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Raspberry Lassi (Raspberry Yogurt Drink)

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Lassi, a yogurt drink that is common in India, is becoming popular all over the world. It is a refreshing summer drink to combat the heat. I normally just like it plain with no fruit, but once in a while, I will fix it with fruit. It is a great substitute for a light lunch or a mid-day snack. My youngest sister and her daughters love it after a workout at the gym.

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Raspberry Lassi (Raspberry Yogurt Drink)

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 2
Lassi, a refreshing, healthy yogurt drink that is common in India, is now popular all over the world.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup plain yogurt (fat-free, low-fat, your choice)
  • 1 cup fresh raspberries (or berries of your choice)
  • 2-3 tbsp sugar (optional or sugar substitute)
  • 1 cup ice or ice cubes (crushed)

Instructions 

  • Place all the ingredients with a ½ cup of crushed ice in a blender (or hand whisk) and blend until smooth. Taste for sugar. Save the extra ice in case you want the drink colder.
  • Pour into long stemware or regular glasses. Garnish with chopped raspberries or raspberries on a cocktail stick.

Notes

You can substitute 1 cup of fresh raspberries for 1 cup of frozen raspberries.
You can convert this into a milkshake by substituting the yogurt with a cup of milk, almond milk or oat milk. Just make sure both milk and fruit are well chilled, so the milk does not split. Adjust the sugar to your liking. Serve with dollops of ice cream and chopped nuts.       
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: American, Indian
Keyword: drinks, lassi, raspberry, yogurt
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In Drinks

Mango Lassi (Mango Yogurt Shake)

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Lassi, a yogurt drink that is common in India, is becoming popular all over the world. It is a refreshing summer drink to combat the heat. I normally just like it plain with no fruit, but once in a while, I will fix it with fruit. It is a great substitute for a light lunch or a mid-day snack. My nieces love it after their band has finished playing at a summer festival.

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Mango Lassi (Mango Yogurt Shake)

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Servings 2
Lassi, a refreshing, healthy yogurt drink that is common in India, is now popular all over the world.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup yogurt (full cream or low fat)
  • 2 mangoes (large, ripe, skin removed and diced)
  • 3 tbsp sugar (less or more to taste)
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 cup crushed ice

Instructions 

  • Place all the ingredients in your blender (or use a hand whisk) and blend until smooth.
  • Pour into long-stem glasses or regular glasses. Garnish with a wedge of mango or a few mint leaves.       

Notes

When I feel lazy, but still crave a mango lassi, I buy a can of Kesar mango pulp from the Indian grocery store and use that instead of fresh mangoes, but I still prefer the taste of fresh mangoes in the lassi!
To substitute: Use 2 cups of canned mangoes for the fresh. Since it is in syrup, the pulp is quite sweet, be sure to adjust the sugar according to your taste.
You can also substitute almond or coconut yogurt for the milk yogurt.
You can convert this into a milkshake by substituting the yogurt with a cup of milk, almond milk or oat milk. Just make sure both milk and fruit are well chilled, so the milk does not split. Adjust the sugar to your liking. Serve with dollops of ice cream and chopped nuts.    
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: American, Indian
Keyword: lassi, mango, shake, yogurt
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In Bread

Roti (Indian Flatbread)

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Rotis, phulkas, chapattis—many names of the same delicious Indian flatbread!

I am a soon-to-be bride and my soon-to-be mother-in-law has taken me to visit my husband’s youngest Chachaji (Dad’s brother). It is lunchtime, and Chachiji (his wife) is making the rotis while I stand watching to see if I can help in any way. It is an art to roll the rotis and get them evenly round.

Other than taking some dough from our Cook and trying to roll it out as a kid, I never really had a chance to cook them myself, so when Chachiji hands me the rolling pin, I panic. I am on the spot!

I valiantly attempt to mimic her skills. Her two boys are laughing at my first attempt. Then strangely enough, I do the next one fairly well. By the fourth one, I am on a roll and my soon-to-be-in-laws look fairly pleased. I have saved face! I look triumphantly at my fiancé. He grins. Never mind if I am sweating profusely!!

Rotis are the ultimate comfort food for me, like rice and dal. There is nothing like the smell and taste of a hot roti straight off the tava (griddle). It is as good as a fresh-baked loaf of bread.

To fix the roti you will need a tava. Preferably, a cast-iron one, but a nonstick will do. You will also need a wooden chakla and belan (a rolling board and rolling pin). Some dry wheat flour in a flat bowl to use when rolling out the dough.

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Roti (Indian Flatbread)

Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 6
Rotis, phulkas, chapattis—many names of the same delicious Indian flatbread!

Ingredients

  • 2 cups whole wheat flour (found at Indian grocery or health food stores))
  • 1 cup water
  • ghee or butter (to butter roti)
  • salt (to taste)

Instructions 

To Prepare the Dough

  • In a large bowl or praath (round, flat Indian metal platter with a 2" rim), add 2 cups of flour.
  • Heap the flour in the center and make a little hollow in the middle of it. Slowly pour in the water, gradually mixing the mixture together to form a dough ball.
  • On a flat surface, roll the dough out, and knead the dough for about 8 minutes until you get a smooth and pliable dough.
  • Cover with a damp cloth and let rest it least 10 minutes before you use the dough. 

To Make the Rotis

  • Break off a golf-sized ball of dough and shape them into rounds. You should get 10-12 dough balls for 6-8 " diameter rotis.
    On a rolling board, flatten out the ball of dough with your fingers, palm side down. Dip the flattened dough into some dry flour, put it in the center of the rolling board, and roll it out until it is approximately 6"-8" in diameter. If you put more pressure on one side of the rolling pin it should give you an even roundness. The roti should be ⅛ of an inch (2-3 centimeters).
  • Meanwhile, heat the griddle over medium heat.
  • Pat the raw roti between the palms of your hand in a flipping motion to shake off the excess flour, then carefully lay it on the hot griddle. Within a minute, you will see bubbles appear on the surface. With a spatula, turn the roti over once more. With a napkin or paper towel rolled into a ball, gently press on the edges of the roti while trying to spin the roti around on the tava. It is an art learned with practice. This should puff the roti up. Don't be disheartened if the roti doesn't puff up on your first try.
  • If you have a gas burner, it is easier. Remove the roti with a pair of tongs and put it on the open flame. It should start to puff. Be quick or it can burn.
  • Whichever method you use, the roti is cooked when it has some nice brown spots on it, and the edges should be cooked.
  • Remove the cooked roti and spread it with ghee or butter.
  • Place a napkin in a deep dish and put the roti into this. Fold the edges of the napkin over the roti to keep it warm. Most Indians use an insulated container or a tortilla warmer to keep the rotis warm.
  • Continue making the rest of the rotis the same way.  Sandwich them together with the ghee- or butter side, so they do not smear all over the napkin.
  • Enjoy with dal, sabzi, or a meat dish.

Notes

I use salt only when I am mixing the dough for parathas, but you can add a pinch if you like.
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: chappati, phulka, roti

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In Main Dishes

Dals (Lentils)

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One of my favorite meals is dal, plain boiled rice and pickle. While growing up, Mama had different dals for each day of the week. Each dal had its own seasonings, and we children had our own favorite dal.

Dals (including the larger legumes and beans) are a staple in the Indian diet. They are easy to prepare and add protein to vegetarian fare. The dals are mostly boiled with ginger and garlic and then tempered or seasoned (called Tadka, Baghar, or Chaunk) depending on which part of India you are raised. Dals taste great spooned over rice or eaten with rotis or any other flat bread.

I remember our Peace Corps friends, back in the 60s, said they survived on dal and rice until they got used to the other spicy food. There were no fancy restaurants in the villages and small towns where they worked, and with their meager salaries, lentils were cheap, wholesome and easy to prepare.

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Dals (Lentils)

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 6
Dals are a staple of Indian diet and are packed with protein and nutrients.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup lentils of choice
  • 4 cups water (or 6-7 cups, depending on dal)
  • 2 cloves garlic (chopped finely)
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger (chopped finely)
  • 1 whole green Serrano chili (slit half-way)
  • 1 tsp tumeric powder
  • 1 tsp salt (or to taste)

For Tadka / Tempering

  • 2 tbsp cooking oil
  • 1 medium tomato (finely chopped, optional)
  • ½ onion (finely chopped)
  • 1 tsp garam masala (optional)
  • ½ tsp red chili powder (optional, or to your taste)
  • 2 tbsp fresh cilantro (finely chopped)

Instructions 

  • Sort and clean any grit in the dal. Rinse well. A friend, Lilani who is a fantastic gourmet chef, suggested washing and rinsing through a strainer so that any little bits of grit get washed away. But make sure you sort through the dal so you don't have any tiny stones that can crack someone's tooth!
  • Ina deep saucepan or cooking pot, add the dal, chopped garlic, fresh chopped ginger, whole Serrano chili or a whole dried red chili, turmeric powder, and salt to taste.
  • Add water and boil until it resembles a thick soup.
  • Stir every 15 minutes. Initially, the scum(froth) will rise to the top, you can remove it with a spoon. Half cover the pot with a lid so that some steam escapes and the dal water does not overflow.
  • Cooking time will vary from 45 minutes to 3 hours depending on the size and type of lentil.
  • Set aside and use any of the following ways to temper the dals.

Basic Tadka / Tempering for All Lentils

  • Heat oil in a small pan.
  • Add onions and sauté them until half browned. About 4-6 minutes.
  • Add tomatoes (if you like). Once they start to soften and curl, in about 3-4 minutes, turn off the heat and add the spice powders. Stir a minute or two and pour over the cooked dal.
  • Stir the dal and let the spices cook for another 3- 5 minutes to absorb the flavors of the tadka. Turn off the heat and let the dal rest for 5 minutes.
  • Pour the dal into a deep dish and garnish with chopped green Cilantro.
  • Serve with cooked white rice and a vegetable or a spicy meat dish and pickle.
  • The lentils are poured over the rice. If you are eating it with roti, flatbreads or bread, then pour the lentils into individual cup-sized dishes for easy dipping or the use of a spoon.

Notes

You can vary the seasoning by eliminating the onions or tomatoes and just season it with the spices.
I use different seasonings for different lentils, as you will see when you check my other dal recipes, but there are no hard and fast rules. The lentils should be the texture of a hearty soup, blended but not mushy.
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Indian, Vegetarian
Keyword: dals, lentils
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In Drinks

Sweet Lassi (Yogurt Drink)

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We are on our famous cross-country trip across the hot and heated summer plains of Northern India, making our way to the cool hills of Jammu and Kashmir. It has been a long ride from our night stop at Ambala in Punjab. It is only mid-morning, but the sun is bearing down strong and hard. Hot gusts of dust hit us from time to time. We plan to make a pit stop at Ludhiana, which is about 65 miles away from Ambala. The roads are rough and the going slow. It is a busy highway, with the laden public carriers (trucks with merchandise) swerving dangerously close. We call them Public Killers as there are involved in so many fatal road accidents.

Finally, we arrive at a much-needed stop. Mama orders us all tall glasses of sweet lassi, a yogurt drink from a Halwai. Loosely translated, a halwai is a confectioner who makes Indian sweets. Halwais come from the Vaishya caste whose contribution to Indian society is confectionery and making sweets (candies).

I watch the halwai  closely as he fixes the drinks. He takes big dollops of yogurt from the  large flat  earthenware pot, on which he has a block of ice to keep the yogurt cool. The ice is wrapped in a gunny sack to prevent it from melting. Those were the times when small restaurants and dhabbas  did not have  refrigerators. Things are different today.  The yogurt is so thick you can cut through it with a knife. He puts the yogurt into a large stainless steel jug. To this he adds sugar and iced water along with the juice of a couple of lemons. After he quickly blends together the ingredients, he pours the lassi into tall glasses.

Maybe I was hot, sweaty, and dusty, but it was about the best lassi I had ever tasted.

Lassi is a yogurt drink that you can make either sweet or salty or with fruit. It originated in Punjab, and was a smoothie in India long before the world caught up!

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Lassi (Yogurt Drink)

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 4
Originating in the Punjab, Lassi, is a refreshing, healthy yogurt drink that is common in India, and is now popular all over the world.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups plain yogurt (for a thicker lassi, use whole milk yogurt, but you can also use nonfat or low-fat)
  • 4 tbsp sugar (or sugar substitute)
  • 2 tbsp lemon or lime juice
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 cups crushed ice

Instructions 

  • Put all the ingredients with a ½ cup of crushed ice in a blender (or hand whisk) and blend until smooth. Taste for sugar. It should be sweet with a hint of tartness with the lemon/lime juice. Adjust to your taste.
  • Pour into tall glasses and serve. You can garnish with some mint leaves or lemon/lime wedges. Personally, I don't like mint leaves as their strong flavor tends to detract from the taste of the lassi.

Notes

Salted Lassi: If you can't have sugar or don't like the sweetness, you can substitute the sugar with salt (to your taste). Add a dash of cinnamon or roasted cumin powder and garnish with fresh, chopped cilantro (coriander) leaves.
Check my website for Mango Lassi, Raspberry Lassi, and Pineapple Lassi. You can also use flavored yogurt to make lassi, but I prefer the taste of lassi made from scratch.
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: American, Indian
Keyword: lassi, salt, yogurt

-Halwai Photo by Tiago Rosado on Unsplash
-Lorry Photo by Siddhesh Mangela on Unsplash

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In Gluten Free

Masala Fish Fillets (Spiced Fried Fish Fillets)

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My brother is visiting us from the United States. It has been nearly ten years since he left, so I am determined to fix him all the Indian dishes he loves. My husband is teaching at the Institute of Defense Management in Trimulgherry, a part of the military cantonment near the ancient twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad.

Built on the Deccan Plateau in south-central India, the cities are now a huge metropolis. We live in the cantonment area, but I am driving on the Tank Bunk Road to the local fishers at Hussain Sagar Lake. The Tank Bund Road links the two cities. It is my go-to place for fish, as the fish retailers hawk their catch along the roadside curb during the late afternoon. The fish are wrapped in gunny sackcloth and kept in iceboxes to keep them fresh.

My favorite is the silver pomfret which is most common and found abundantly in the seas of the Indo-Pacific area and all along the coast of the Indian subcontinent. Different species of the fish (family Bramidae) are also found in the Atlantic and Pacific. I buy pomfret because I know it did not come from the lake’s murky waters.

There are, of course, many varieties of river and sea fish, but today I choose pomfret. I always have it cooked as soon as I get home, as I do not want to risk refrigerating it. No matter how much I get, by the time we finish eating it is all gone!

I check out the fish to see if they are fresh. The eyes seem clear, and the skin bounces back when pressed. The gills are also moist and reddish. Most importantly, no pongy, fishy smell, just the regular smell of fish.

My favorite fishmonger is there, so I don’t have to haggle back and forth over price. I pick two good fish and have him clean and prep them whole for me. When I get home, my cook will wash them well and slice them into fillets.

I plan to fix Masala Fish Fillets using one of my mama’s recipes. It is a simple recipe, flavorful and tangy with the use of masalas and vinegar.

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Masala Fish Fillets (Spiced Fried Fish Fillets)

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 4
A simple recipe, flavorful and tangy with the use of masalas (spices) and vinegar.    

Ingredients

  • 1 lb fish fillets (any fish that is good for frying like cod, halibut, tilapia, catfish, or king mackerel    )
  • 1 tbsp garlic paste
  • 1   tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • ½ tsp chili powder (or to your taste)
  • ¾ tsp salt
  • ¼ cup vinegar (malt or distilled, or lime/lemon juice)
  • ½ tbsp chickpea flour (besan) (or cornstarch)
  • 3-4 tbsp cooking oil

Instructions 

  • Wash the fish well and pat dry. Place in a wide bowl and rub the fillets with the chickpea flour.
  • Blend the spices, garlic paste, and vinegar. Coat the fish slices well and marinate for at least 15 minutes.
  • Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan large enough to accommodate the number of fillets you are frying.
  • When the oil is well heated, carefully lower the fish slices into the oil. If you have any masala left over, brush or spoon it over the fillet. Let cook for 7-10 minutes, and then carefully turn the fillet over and fry the other side for another 6-7 minutes or till nicely cooked, and the fish starts to flake.

Notes

Serve garnished with lemon wedges.
Goes well with any kind of pilaf, fries, or a wrap.     
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: fish, spicy, fried
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