Beetroot Lassi: Chukander Ki Lassi: Beet Smoothie: Summer Cooler

So, here I made another summer cooler.

Oh it is pink.Refreshing and beautiful.I made us Beetroot Lassi. Roasted Beetroot Lassi. You must know by now that I am addicted to roasting fruits and veggies. This is the best thing one can do in the kitchen. When you roast a fruit or a vegetable, it brings out its natural sweetness which gives a dish a fresh dimension.

And BTW this below pic is my first attempt on capturing steam :) Do you like it? Please comment :)

Check out more roasted summer recipes:Roasted Orange LemonadeRoasted Pomegranate LemonadeRoasted Kiwi RaitaRoasted Cherry Tomatoes
So what is lassi? In simple words it is a smoothie made with yogurt/curd (dahi) as a base. To it you can add fruits or make it plain with just sugar and water. I have prepared low fat (sugar free) strawberry lassi before and the world famous mango lassi too. But this is the first time I ever experimented with vegetable lassi and I am so glad that it happened. Lassi which is made with beetroot, ah! I mean look at the colour, isn’t it gorgeous and summery?

You can use plain beet as well, however I truly recommend to burn or smoke beetroot, it will bring a pleasant taste and you will be hooked- I bet! You can simply roast the beet directly on the hob, or you can grill in the oven at 200C for 10 minutes. Hob method is quick and easy-so you decide :)

After that you need to do is just blend in milk, yogurt, beetroot, sugar and water for few seconds and the lassi is ready. Oh yeah, I added rose water for aroma, you can add cardamom (elyachi) too. So yup that’s it. Serve it with or without ice cubes, but serve it chilled. It is summer after all. Bring on some sipping :)

Ingredients:1 small beetroot/chukandar1 cup yogurt/dahi2 tablespoons sugar2 tablespoons milk4-5 ice cubes1 teaspoon rose water
Method:Peal the beetroot. Wash and roast it on fire till you see burnt spots on the skin. Let it cool. In the blender blend everything together for 30 seconds. Sieve the blended lassi through a fine sieve. This step is optional, but it gives nice smooth texture to lassi.Serve chilled.

Notes:If using oven, cover the beetroot with foil. Grill at 200C for 10 minutes.You might need to add more sugar depending on sourness of yogurt.For thinner lassi, use 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup yogurt.

You can use low, skimmed or full fat yogurt.
Serving suggestions:For a party, serve in fancy wine glasses. Garnish with rose petals or chopped nuts.It is filling too, you can give it your kids as an evening snack, or have it as post-workout or gym snack.