Drinks

Saffron Lassi

Name: Saffron Lassi
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 2 tall glasses
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 2 cups thick chilled yogurt (dahi); 8–10 Baby Saffron threads; 3–4 tbsp sugar, to taste; ½ cup cold milk or water; 2 green cardamom pods, seeds crushed; Crushed pistachios and ice, to serve

The North-Indian summer classic, turned gold. Thick sweet yogurt blitzed cold and perfumed with saffron — as good after a heavy meal as it is on a hot afternoon.

A tall glass of golden saffron lassi topped with pistachios

Prep

Cook

Serves

Easy

Level

Ingredients

2 cups thick chilled yogurt (dahi)
8–10 Baby Saffron threads
3–4 tbsp sugar, to taste
½ cup cold milk or water
2 green cardamom pods, seeds crushed
Crushed pistachios and ice, to serve

Method

1
Bloom the saffron in 1 tbsp warm milk for 10 minutes, then let it cool.
2
Blend the yogurt, sugar, cold milk, cardamom and the bloomed saffron until smooth and frothy.
3
Taste and adjust the sweetness; blend in a few ice cubes for a colder, thicker lassi.
4
Pour into tall glasses, swirl in a little extra saffron milk, and top with crushed pistachios.

The saffron tip

Bloom the saffron in a spoon of warm milk first, then cool it before blending — dropping dry threads into cold yogurt barely releases any colour.