Today I am going to make a thick and creamy sweet punjabi style lassi recipe taste like Indian street-style lassi shops or local Punjabi dhabas – with step-by-step pictures.
What is lassi?
Lassi is a sweet yogurt drink, mainly prepared by blending thick yogurt(Indian curd) with sugar. Originally no flavor is used, however, you can use cardamom or rose water as per taste. Originated in Punjab and became one of the most popular refreshing drinks to have in Indian summer. During the hottest summer days having a glass of lassi can easily cool down our body heat. That is why mostly Punjab and North Indian states are famous for making this drink at home for their regular diet.
Types of lassis
Don’t think, lassi recipe is only made with sugar. Though this sweet lassi is most popular for its simple yet great taste. However, salted lassi is also a very popular yogurt drink in India. Even salt can be replaced with sugar to reduce more calorie intake. Though except plain salt and sugar versions, fresh fruits, dry fruits, rose, saffron or cardamom flavored lassis are very popular in India.
Origin
Lassi is considered a traditional drink of Punjab. That’s the reason this drink is commonly prepared in every Punjabi house(with sugar & salt). They mostly serve a glass of lassi after a heavy breakfast and lunch. Even as per their tradition, a special Patiala glass(tall steel glass) is used to serve this drink by adding a generous amount of malai or cream on its top.
Speciality of my recipe
Traditional lassi is basically made with homemade yogurt or thick Indian curd and sugar. Even I do so. As water is not added in a traditional recipe so it is too thick and heavy. That lassi is as heavy that it is not easy to digest. So I make it little light by adding a few ice cubes with yogurt and sugar. Though ice makes it light but tastes the same as the traditional recipe. Even to make more similarities I also add lots of malai on the top of this drink. However to make its thick consistency, instead of ice cubes you may add chilled milk too.
Different types of lassi-making tools
Tools for traditional method
Originally in Punjab and its surroundings, curd or yogurt and sugar are kept in an earthen matka or steel pot, and a wooden churner(called madani) is used to churn the mixture to prepare this drink. That is the traditional way of making lassi. That wooden churner “madani” is best to churn the yogurt-sugar mixture more than an electric blender or mixer does.
Street side lassi shops method
I’ve seen famous Kolkata lassi shops also use the same steel matka and a wooden churner method for making this drink. As I can not do this as such matka is not available at my home. So I make it in a wide-mouth glass bowl.
My home style method
As I can not do this as such matka is not available at my home. So I make it in a wide-mouth glass bowl. I use both madani and whisker for making this drink.
But I don’t make my lassi in the electric blender jar. Because I feel lassi loses its original consistency in the blender. So if you are not in a hurry and want to have original lassi shop-like taste, so must use the wooden churner method at home.
Serving tips
Serve it in an earthen glass or tall steel glass and garnish it with malai(milk cream), a pinch of kesar or saffron and dry fruits like badam and pista.
Though I’ve not added any flavor to this drink, you can add rose or cardamom flavor too. You can use either rose flavor or dry rose petals & cardamom seeds. Must crush the rose petals or cardamom seeds before adding them to this drink.
Even in the tips section, I discussed how to use rose water in lassi. Even in its tips section, I’ve also explained how to make the plain version of this drink.
To beat the heat of this hottest summer, surely make this drink at home. Let me know your valuable feedback about this recipe in the comment section below.
You may try some other refreshing drinks recipes from my website,i.e,
Mango lassi recipe
Aam panna or mango panna recipe
Virgin mojito recipe
Punjabi style sweet lassi recipe
Prep time: 10 mins
Total time: 10 mins
Course: Beverage / Drink
Cuisine: Punjabi
Served for: 2 people
Author: Moumita paul
Ingredients
- 2 cups(500 ml) thick curd or yogurt (Homemade/Store bought)
- 7 tbsp Powdered Sugar
- 12 pcs Ice cubes
- 4 tbsp Malai
- Almond and Pistachio slivers
- Kesar or Saffron Strands (for garnishing)
Kitchen tools required
- Wooden Churner or Mathni(in Hindi)
- Steel Whisker
- or Hand Blender
- or Electric Blender Jar
How to make Punjabi style sweet lassi with step-by-step instruction and pictures
Preparation
- Take the fresh chilled curd or yogurt or dahi or doi, it can be prepared at home or store-bought. Here I have used my homemade curd.
- I have a thick layer of malai on the top of my homemade curd/yogurt. So I first separate the malai or cream from the top of the yogurt and keep it aside. To know how to make malai, see the tips section at last.
- After collecting the malai or cream from the yogurt or milk keep it in a bowl. Then place it in the refrigerator to serve it chilled on the top of lassi at last.
- Now, you can see the yogurt, thick Indian curd or dahi is ready for making this recipe.
Tools required
Here, I have shown three different tools for making this recipe. The wooden churner or madani, hand whisker, and an Electric blender jar. Even you can use the hand blender too.
Though I have used the wooden churner or madani and hand whisker.
How To Make Lassi
Now take a large mixing bowl, and add 2 cups(500 ml) of yogurt/curd/dahi/doi to the bowl.
- Then add 7 tbsp powdered sugar to it.
- I’ve added the sugar as per my requirement, you may increase or decrease it as per your sweet tooth.
- Though you may granulated sugar too with the same or a little less quantity as per taste.
- Now, take the whisker, and start whisking to completely melt the powdered sugar into the dahi.
- Or to keep the sweetness as per your taste, you can use a simple trick. Then you don’t need to put the whole amount of powdered sugar at a time.
- Rather after adding each spoon whisk it and melt it down, then check its sweetness.
- When you feel the sweetness is perfect, stop adding the sugar.
- Once you realize the sweetness is perfect for you, then add 12 cubes of ice and mix it well.
- Now place the wooden churner or hand whisker into the dahi or yogurt(as shown in the pic).
- And then hold it with the help of your both palm and churn it well.
- For quick results, even you can use the hand blender as well.
- After 3-4 mins of churning, you can see froth started to appear on the top of this drink. As shown in the pic.
- Here I applied one more trick to get the huge froth on the top(a secret used in street side lassi shops & in Punjabi dhabas).
- And the trick is, place the Wooden churner or Madani just on the top surface of the lassi. (As shown in the pic). And churn it well for 2-3 more mins.
- Now, see huge froth is visible on the top of this drink. Street shop style sweet punjabi lassi is ready.
- Then pour it into the glasses, I served this drink in earthen glasses, you may serve it in a special Patiala glass or in tall steel glasses.
- Now take out the chilled milk cream or malai from the refrigerator and add 2 tbsp of malai on the top of each glass.
- Lastly, garnish the lassi with a few strands of kesar or saffron, a few slivers of almond, and pistachios. Serve it chilled.
Tips
- How to make malai at home – Must use full-fat milk or full cream milk, to get malai from milk or curd. First, boil the milk for 10-15 mins on low heat, make it thick, let the cream accumulate on the surface of the milk, cool it down, directly use it for making curd, or keep it in the refrigerator for at least 4-5 hours. Later collect the cream from the top of the milk or curd.
- How to make plain & light lassi – If you want to make plain lassi, then add 1 or 1+1/2 cups of chilled milk or chilled water to it. Churn it well. Then lastly add 5-6 cubes of ice cubes while serving. The rest of the procedure and ingredients will be the same, as mentioned above.
- How to use an electric blender – If you don’t have madani, whisker, or hand blender. Then you make it in a blender or a mixer jar. Blend it for 2-3 mins on the high speed of your blender at the beginning till the sugar completely melts down. Then add the ice cubes to it and blend it for a few seconds at the same speed. Lastly, pour this drink in the glass from the top to make more froth in the glass.
- How to use rose flavor – If you prefer rose water in this drink, then only add 1-2 drops of rose essence(don’t add more as it is concentrated) or add 1 tsp of rose water to it. Don’t add more rose essence or rose water to it, the drink might get bitter in taste. I don’t add cardamom powder to it, you may add it as per your requirement.
- For weight loss or diabetic patients – If you are on a special diet for weight loss or having diabetes, but love to have this drink, then replace the sugar with organic honey or coconut sugar or palm sugar or jaggery too.
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