick handle and a round bottom block carved with wings so that when it is twirled inside the drink, it whisks it the same way as if you were using an electric beater. Even though lassi vendors whisk their lassi by hand, they are amazingly quick and efficient at producing a lot of froth, furiously twirling the madani handle in between the palms of their hands with the whisk part inside the bulbous metal lassi jar, spinning one way and the other in quick succession until a thick foam covers the drink, at which point the vendor pours the lassi into either tin or plastic cups. You can also make a sweet lassi with mango, but if you do, be sure to use less sugar than in the classic Indian/Pakistani version. For a savory lassi, omit the sugar and cardamom and, if you want, add a pinch of salt and cumin to the yogurt, and process as below. Or make ayran or doogh; it’s more or less the same.
SERVES 4
2 cups (500 g) sheep yogurt
¼ cup (60 g) raw cane sugar
Seeds from 4 green cardamom pods, coarsely ground
Ice cubes (optional)
Put the yogurt, 1⅓ cups (325 ml) cold water, the sugar, and cardamom in a food processor and process until you have a nice foam floating over the lassi. Serve in 4 glasses. Add a couple of ice cubes to each glass if you want your lassi extra cold and serve immediately.