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  • Sweet Punjabi Lassi

    Lassi is the drink of the Punjab countryside, once churned in tall clay matkas with a wooden madhani and drunk by the brass glass after a morning in the fields. Amritsar's lassi shops serve it in steel tumblers so thick a spoon nearly stands up, crowned with a layer of fresh malai and sometimes a dab of white butter.

    Sweet lassi is creamy, cold and gently tangy, with sugar balancing the sourness of the curd. Full-fat curd is non-negotiable; it gives the drink its body. A pinch of cardamom or a few drops of rose water is common, but the purest versions keep it to curd, sugar, ice and malai, churned until frothy.

    It is drunk with heavy breakfasts like chole bhature or aloo paratha, or on its own on a hot afternoon as a cooling drink. In summer, a glass of lassi after lunch is followed, inevitably, by an afternoon nap. At Amritsar stalls it is churned to order in big steel pots and handed over with the malai piled high.

    At a glance

    RegionPunjab
    CuisinePunjabi
    DietVegetarian
    CourseBeverage
    Prep time10 minutes
    Cook time0 minutes
    Total time10 minutes
    Serves2
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientscurd / sugar / malai

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups thick full-fat curd, chilled
    • 4 tbsp sugar (or to taste)
    • 1/2 cup chilled milk or cold water
    • 1/4 tsp green cardamom powder (optional)
    • A few drops of rose water (optional)
    • 6 to 8 ice cubes
    • 4 tbsp fresh malai (cream skimmed from boiled milk)
    • A few chopped pistachios to garnish

    Method

    1. Make sure the curd is well chilled and not too sour; a day-old homemade curd is ideal.
    2. Put the curd and sugar in a deep jug or bowl. Churn with a wooden mathani, or a hand whisk, for 2 to 3 minutes until the sugar dissolves and the curd turns smooth and frothy.
    3. Add the milk or water, cardamom and rose water, and churn another minute. The lassi should be thick but pourable.
    4. Add the ice cubes and churn briefly once more so the lassi gets very cold and develops a foamy top.
    5. Taste and adjust sugar.
    6. Pour into tall glasses. Spoon 2 tbsp of malai on top of each and sprinkle with pistachios. Serve immediately.

    Tips

    • A blender works but over-blending makes the lassi thin; pulse in short bursts.
    • For a quick malai substitute, lightly whip a little fresh cream.
    • Hanging the curd for 30 minutes first gives an extra-thick, Amritsari-style lassi.

    Serve with

    Aloo paratha, chole bhature or a hot summer afternoon.

  • Shrikhand

    Shrikhand is the strained-yogurt dessert of Maharashtra and Gujarat, made by hanging curd until it becomes chakka, a dense, cream-cheese-like mass, then beating it with sugar and flavourings. It is the centrepiece of Gudi Padwa lunches in Maharashtra and appears at weddings and festivals across both states. Amrakhand, with mango pulp, is the summer variation.

    The texture is smooth, thick and spoonable, cool on the tongue and gently tangy beneath the sweetness. Saffron gives a pale gold colour, cardamom and a little nutmeg add warmth, and chopped pistachios or charoli bring crunch. Good shrikhand is never grainy; passing it through a sieve after sweetening is what gives that silky finish.

    Shrikhand-puri is the classic pairing, with the hot, puffed puris used to scoop up the cold dessert. It is also served as a side in the festive thali next to batata bhaji and masale bhaat. Made at home it keeps well chilled for four days. Elaichi, kesar and mango versions are also sold in tubs across Maharashtra.

    At a glance

    RegionMaharashtra
    CuisineMaharashtrian
    DietVegetarian
    CourseDessert
    Prep time20 minutes
    Cook time0 minutes
    Total time20 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientscurd / sugar / saffron / cardamom

    Ingredients

    • 1 kg fresh full-fat curd (yields about 450 g chakka)
    • 3/4 to 1 cup powdered sugar, to taste
    • A generous pinch of saffron soaked in 2 tbsp warm milk
    • 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
    • A small pinch of grated nutmeg
    • 1 tbsp chopped pistachios
    • 1 tbsp charoli (chironji) or sliced almonds

    Method

    1. Line a large sieve with a clean muslin cloth and set it over a bowl. Pour in the curd, gather the corners and tie into a bundle.
    2. Hang the bundle from a tap or place the sieve with a weight on top in the refrigerator for 8-10 hours, or overnight, until the curd is thick and no longer drips. It should hold its shape like soft paneer.
    3. Scrape the chakka into a bowl. Add the powdered sugar and mix with a spatula until the sugar dissolves completely; the mixture will loosen at first.
    4. Push the mixture through a fine sieve or a puran yantra with the back of a spoon. This step removes any lumps and makes it silky.
    5. Stir in the saffron milk, cardamom and nutmeg. Taste and add a little more sugar if needed.
    6. Fold in half the nuts, transfer to a serving bowl and top with the remaining nuts. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

    Tips

    • Hang the curd in the fridge, not on the counter, or it will turn too sour in warm weather.
    • Use powdered sugar rather than granulated so it dissolves without leaving grains.
    • Keep the drained whey; it is excellent for kneading chapati dough or in kadhi.

    Serve with

    Hot puris and batata bhaji, as part of a Gudi Padwa thali.

  • Jhal Muri

    Jhal muri is the snack of Kolkata's streets, sold from tin canisters by vendors at stations, college gates and the Maidan. 'Jhal' means spicy, and the vendor's rhythm of scooping, shaking and folding it into a paper cone is part of the experience. It is eaten at any hour, most often with evening tea or during a long train ride.

    Unlike the tamarind-sweet bhel of Mumbai, jhal muri is dry and pungent. Raw mustard oil, sometimes with a spoon of oil from a mango pickle jar, coats crisp puffed rice, and chopped onion, green chilli, cucumber, coriander, boiled potato and peanuts add texture. A spiced masala and lime finish it. It must be eaten immediately before the muri softens.

    At a glance

    RegionWest Bengal
    CuisineBengali
    DietVegan
    CourseStreet food
    Prep time10 minutes
    Cook time0 minutes
    Total time10 minutes
    Serves2
    Spice levelHot
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientspuffed rice / mustard oil / onion / peanuts

    Ingredients

    • 3 cups muri (puffed rice), crisp
    • 1 small onion, finely chopped
    • 1 small cucumber, finely chopped
    • 1 small tomato, deseeded and chopped
    • 1 boiled potato, diced small
    • 2 green chillies, finely chopped
    • 2 tbsp chopped coriander
    • 3 tbsp roasted peanuts
    • 2 tbsp chanachur or sev
    • 1 tbsp raw mustard oil (or mango pickle oil)
    • 1/2 tsp bhaja masala (dry-roasted cumin, coriander and red chilli, ground)
    • 1/4 tsp black salt
    • 1 tsp lemon juice
    • 1 tbsp fresh coconut slivers (optional)

    Method

    1. If the muri is even slightly limp, dry-roast it in a kadhai on low heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring, until it crackles. Let it cool.
    2. In a large bowl or steel container with a lid, combine onion, cucumber, tomato, potato, green chillies and coriander.
    3. Add the mustard oil, bhaja masala, black salt and lemon juice and mix well.
    4. Tip in the muri and peanuts. Cover and shake vigorously for 20-30 seconds, as the vendors do, so every grain is coated.
    5. Add the chanachur and coconut slivers and toss once more.
    6. Taste and adjust salt or lemon, and serve immediately in paper cones or bowls.

    Tips

    • Mix only what will be eaten at once – the wet vegetables soften the puffed rice within minutes.
    • Pungent kachi ghani mustard oil is essential; any neutral oil makes it taste like a different snack.
    • Make a batch of bhaja masala by dry-roasting 2 tsp cumin, 1 tsp coriander and 2 dry red chillies, then grinding fine.

    Serve with

    A cup of hot milky tea in the evening.