Sips & Sweets · No onion or garlic
Rose Cardamom Yogurt Smoothie
A chilled sweet smoothie blended from thick yogurt, milk, rose water, cardamom and a little sugar, topped with dried rose petals and pistachios.
- Prep 5 min
- Total 5 min
- Makes 2 servings
Photo: Food-Rose-Lassi by Sumit Surai, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.
A good yogurt smoothie is thick, cold and frothy, with just enough sweetness to make it feel like a treat. This one is perfumed with rose water and cardamom, a classic combination in North Indian sweets, and finished with crushed pistachios and a few dried rose petals.
Use the best whole-milk yogurt you can find; it makes all the difference. Rose water varies a lot in strength between brands, so add it gradually and taste as you go. A little goes a long way, and the goal is a gentle floral note rather than perfume.
Yogurt smoothie is traditionally whisked by hand in a tall steel tumbler or with a wooden churner called a madhani, which gives it a light, airy foam on top. In Punjab, it is often served in large glasses topped with a spoon of fresh malai (cream). This version is lighter and floral, closer to the rose-scented lassis sold in summer by street vendors. It is especially welcome on a hot afternoon. For a less sweet version, cut the sugar to 1 tablespoon and let the rose water and cardamom carry the flavor.
The recipe
Ingredients
Yogurt smoothie
Garnish
Method
- Put the yogurt, milk, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon rose water, cardamom and ice cubes in a blender.
- Blend on high for 30 to 45 seconds, until smooth and frothy.
- Taste and add more rose water or sugar if needed, then blend again for a few seconds.
- Pour into two chilled glasses.
- Top with the pistachios, rose petals and saffron and serve right away while it is cold and foamy.
Kitchen notes
- Make sure your rose water is food grade; cosmetic rose water is not meant for drinking.
- For a mango version, replace the milk with 3/4 cup mango pulp and skip the rose water.
- A whisk or a hand blender in a tall jug works if you do not have a blender; whisk vigorously for a minute.
Storing and reheating
Yogurt smoothie is best made fresh. If needed, refrigerate for up to 1 day and blend or whisk again before serving.
To serve alongside
Lovely with Lemony Flattened Rice with Peas and Peanuts or Tangy Roasted Sweet Potato Salad.
A gentle note: this recipe is shared for cooking enjoyment only. It is not medical or dietary advice. If you have allergies or specific dietary needs, check every ingredient label and adapt the recipe to suit you.
