The lovely lassi is a classic frozen yoghurt drink from India that's been around for centuries. It makes complete sense that a little yoghurt, salt and ice all mixed up would create the perfect thirst quenching, body cooling, ion replacing drink for the scorching Indian climate. Thing is, it actually tastes amazing.
With the latest smoothie/veggie shake fad being served up at hip and trendy juice bars, I think the lassi is right on trend. It's moved on (well, for us Westerners anyway) from the basic human need to rehydrate in the hot sun to a funky new drink that you can make your own.
The basic version is quick and easy to knock up and you can practically use any fruit you like. My favourites are mango, strawberry and melon, and if you're looking to get some fruit into the kids then this is a brilliant way of doing it (especially if you let them make it). There is a more, ahem, 'grown-up' version too, but we'll talk about that later.
Mango lassi
Adding mango to the mix makes a deliciously thick and fruity shake, just make sure you pick a nice ripe one with bright orange flesh so it's wonderfully sweet. I like to top this off with a dusting of cardamom, but recently I got my spices just a little mixed up and used garam masala instead. It was absolutely amazingly! Seriously, try it.
Strawberry lassi
Perfect for summer. As the fruit is already sweet, remember to tweak the amount of sugar so it's just perfect for you. Just think, you could be sat there watching Wimbledon with your own version of strawberries and cream AND you don't need a silly plastic fork to enjoy it. For a bit of ohh la la, top with freshly crushed black pepper.
Melon lassi
Melon can have a grainy texture so make sure you blitz this one until it's completely smooth. Melons contain more water than most other fruit, so I pour the lassi over crushed ice (rather than adding ice as I blend it). It's really good with a little cinnamon on top.
Dirty mango lassi
Now this has to be my favourite. A little rum always makes the sun shine in our house, whatever the weather's doing outside. It's a real holiday drink as it tastes so luxurious – think Club Tropicana video – so go on, treat yourself!
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