Pumpkin Lassi is a perfect autumn drink with Indian based flavours. This yogurt-based drink is definitely what you need to try this season. Pumpkin lassi is filled with the richness of yogurt, the sweetness of pumpkin and lovely blend of flavours from spices making it super delicious and irresistible.
Last week, we had been to a pumpkin festival here which is supposed to be the world’s largest pumpkin festival, held in a city called Ludwigsburg, Southern Germany. I had never before seen or heard of so many varieties of pumpkins, haha.
Obviously, I bought some pumpkins along to try out different recipes. So, do expect some interesting recipes on the blog soon.
A picture from the pumpkin festival at Ludwigsburg, Germany
What is Lassi?
I guess, all my fellow Indians are aware of what lassi is. Isn’t it one of our favourite drinks? Especially to go along with Indian meals?
For all the others who aren’t aware of what lassi is, let me tell you in brief. ‘Lassi’ is a yogurt-based Indian drink served chilled, which is either sweet or salted or with some very simple spices.
The most basic lassi is just the plain one with yogurt and salt or yogurt and sugar. There are many other flavoured lassis that include certain fruits.
It is surprising for me that mango lassi is so famous and commonly opted for, in Germany, which otherwise, I wasn’t much aware of, back in India. Whenever I visit an Indian restaurant here, my first order will be lassi. I so need a lassi always to go with my meal.
How to easily make Lassi at home?
To make a super delicious and rich lassi, always use plain whole milk yogurt which is thick and not watery.
Simply blend yogurt with salt or sugar, as per your taste, and make a quick lassi at home. You can also use ice cubes or refrigerate and serve chilled.
To make any other flavoured lassis with fruits, just add cut fruit along with yogurt and blend until smooth.
If you do not have a blender, you can whisk the ingredients and serve. But, if you want a fruit flavoured lassi, you can only use the puree of the fruit and not whole chopped fruit.
Also, you can garnish with saffron strands, pistachios, almonds and serve for a much richer taste.
What makes this Pumpkin Lassi different?
Ever thought of pumpkin in lassi?
If you like the taste of pumpkin, you cannot definitely say no to this new flavour of lassi. The moment I tried and tasted this a few days back, I was so surprised with how lovely the taste was.
The flavours of pumpkin and yogurt should just compliment each other, right? I can say this recipe has the perfect amount of flavour from pumpkin and does not overshadow the flavour of yogurt.
Also, the most exciting part is that it has spices in it. How perfect for autumn/ fall, isn’t it? The spices give a good punch and makes the lassi really unique.
Ingredients to make Pumpkin Lassi (Spiced)
Pumpkin Puree–
As the name says, one of the most important ingredients to make pumpkin lassi is the pumpkin puree. Pumpkin puree can be easily done at home, by peeling the skin of pumpkin, removing the seeds and then chopping it to small cubes. These are then cooked in boiling water until they turn soft. Once they have been cooled, they are transferred to a blender and blended to a smooth puree. This pumpkin puree can be refrigerated and stored for 3-4 days in a clean, air-tight container.
Pumpkin Puree
Plain Yogurt / Greek Yogurt-
To make any lassi, the most important ingredient is yogurt. In this pumpkin lassi, I have used greek yogurt and thinned it down a bit by adding milk. Instead, you can use normal yogurt/curd, homemade or store bought. But, make sure it is not watery, as lassi has to be thick and rich. If it is too thick, thin it down with milk. Do not use water as it reduces the richness of lassi, according to me.
Also, use only plain whole milk yogurt. I haven’t really tried vegan versions and unfortunately, cannot comment on that.
Spices-
Inspired by pumpkin spice latte, I have used spices in this pumpkin lassi instead of making it completely sweet. The spices I have used are cinnamon powder, pepper powder, ginger powder, cardamom powder, cumin powder, salt and a bit of sugar to give a hint of sweetness.
If you do not have the individual spice powders, you can use store-bought pumpkin spice mix. The ingredients are almost the same anyway.
I’m sure all Indians will have these spices at home. If you don’t, you can simply skip.
If you wish to make this completely sweet, you can skip all the spices and use only sugar. Adjust the amount of sugar as per your taste.
So with all that said, let us now move on to the recipe of spiced pumpkin lassi, shall we??
Do buy some pumpkins ASAP and quickly try this super interesting recipe.
I hope you give this recipe a try and enjoy it as much as I enjoyed preparing it and writing it down for you all. I would love to hear your feedback on this. When you try it, kindly post your valuable comments below or share it with me personally on Instagram / Facebook, or post it by tagging me. You may also pin this on Pinterest.
Recipes you might be interested to try:
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** Standard Measurement: 1 cup= 250mL
Spiced Pumpkin Lassi | How to make Spiced Pumpkin Lassi
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 3/4 cups greek yogurt - , plain
- 1/4 cup plain milk
- salt - to taste
- 1 tsp pepper powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1 tsp ginger powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 nos. ice cubes - , optional
- pumpkin seeds (dried) - , to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- In a blender, take all the ingredients except pumpkin seeds. Blend everything until smooth.Add milk or plain yogurt if the lassi is too thick.
- Pour to serving glasses, garnish with pumpkin seeds and serve chilled.
Notes
- You can make this completely sweet by skipping the spices, or only spiced by skipping the sugar.
- If you do not have any of the spice powders, you can skip it. Alternatively, use readily available pumpkin spice mix.
- You can use plain yogurt instead of greek yogurt. But make sure it is not watery.
- If you are using plain yogurt, you can reduce the quantity to 1-1.5 cups. Also, reduce the quantity of milk.