Tag Archives: India

~ 3 Traditional Indian Lassi Recipes ~

~ Traditional Indian Lassi ~

mango Lassi
The famous Indian yogurt drink that is smooth, creamy, and absolutely heavenly! There are many variations of lassi, which is basically a blend of cultured diary kefir or yogurt mixed with fresh fruits and/or herbs. If the yogurt or kefir is ready made, this great refreshing drink can be made in minutes. The lassi drink can be used as a before meal appetite enhancer or after a meal as a dessert beverage.

Lassi is a popular traditional dahi (yogurt) based drink that originated in the Indian subcontinent. Lassi is a blend of yogurt, water, spices and sometimes fruit. Traditional lassi is a sweet savory drink, sometimes flavored with ground and roasted cumin. Salty lassi, however, contains salt and other spices, instead of sugar. It is important to use fresh yogurt/kefir that is not sour tasting.

Main Ingredients: Dahi (yogurt), fruits, cream, sugar, water, and spices

Mango Lassi

lassi mango
– 2 Ripe mangos, cut, seeded, and diced
– 2 cups of yogurt or milk kefir
– ¼ to ½ cup of jaggery (A raw India sugar) or cane sugar

Place all ingredients into a blender and pulse until blended.
Pour into glasses and serve. Garnish with a mango slice and a sprig of mint.

Mango – Mint Lassi

mint lassi
It’s a great take on the famous Mango Lassi that you tend to see at various Indian restaurants because it takes the flavor to a higher and much more complex level. This can also be done with only mint, if desired, just double the amount of mint leaves used.

– 1 Ripe mango
– 3 tbsp brown or jaggery sugar
– 2 tbsp chopped mint leaves
– 1 tsp ground star anise
– 1 tsp ground cardamom
– 1 tbsp lime juice
– 2 cups fresh yogurt or kefir
– whole mint leaves for garnish

Blend the mango, brown sugar/jaggery, chopped mint, star anise, cardamom, lime juice, and yogurt in a blender on high speed until smooth. Pour into glasses and garnish with fresh mint sprigs to serve.

Strawberry Mango Lassi

lassi strawberry
This is a fruity twist to the traditional lassi.

– 300 to 350 gr of strawberries, remove hulls and steams
– 1 to 1.5 cups of chilled yogurt
– 2 to 3 tbsp heavy cream
– 6 tbsp of sugar or raw honey
– 1 to 2 tsp rose water
– Sliced strawberries for garnish

Prepare the strawberries, mix with the honey or sugar, and blend until smooth.
Next, add the fresh yogurt and rose water, pulse until a smooth lassi is created.
Serve the strawberry lassi immediately. Garnish with a strawberry and/or mint leaf.

lassi yogurt  Lassi is a great way to use yogurt/kefir and a different way to use it over making smoothies. Above is three classic lassi blends, there are so many ways to make lassi with a favorite mix of fruits and spices.
Let the imagination go wild with flavor combination!
Enjoy!

For yogurt and milk kefir starters, visit our online store at: store.organic-cultures.com


 

Cashew Rice with Peas – Meatless Mondays #10

This is a simple and easy to make recipe for lunch or dinner.

Start by steaming rice, Basmati rice is traditional rice from India. Basmati is imported from the east and available at all Indian grocery stores and many health food stores. Substitute with white or brown rice if needed, however, basmati rice is extra special in that it is nutritious and has very good flavor.
cashew rice

What is Needed:

– 2 to 3 cups steamed basmati rice
– ½ cup roasted cashew pieces
– ½ cup of peas
– 2 tablespoons ghee or clarified butter,
olive/coconut oil for vegan
– Pinch of turmeric powder
– Pinch of hing (a spice used in many Indian dishes)
– ½ teaspoon sea salt or to taste
– Fresh tomatoes diced, for garnish
– Freshly chopped coriander leaves or dry spice

Once the rice is steamed, the dish is ready to assemble…

Add the ghee to a clean pot, and then add the steamed rice.
Add turmeric, hing, coriander, and salt. Stir ingredients together until well mixed, making sure not to crush/over work the rice.
Add cashews and peas, blend into rice mixture and heat through.

Garnish with the tomatoes and more coriander.
Serve with chapatis or flat bread if desired.

Hint: Replace the ghee with extra virgin olive oil or coconut to make a vegan dish.  Serves 4

Trinity Rice with Spiced Chapatis & Cultured Yogurt – Meatless Mondays #09

Trinity Rice with Spiced Chapatis

Here are two easy to make dishes from India, which works with Ayurvedic medicine system.  Chapatis are Indian flat breads that do not require resting or yeast.  In the Ayurvedic system, onions, garlic, and ginger are the ‘trinity of roots’.
The rice and flat breads make a nice simple meal.
Serve with fresh cultured yogurt on the side.

Trinity Rice

India trinity rice

What is needed…
2 onions, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
1 inch ginger root, peeled and grated
1 cup basmati rice or a short grain white rice
½ to ¾ cup ghee (known in the West as clarified butter, buy or make your own)
1 tomato, peeled
4 to 5 cups assorted vegetables

Directions…

Rinse the rice thoroughly.  Sauté any spices desired and then add the trinity roots of onion and ginger until onions are cooked through.  Then add garlic and cook another minute.
Add tomato, assorted vegetables, and rice along with 4 cups of water.
Cover and let simmer on low heat, checking frequently. Add more water if necessary.
Cook until vegetables are soft and rice is done.

Yields 4 servings. Serve with spiced chapatis, recipe below.

Spiced Chapatis

Chapati flat breads

What is needed…
2 cups whole-wheat flour
Ghee (clarified butter)
1 tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp cardamom seeds, pods removed
1 tsp fennel seeds

Directions…

Place flour in a bowl.  Mix in spices. Stir in enough water to make a soft dough that comes away from the sides of the bowl.  Add more flour if needed.  Remove dough from bowl and knead on a floured surface until it becomes smooth, soft and springy.  The dough should not be sticky at all.

Heat an iron skillet over a medium-high heat.  Form dough into ping pong size balls.  Flatten balls into squat patties.
Flour patties on both sides and roll out on flour covered board into 6-inch diameter circle and 1/8 inch thickness.

Place in hot skillet.  Cook on the first side until lightly crusted, but not browned.  Flip over and cook second side the same way.  Next, place the chapati directly over a gas flame, flipping it once or twice so that it puffs up, or flip it over in the skillet and lightly press to make it puff up.  Then flip and puff the other side.

chapati puffed

Note: When properly done, there should be only a small amount of browning on either side.  If the chapati browns too rapidly, the heat is to high.
As each chapati is done and still hot, spread ghee (or melted butter) on top of each one and stack.

Yields 8-12 chapatis

Enjoy this great light and easy meatless dish for lunch or dinner…enjoy!

Buttermilk Curry & Kefir Smoothies

 

  One of our goals is helping the world maintain a healthy lifestyle full of great traditional cultured foods. Without cultured foods throughout the centuries, humankind would be in a much different state of health and well-being. Without the assistance of beneficial bacteria and yeast, proper food digestion degrades and human pathogens will attack weaker systems.

  Just imagine a world without cheese, cultured beverages such as beer and wine, or preserved food stocks. In some cultures, such as Japan, fermented foods are a large part of everyday life. They have foods and condiments ranging from sake, natto, amasaké, and miso just to name a few. Japan has one of the largest tradition food cultures there is today.

Here are some more recipes to keep you going:

milk kefir smoothie
Kefir goes well with many types of fruits.


~ Classic Kefir Smoothie ~

One of the most widely known ways of consuming dairy kefir and very simple to make!

  • Start with a cup of cultured kefir milk or other yoghurt culture starter.
  • Add to blender along with a peeled banana.
  • Add other fruits of you choice. Try mixed berries or other sweet fruits, spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, or even avocados and spinach!
  • Finish the smoothie, to taste, with a bit of raw honey for sweetness and some fresh lemon juice for acid.

This drink recipe is great for the morning rush allowing one to get nutrition and pro-biotics in one shoot. Enjoy!

 

~ Buttermilk Curry ~

Buttermilk Curry Served
Buttermilk curry is great with rice or flat breads

  This is a great little recipe for using buttermilk or any other yoghurt/yogurt style dairy culture. This creamy curry provides a nice spicy condiment that will add a kick to your meal. Traditionally in India, one would have buttermilk curry with rice or chapati (Indian flat bread). Great for balancing all Ayurvedic Doshas. Substitute ingredients or visit an Indian food shop.

  • 2 tbsp of ghee or clarified butter
  • 1 tsp black mustard seeds or normal mustard seed
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 pinch hing
  • 4 curry leaves, fresh or dried
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped
  • ½ to 1 small green chili
  • 1 ½ piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped fine
  • 1 small handful of fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • ¼ tsp salt, sea salt recommended
  • 4 cups buttermilk

buttermilk curry recipe
Heat the ghee in saucepan over medium heat and add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, and hing.
Stir until the seeds pop!

Add the garlic and chili, allowing them to brown slightly. Then add the ginger, cilantro, and salt.

Pour in the cultured buttermilk along with ¼ cup water.

Stir in the turmeric and heat until just hot, but not boiling.

Great served with steamed rice or chapati/flat bread.

 We hope you enjoy the recipes and remember to visit the website for new culture items, more recipes, and specials going on.

Happy Culturing!


 

Culturing Recipes For the Week…1.25.2015

Today we shall look at some recipes for pro-biotic drinks from traditional Indian food culture. Yoghurt or buttermilk plays an important roll in Indian cooking. Bringing richness to a dish and helping to cool down a chillies heat in an entrée.
Yoghurt type drinks, called Lassi, and herbal teas add not only pro-biotics but also the medicinal properties of the herbs added.

Here are three Lassi drinks to get you started:

Cultured yoghurt lassi
Simple to make Indian lassi is great!

Spicy Lassi

2 c water
½ c of plain yoghurt of your choice
2 tablespoons of sugar (or to taste)
½ tsp fresh, grated, ginger or ¼ tsp dry ginger
½ tsp ground cardamom

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend for 1-2 minutes. Adjust sugar to taste and dosha. Doshas are part of Ayurvedic medicine system with the goal of keeping the body in correct balance. This lassi is good for all body constitutions and has a heating effect on the body.

sweet lassi
Sweet Indian Yogurt Lassi

Sweet Lassi

2 c water
½ cup cultured yoghurt of your choice
2 tbsp of sugar
1 drop rose water

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend for 1-2 minutes

Good for all body types but especially balancing for pitta dosha types.

 

A spicy lassi ready to drink
Hot and Spicy Drink !


Jalapeño Milk

This is a great drink for heading off colds and flu’s. It provides inner heat and energy to the body when needed. This is one of my favorite medicinal drinks for taste and easiness in preparation. The jalapeño milk is not as hot as the name sounds. The milk and sugar will mellow out the chillies heat.
People are surprised by the amount of energy it gives!

Start with 2-5 fresh jalapeño chillies

8 oz cultured yoghurt or milk

Raw honey or unprocessed sweeter, to taste

Chop the jalapeños and blend with the milk. Blend for least 5 minutes. The long blend time, ensures the chilies are incorporated and helps to froth the milk. Add sweetener and blend for a few seconds. Adjust the sweetener to taste. Strain and enjoy!

We hope you like these drinks as a change from the common yoghurt smothies here in the USA.   Yoghurt style cultures are avalible in our store: store.organic-cultures.com