Kesar Pista Lassi

smoothiesquick recipeseasy recipescold drinks

Apr 12

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Looking for a refreshing drink to kick off spring? This **Kesar Pista Lassi** has the deep flavours of saffron and cardamom, and is topped with crunchy chopped pistachios. Enjoy this sweet beverage in a matter of minutes any time!

I’m in Canada and winter just doesn’t end, but as of today the sun is shining bright and the temperature is finally starting to get above zero, right after a snowstorm a few days ago! That’s what you can expect in Canada - the weather really is a lottery! With bright warm days ahead, cold drinks are in order! If you’re looking for a new creation, then this Kesar Pista Lassi is for you! You only need a couple of ingredients but this stunning and delicious drink can be ready in a matter of minutes! As I describe in my free motivational guide to exploring your potential in the kitchen, Make Cooking Fun!!, having some realistic goals is key to progressing in your cooking journey! While the oven can make the home hot or the hot temperatures just don’t make you feel like cooking much, you can still try a new recipe in the form of a cold beverage, and this saffron lassi will be the perfect occasion for you to do that! It can also serve as an excellent opportunity to explore India, so be sure to try this lassi recipe if India is a destination unseen as part of your Live to Cook one-month challenge! Get started on your cooking journey right now for free by signing up to my email newsletter, plus all of my latest recipes will be sent straight to your inbox!

To follow along all the steps on how to make your new favourite drink for summer, be sure to watch the video at the bottom of this post! If you haven’t already, I would really appreciate it if you would please subscribe to my YouTube channel, and don’t forget to hit the bell button to be notified when all of my video recipes are live! Let’s get blending!

What is Kesar Lassi?

Let’s begin with the definition of a “lassi.” A lassi is a cold drink that is made with yogurt and sometimes milk. Lassi is popular in both India and Pakistan because they originate from the Punjab region of India, which is now separated between India and Pakistan. While the chai is the most popular hot drink in India, lassi would be its cold counterpart in terms of popularity! You can find sweet, salty, or fruity lassis. While the Mango Lassi is the most famous kind, this Kesar Lassi is a delicious variation!

Other Types of Lassi

Easiest Indian Mango Lassi
Sweet Plain Lassi
Mattha: Maybe not technically a “lassi” but similar in the sense that it is a yogurt-based drink. This has some tanginess because of the cumin.
Chocolate
Salty
Herb: A variation of salty lassi.

Tools Needed for Saffron & Pistachio Lassi

Ingredients for Kesar Pista Lassi

Check out the FULL PRINTABLE Recipe Card by scrolling to the bottom of this post or by pressing the “Jump to Recipe” button to see the full list of ingredient quantities and to save the recipe for later. You can also use the recipe card to scale the recipe based on how many glasses of lassi you want to make - no ratios for you to calculate!

Plain yogurt
Milk
Saffron: I used ground saffron, but you could also use the threads.
Ground green cardamom
Rose water
Cane sugar
Pistachios, for garnish

How to Make Kesar Pista Lassi

Microwave 4 tablespoons of milk until warm and then add the saffron to it and let it sit for at least 10 to 15 minutes.

In the meanwhile, use a mortar and pestle to crush the pistachios.

Then, add the yogurt into a food processor or blender along with the cardamom, rose water, sugar, in addition to half of the saffron-infused milk.

Blend on the low to medium setting until the yogurt is smooth. You can process on a higher setting if you want a smooth texture, but I quite prefer the thickness on the medium setting. Alternatively, you can go for a chunky texture by blending on the very low setting.

Add a couple of ice cubes in your serving glasses. Pour the lassi over the ice cubes and top it off with crushed pistachios and a couple teaspoons of the saffron milk mixture reserved from earlier.

Enjoy!

Can I Make Saffron Lassi Vegan?

Of course you can! However, keep in mind that the texture and flavour will differ. To veganize your Kesar Pista Lassi, you can start by swapping the milk for a plant-based milk. Coconut milk is a great vegan choice because it is thick and creamy and is an excellent base for smoothies! You could also use oat milk, cashew milk , or almond milk (bonus points if you’re using your own almond milk!), but they are not as rich as coconut milk, so you may get a thinner product. I also find that the taste of oat milk is very “oaty,” so it may deter from the saffron flavour of the lassi. To substitute the yogurt, a thick vegan yogurt would be coconut yogurt.

How to Serve Kesar Lassi

You can enjoy your Kesar Lassi on its own as a summer treat since it is so refreshing. In India, we really use lassis to beat the heat! With that being said, if you really love lassi so much, and given how easy it is to make, you can drink it whenever you feel like it! You can have your Kesar Lassi to pair with appetizers, such as Chicken Tikka or Seekh Kebab, or to cool down while enjoying hot dishes with gravies, including Homestyle Chole or Instant Pot Rajma. Alternatively, lassi will be excellent to eat with some stuffed parathas, as like Aloo Paratha or Paneer Paratha.

Other delicious Cold dRinks

WATCH HOW TO Make Kesar Pista Lassi Here:

Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments! If you’ve tried this recipe, be sure to post it on social media and tag it with #cookingwithanadi and mention me @cooking.with.anadi. Thank you!

smoothies, desserts, cold drinks

Indian

Yield: 2

Author: Anadi

Beat The Heat with This EASY Saffron Pistachio Lassi!https://youtu.be/pmNoSLpK6fwSee how to make an easy and refreshing saffron and pistachio lassi with this recipe! You'll see the magic of saffron and rose water in this delightful summer drink, garnished with pistachios for that extra flavour!2024-04-12

Kesar Pista Lassi - Saffron & Pistachio Lassi

Looking for a refreshing drink to kick off spring? This Kesar Pista Lassi has the deep flavours of saffron and cardamom, and is topped with crunchy chopped pistachios. Enjoy this sweet beverage in a matter of minutes any time!

Prep time: 5 MinInactive time: 5 HourTotal time: 5 H & 5 M

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

1 Cup plain yogurt
1/4 Cup milk + 4 Tbsp milk, divided
saffron threads or ground saffron
ground green cardamom
rose water
cane sugar, to taste (or sweetener of choice)
pistachios, chopped for garnish

Instructions

Microwave 4 tablespoons of milk until warm. Then, add the saffron to it and let the mixture sit for at least 10 to 15 minutes.
In the meanwhile, use a mortar and pestle to crush the pistachios.
Then, add the yogurt into a food processor or blender along with the rest of the ingredients to blend, in addition to half of the saffron-infused milk. Blend on the low to medium setting until the yogurt is smooth. You can process on a higher setting if you want a smooth texture, but I quite prefer the thickness on the medium setting. Alternatively, you can go for a chunky texture by blending on the very low setting.
Add a couple of ice cubes in your serving glasses. Pour the lassi over the ice cubes and top it off with crushed pistachios and a couple teaspoons of the saffron milk mixture reserved from earlier.