Rose And Strawberry Lassi| Strawberry Yogurt Smoothie

Strawberries are in season now. I got a packet of Mahabaleshwar strawberries recently, and decided to use them to make some lassi. The Rose And Strawberry Lassi I churned up turned out just perfect, sweet and tangy, cool and refreshing. Considering the rising temperature in Bangalore lately, it’s just the thing to make!

Rose And Strawberry Lassi

What is lassi?

Lassi is a very Indian drink, with curd being the main ingredient. It has a thickish consistency, and is usually served chilled.

There are innumerable permutations and combinations possible with lassi – one can go as far as one’s creativity reaches! Broadly speaking, though, the drink can fall into any of these two categories:

~ Namkeen Lassi, i.e. salted lassi, which is a blend of curd, salt and various spices.

~ Meethi Lassi, i.e. sweet lassi, in which curd is blended with sugar. Usually, some kind of fruit is added to this kind of lassi.

Rose And Strawberry Lassi for Foodie Monday Blog Hop

The Foodie Monday Blog Hop group that I’m part of is celebrating lassi this week. The members of this group showcase recipes based on a pre-determined theme every Monday, which, this week, happens to be #CoolLassi. I zeroed in upon this Rose And Strawberry Lassi after much deliberation.

I love how the natural sweetness and tanginess of the strawberries blend with the sourness of curd, here. The hint of rose in the lassi makes it all the more refreshing and lovely.

Mayuri, the very talented blogger at Mayuri’s Jikoni, suggested this theme. Her blog is a repository of several traditional Gujarati dishes, beautifully executed fusion foods and delectable baked goodies, among other things – you should definitely check it out! Her Gujarati Magas, Methi Muthia Tuvar Nu Shaak and Raswala Muthiya have my heart. Her Namkeen Chocolate Bark, Beetroot Ammini Kozhukattai and Thandai Makhana Phirni are some examples of her creative fusion cooking, which I would love to try out some time.

How to make Rose And Strawberry Lassi

The steps in the making of the lassi follow.

This is a completely vegetarian recipe, one that is gluten-free as well.

Ingredients (serves 4):

1. 2 cups thick curd, chilled
2. 4-5 drops rose essence
3. 4 tablespoons sugar or as needed
4. 1/4 cup chilled water
5. 10-12 big strawberries, about 1-1/2 cup when chopped + a couple more for garnishing (optional)
6. Dried rose petals, as needed, for garnishing

Method:

1. Wash strawberries well under running water. Remove the tops from them and chop into large pieces.
2. Transfer the chopped strawberries into a mixer jar. Add in the rose essence, curd, sugar and chilled water.
3. Grind everything together to a smooth texture.
4. Pour into serving glasses. Your Rose And Strawberry Lassi is ready to serve. Serve immediately.

Tips & Tricks

1. Store-bought or home-made rose syrup can be used in place of rose essence. In that case, you might want to cut down on the quantity of sugar you use.
2. Adjust the quantity of sugar you use, depending upon the sweetness or sourness of the curd and strawberries you use.
3. Use ripe, sweet and juicy strawberries for best results.
4. Ice cubes can be used in place of chilled water.
5. Use curd that is mildly sour – not overly so – for best results.
6. The curd I used was very thick, so I used 1/4 cup chilled water to dilute it to pouring consistency. Adjust the quantity of chilled water or ice cubes you use, depending upon the consistency of the lassi you require.
7. Make sure the curd and water you use are chilled, for best results.
8. You can skip the rose syrup or essence fully, if you so prefer.
9. You may garnish the lassi with a few chopped strawberries if you so prefer. That is completely optional.
10. Serve the Rose And Strawberry Lassi immediately, once it is ready.

Did you like this recipe? Do tell me, in your comments!