This meethi lassi is the sweet version of plain lassi. Sweet Lassi is a sweet yogurt drink and has fantastic cooling properties. It is a popular drink to accompany a huge range of Indian food and is a great way to cool down on a hot day. It is my favourite drink during hot summers, especially when I’m looking for easy recipes just like this Iced Coffee with Ice Cream. Lassi is a bit like the Northern India version of a milkshake – its cooling and creamy!
What is Lassi?
Lassi is an Indian drink made from yogurt and water. There are different versions of lassi such as sweet lassi and salty lassi (also known as namkeen lassi). Masala Lassi is a variation that is made with cumin powder. Sweet lassi recipe tends to contain sugar or a sweetener and salty lassi is flavoured with black salt and even black pepper in some recipes. Lassi is a refreshing drink that is very popular in the summer season. You can find it all over the Indian subcontinent, but this sweet version is particularly common in North India. The best sweet lassi should be:
Why you should make this recipe
Requires 3 easy to find ingredients Easily customisable – add flavours or make it extra thick and luxurious Filling – can be enjoyed for breakfast, as a beverage during dinner or as a light dessert Can be made vegan with ease
Sweet Lassi Ingredients
To make lassi you will require three main ingredients that are basic and easily available in every part of the world. The rest are optional. Yogurt – The main ingredient is yogurt, use thick curd or dahi. Homemade or shop bought work fine. I prefer whole milk plain yogurt or greek yogurt. Ideally, for creamy and thicker lassi you will need to use higher fat content yogurt. For delicious rich lassi use at least 5% fat yogurt, I use Olympus 10% Greek Yogurt from Costco. Milk or Water – To thin out the yogurt or for right consistency you will need milk or cold water. For creamier lassi use whole milk. If you would prefer a lighter version use semi skimmed milk (2 %) or water. You need to use chilled water, not room temperature, for best results. Sugar – For sweet lassi, you will need sweetener. For authentic lassi use regular white sugar. For refined sugar free options use sugar alternative like maple syrup, agave, monk sugar, stevia or honey. Note that these still contain sugar. You can use powdered sugar or caster sugar as granulated sugar takes a little longer to dissolve. Use a 100% natural sweetener as a totally sugar-free alternative. Extras: Ice Cubes – This is optional if you are planning on chilling the lassi in the refrigerator. If you want ‘Restaurant style’ lassi then I highly recommend that you blend in a few cubes. You should especially add ice cubs if you are making a very thick lassi. Sometimes I add dairy ice cream instead of ice cubes to add creaminess without watering down. Cream – Optional but so worth it for an extra creamy drink! Lassi tastes so much better with creamier and rich ingredients. Add half and half or whipping cream or heavy cream (double cream) especially if using low fat yogurt. Mix ins/Garnish – This step is totally optional. If you prefer serve lassi as it is, traditional punjabi sweet lassi always served without any other flavours or garnishes. However, if you like flavoured lassi, add in a dash of freshly ground cardamom seeds or cardamom powder, rose water, saffron strands or rose syrup. Note that the longer you leave the saffron threads in the lassi, the taste will be stronger and the colour too. As a garnish, you can add crushed dried rose petals, top with finely chopped or crushed nuts (In India called Dry Fruits) pistachios or almonds. Some people like fresh mint leaves too. Optionally, you can add fresh fruits to the top of the lassi.
Variations
There are many variations of lassi. Particularly, you will find variations of the sweet lassi recipe Vegan – Substitute with vegan yogurt and milk to make it vegan lassi. I suggest you use plain no added sugar vegan yogurt. You can add the sugar according to your taste. Use oat milk as it is creamy and thick. Sweet lassi without sugar – As noted above, use any sweetener you prefer. Light version – Use low-fat dairy ingredients Strawberry Lassi – this brilliantly fruity lassi is made with fresh strawberries which are blended with yogurt and sugar. Rose lassi – add a few drops of rose essence or a tablespoon of rose syrup for a royal pink lassi drink. Kesar Lassi – add saffron to the lassi for incredible flavour Mango lassi recipe – this sweet lassi is flavoured with mango pulp and is a great alternative to mango milkshake Malai Lassi – sweet lassi topped with milk skin (malai) and dry fruits. Amritsari Pede wali Meethi Lassi – it is also found in Lahore. This lassi is made by blending yogurt with malai peda and ice cubes. It is a sweet, decadent treat. Salty lassi – salty lassi tends to be thinner and is served alongside meals.
How to make Homemade Sweet Lassi
Lassi is one of the easiest Indian recipes you can make at home in minutes. Follow the step by step photos for perfect results Before you make it, choose one of the recipe with slight variations in ingredients and proportions Thick and Creamy Lassi – for thick, creamy and restaurant style lassi use all the higher fat content ingredients. As an example full fat curd with minimum 5% fat yogurt, whole milk, cream and white sugar. To go slightly lighter, skip the cream and use a mix low fat and full fat dairy options. Skip the cream. Or choose the lighter version. In that case pick up low fat plain yogurt (2% or 0%), water or skimmed milk and less sugar. If you are preparing it for a party or get-together or making it for first time I recommend going for the whole milk yogurt with high fat and whole milk route. This way you get the full flavour experience. To make the lassi, just add all the ingredients to the blender and blend! Check the thickness and then adjust the amount of water. Do a taste test for sweetness. Pour the lassi into tall glasses or your favourite serving glass. My grandma used to make lassi traditional way by using a wooden churner and in fact many homes still follow this method. We have metal churner here, but tend to forget about it and reach out for our immersion blender. You can also use a steel whisk but I would only use a wire whisk if your yogurt is already smooth. Naturally set homemade curd is often lumpy so a regular blender works much better
Sweet Lassi Serving Suggestions
The traditional way to serve sweet lassi is in clay cups. In restaurants, the lassi is served in tall glasses (often called lassi glasses) that are either made of stainless steel or glass. Enjoy at breakfast with these Savoury Semolina Waffles or Seviyan Upma. I love it alongside a spicy Indian meal with curries such as Authentic Chana Masala or Paneer Tikka Masala
Storage
Lassi can be stored in the fridge in a sealed bottle or airtight jar/container. It keeps well for 1 day. After a couple of hours, the lassi may begin to separate so simply give it a quick mix prior to serving.
Other Lassi Recipes
Mango Cheesecake Lassi Kefir Lassi Piyush/Piyush Lassi Caramel Lassi Tropical Lassi
Other Yogurt Recipes
Eggless mille feuille Dahi Aloo Mango Shrikhand (Matho) Yogurt Sandwich Sugar-Free Cashew, date and Yogurt Popsicles As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations! Don’t forget to follow me on social media using the buttons below – I can’t wait to see you all there!
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