Rose Lassi - Indian yogurt drink with rose compote

Rose Lassi is a delicious variation of the traditional Lassi and is flavored with Rooh Afza (rose syrup) to give it a beautiful pink hue and a refreshing taste. It is a perfect drink for breakfast or a refreshment in the afternoon.

Rose Lassi is a delicious version of the classic Punjabi lassi, where Rooh Afza (rose syrup) and Gulkand (rose petal compote) are added to the basic lassi recipe.

It is a North Indian drink prepared on yogurt as the base. Rose Lassi is a delicious summer drink that will keep you hydrated and protected from the scorching heat outside.

You can prepare and serve this Rose Lassi recipe in 5 minutes. You can enjoy Rose Lassi on its own or with an Indian-style meal.

Traditionally, it is prepared with a wooden whisk known as a mathani. Nowadays, most use a regular whisk or a blender. Lassi gets the best texture by stirring the yogurt with a mathani, instead of just blending.

You can, of course, use a whisk or just a fork.

What is Rooh Afza?

Rooh Afza is a concentrated pink syrup made from herbs, fruits, vegetables, flowers and roots. It was developed in 1906 by Hakeem Hafiz Abdul Majeed in Ghaziabad (British India) and later distributed from Old Delhi (India).

In Persian language, "rooh" means "soul" and "afza" means "what nourishes the soul" or "uplifts/improves the spirit." So the term rooh afza literally means "he who nourishes the soul and strengthens the soul and spirit", it really lives up to its name.

The recipe of Rooh Afza is known to be based on the ingredients of traditional Yunani or Unani medicine. It is thick, very sweet and designed to reduce body heat. Therefore, it is best enjoyed dissolved in water or milk.

Ingredients for Rose Lassi

Yoghurt (dahi) - Use plain whole milk yogurt to make the lassi. You can also use Greek yogurt. If you want to use homemade yogurt, make sure it is not acidic.

The quality of the yogurt is crucial to your lassi. Homemade yogurt sometimes turns sour and gives the lassi a sour taste. Therefore, make sure the yogurt is fresh to prepare the best lassi.

Milk (Doodh) - Milk is used to dilute your lassi. It is best to use whole milk to make your lassi rich and creamy.

You can also use water instead of milk.

Rooh Afza syrup / rose syrup - I used Rooh Afza. It is available at any Indian grocery store or online.

Gulkand - Gulkand is a compote made from fresh rose petals and sugar. You can find it in Indian grocery stores or online.

Other - You will also need sugar and ice cubes. You can also add some rose water and cardamom powder to this Lassi.

Optional - Garnish Rose Lassi with pistachio chips and dried rose petals.

Storage suggestions

You can store Rose Lassi in a sealed container or glass bottle in the refrigerator for about 2 days.

Ingredients for 2 Portions

• 2 cups chilled whole milk yogurt (or Greek yogurt).

• ½ cup chilled whole milk (or chilled water).

• 4 Tbsp. Rooh Afza or regular rose syrup

• ¼ cup Gulkand (rose jam)

• 5-6 ice cubes

• shaved pistachios (for garnish)

• Dried rose petals (for garnish)

Instructions

Beat yogurt in a bowl with a whisk until creamy and smooth. Add milk and mix well.

Add Rooh Afza or rose syrup, Gulkand and ice cubes and whisk until smooth.

If the lassi is too thick for your taste, thin it with more milk or water. Add sugar if needed.

Pour the Lassi into 2 serving glasses. Garnish with pistachio shavings and dried rose petals.

Serve Rose Lassi chilled.

Tips

• Do not use a blender to mix the ingredients for Lassi, as the yogurt will become very thin and the texture will not be nice and thick and creamy.

• This yogurt drink recipe can easily be doubled or tripled if you are making it for a large group.

I look forward to hearing from you...

...if you like my blog, my recipes inspire you and your curiosity for Indian cuisine has been piqued.

Feel free to give me feedback if you would like to share your cooking accomplishments or have a suggestion for improvement. I appreciate any kind feedback. Whether via the comment function, email, Facebook or Instagram (best tagged with #heutemalindisch and @heutemalindisch, then your cooking success can also inspire others).