Lassi

  When I declared my intentions of writing a blog to my family I was told that this recipe had to be on it.  This simple Strawberry Delight Lassi recipe is a fan favorite in my house.  Hopefully it will be in yours as well.  This tastes just like a strawberries and cream popsicle only much healthier for you and your family.   What is a Lassi A Lassi if you haven’t heard of it is a creamy yogurt based drink much like a smoothie.  It originated in India.  This recipe is simple, tasty and easy to whip up.  It’s raw and filled with gut friendly probiotics.  This is a great recipe to get kids started on both smoothies as well as the spice cardamom.  Kids really like it as it has a milk shake consistency.  The secret to this recipe is the cardamom.  It doesn’t add tons in the way of spice.  It just helps the strawberry taste more like strawberry.  I added raw honey but I know it won’t be sweet enough for some.  Make it as is and then feel free to add Stevia or another sweetener of your choosing if you need more sugar. To Dairy or Not to Dairy In our home only some can eat dairy so this Strawberry Delight Lassi recipe is dairy free.  However, you could easily swap it for the dairy version.  I think the dairy free version tastes fabulous as long as you get a good quality, dairy free yogurt.  If you have one you love, use that.  Otherwise my two favorite brands are the Kite Hill brand and Trader Joes new cashew alternative brand.  They both taste great in this recipe and have minimal ingredients and fillers.  I use the plain versions. What is Acerola The acerola purée is probably a little hard to find for some of you.  Acerola is a cherry sized tropical fruit.  It’s super high in vitamin C.  One serving provides over 1000% of your daily needs.  It adds just the right amount of tart without changing the flavor drastically.  I have had the best success finding it in the natural grocery store freezer section.  If you can’t find it at the store, it is available HERE in bulk.  I would definitely try to find it in the store first.   If you can’t find it you can swap it for mangos.  Mangos are a very traditional choice for lassi’s.  They also pair wonderfully with cardamom.  Just know it won’t taste the same as the acerola.  But, it’s still wonderful.    A Word About Cardamom This is a great recipe If you have never used cardamom.  If you think you’ve never tasted it, you probably have and just didn’t know it.  It’s what makes Chai Tea taste like Chai Tea.  Cardamom is the fruit of a herbaceous perennial plant from the ginger family.  It smells and tastes like camphor, but it a good way.  It’s a strong herb that provides a lot of flavor using only small amounts. You can purchase these pre-shelled and ground.  But I personally think the flavor is pretty lousy.  Not to mention the shelf life on ground cardamom is almost non-existent.  Whole cardamom pods will last through a zombie apocalypse as long as you store them remotely well (airtight container).  I like to use a mortar and pestle to crack them.  But if you don’t have one, you can use a heavy bottomed glass cup.  Smack them on the counter a few times until they crack.  Then remove the seeds inside.  If you have a mortar and pestle, you can grind them to a powder.  It will make the consistency smoother.  If not, just place the seeds in your blender.  As long as your blender has a decent motor, it should be fine. There is a huge difference in both the size and types of cardamom pods available on the market.  I have seen them very small and very large.  I adjusted the number of pods to reflect that.  Start with just a few for your first smoothie as you can always add more later.  You can’t take it out once it’s in.  Use wisely my friends. Final Thoughts I hope you like this Strawberry Delight Lassi as much as we do.  If you like this recipe be sure to check out my super easy Ginger Ale Syrup recipe.  Your family will love it!  It would make a wonderful sweetener for this smoothie.  Feel free to post your favorite Lassi recipe down in the comments section below. This kid approved lassi originates from India. It’s a simple five ingredient smoothie tastes like strawberries and cream. It’s dairy free and so easy to make you be blending it up every day. This recipe can easily be made vegan.