Drinks · 3 min read ·
Lassi: Sweet, Salted and Everything in Between
A complete guide to Pakistani lassi: sweet and namkeen lassi, mango lassi, choosing the right yogurt, getting a thick froth, the malai topping, and when lassi is traditionally drunk.
Few drinks are as closely tied to a place as lassi is to Punjab. Served in tall steel glasses or clay cups, thick and frothy and often crowned with a slab of cream, it’s the drink of summer afternoons, heavy lunches and long days. It’s also easy to get wrong: too thin, too sour, or flat and watery. Here’s how to make it properly.
Sweet or salted?
There are two main traditions:
Sweet lassi (meethi lassi) is yogurt churned with sugar and a little water until thick and frothy, often finished with a spoon of . It’s rich and filling, almost a meal in itself, and it’s the lassi most people picture.
Namkeen lassi is salted, thinner and more refreshing, often flavoured with roasted cumin and sometimes mint. It’s the one traditionally drunk with a heavy Punjabi lunch, and many people find it helps digestion.
Then there are fruit lassis, of which mango lassi is by far the most popular, especially during mango season.
The yogurt matters most
Lassi is mostly yogurt, so its quality decides everything:
- Full-fat yogurt makes a thick, creamy lassi. Low-fat yogurt gives a thin one.
- Slightly sour yogurt, a day or two old, has more flavour than very fresh yogurt. Very sour yogurt, though, makes a harsh lassi.
- Ice-cold yogurt churns into a better froth and needs less ice, which would water it down.
Homemade yogurt set the night before is ideal.
Getting the froth
The froth is what separates proper lassi from a glass of thinned yogurt. Traditionally, lassi is churned by hand with a wooden , spun between the palms in a tall pot. A blender does the same job in seconds: blend the yogurt with a little cold water and the sugar or salt for 30–45 seconds, until a thick layer of foam forms on top.
The key is to add water gradually. Start with very little, blend, and add more only if needed. It’s easy to make lassi too thin, and impossible to thicken it again.
Proportions
For two tall glasses:
| Sweet lassi | Namkeen lassi | |
|---|---|---|
| Yogurt | 2 cups | 1½ cups |
| Cold water | ¼–½ cup | 1 cup |
| Sugar | 3–4 tbsp | none |
| Salt | a pinch | ½–¾ tsp |
| Flavouring | cardamom, rose water (optional) | roasted cumin, mint |
| Ice | a few cubes | a few cubes |
The malai topping
The slab of cream on top of a Lahori lassi is malai, the thick skin that forms on top of boiled full-fat milk as it cools. Collect it over a few days in the fridge and spoon it onto sweet lassi just before serving. Thick cream is a reasonable substitute.
When lassi is drunk
In Punjab, lassi traditionally accompanies:
- A heavy breakfast of paratha, especially on weekends.
- Sarson ka saag and makki ki roti in winter.
- Hot summer afternoons, as a cooling drink.
It’s best fresh, so make it right before serving. Lassi left standing separates and loses its froth.
A few variations
- Rose lassi: a spoon of rose syrup or a few drops of rose water in sweet lassi.
- Pista lassi: blend in a few pistachios and a pinch of cardamom.
- Mint lassi: fresh mint blended into namkeen lassi, very refreshing in summer.
- Date lassi: soaked dates replace the sugar, a good iftar drink.
For the full range of desi summer coolers, see our guide to Pakistan’s traditional summer drinks.
