A classic Indian lassi can be sweet or savoury, made with or without mango or rose petals, but a lassi is always made with probiotic yogurt and aromatic spices. Some call it the world’s oldest smoothie.
MAKES 2 SERVINGS
Ingredients:
- 1 cup plain yogurt or almond milk yogurt
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond or coconut milk
- 1 ripe nectarine or peach, chilled and sliced, or about 1 cup frozen
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, plus more as needed
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried culinary L. angustifolia lavender buds
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
Directions:
- If serving on a warm day, cover and chill the fruit slices in the freezer for a couple of hours or overnight.
- In a blender, combine the yogurt, milk, fruit, maple syrup, ginger, cardamom, and 1/2 teaspoon of the lavender. Blend on low speed for about 30 seconds, and then increase to medium-high speed for about 1 minute, or until smooth. Frozen fruit may take longer than fresh.
- Taste and then mix in additional syrup and lavender if desired. When fully blended, the lassi will be flecked with tiny bits of fruit skin and herbs that hold vital micronutrients and phytochemicals.
To serve, pour the lavender lassi into the prepared glasses. Sprinkle with sliced almonds. Enjoy with breakfast or lunch, after a workout, or as an afternoon treat.
(c)2021 by Bonnie Louise Gillis. All rights reserved. Excerpted from Lavender by permission of Sasquatch Books.