Lassi in Varanasi - India

The Ghats of Varanasi

Even in India, the place famous for lassis it can be difficult to find a truly good one. They can be found everywhere, however from what I've seen, creating the perfect lassi lies in the technique. Many places now resort to using a blender and adding so much milk and / or water that the consitrncy of the yoghurt is lost. In Australia the standard lassis you can buy in Indian restaurants are usually flavored with a sickeningly sweet mango purée. Sometimes both of these methods can occasionally still produce something palatable however my quest is always to find the real deal.

So far during my travels around India the best most authentic lassis i have found have been in Curd Corner in Kolkata and from a place on the street in Paharganj, New Dehli and in a hole in the wall style shop in Varanasi called Blue Lassi. I think the best most beautifully presented lassi was from Blue Lassi found in the winding back streets behind the ghats. Here they served the lassis in earthern ware clay pot style cups and decorated them with cream, fruit, slithers of pistachios and saffron orange blossom water.

What I've observed, creating a real lassi involves the following steps.

Shallow stainless steel or earthenware vats are filled with hot milk the night before and by morning the yoghurt is set with a thick layer of cream coating the surface.

In a large stainless steel mortar using a large wooden pestle or 'muddler' your fruit of choice is mashed, then a cup of yogurt is added, with a little bit of milk and a ton of sugar (usually at least 3-4 tablespoons!). This is then mixed by rolling the wooden muddler between two hands until frothy. If ice is used this is usually rolled with the milk to make it cold before it is strained and then added to the fruit and yoghurt. The lassi is then poured from the stainless steel mortar into a glass and topped with a slice of cream taken from the top of the yoghurt in the vat :)

Mmmmmm I ❤ real Lassis!!!! :)

Banana Lassi

Apple Lassi