Watermelon Lassi

This Watermelon Lassi is a twist on the traditional Sweet Lassi. I made it with fresh watermelon, cardamom, and cumin. Cool and refreshing lassi that is ready in 5 min

Lassi is a family favorite summer drink for us. Nothing fights the harsh triple-digit temperatures better than a cool lassi drink.

If you order sweet lassi at Indian restaurants, keep reading below. I will show you how to make this sweet lassi at home in under 5 min!

Of all the Indian food recipes, this is the easiest to make and say.

Tips for making this lassi

• Use fresh watermelon that is on the sweeter side
• Make sure the watermelon is cold because you won’t have to use ice cubes
• Save some of the juice from the watermelon as you are making pieces for the blender
• If you can get seedless watermelon, use that instead
• Use plain yogurt only. If you want to use flavored, then use none other than vanilla-flavored yogurt. Other flavors will compete with the watermelon’s distinct taste
• Use cardamom pods instead of cardamom powder. Remove the seeds from the pod
• The amount of agave you put into this recipe will depend on the sweetness level of your watermelon. So, adjust it to taste
• Save the cardamom pods to put in soups, curries, or Indian chai
• Serve immediately after making it
• You can serve this watermelon lassi by itself or serve it in 2 layers of yogurt + watermelon like I did

Vegan watermelon lassi

This watermelon lassi is vegetarian because I used regular yogurt. This was not my first choice, but, I had no other options.

I have bellyached about how hard it is to find plain vegan yogurt in my area. In the past, I have gone to 7 different grocery / big box stores and none of them carried it.

It’s frustrating for me, but, if you can find plain vegan yogurt, please use that instead. The rest of the ingredients in this watermelon lassi are vegan-friendly, so, you can follow the rest of the recipe as written

If you are confused about what is vegan and what is vegetarian, I have created a helpful vegan guide that talks about it all. If you have more questions, please feel free to comment below.

Not a fan of yogurt? You can easily make a watermelon smoothie using cashew milk. It’s just as cool and refreshing as this lassi.

Salted vs sweet lassi

When you go to Indian restaurants, they always ask if you want sweet or salted lassi. I always see people order sweet lassi and it always surprises me

You see, growing up we always made the salted lassi (get my salted recipe for it by clicking here). I had never heard of Sweet Lassi until pretty late in my teens. It was a foreign recipe concept for me.

So, what is the difference between salted lassi and sweet lassi? It’s exactly like the name sounds. Sweet lassi is made with honey and yogurt while salted lassi is made with salt and yogurt

How do you make plain lassi? The traditional lassi recipes were always made with just 3 ingredients:

• Yogurt
• Water
• Salt or Honey

Over generations, people started adding cumin-coriander powder, my favorite ingredient of lassi. Along with the yogurt, cumin powder is perfect for the gut.

Watermelon is the perfect ingredient to put in any summer cool-down drink. One of my favorites is this watermelon spritz recipe that is super easy to make and refreshing, especially on a hot Florida day.

So, are you a sweet lassi fan or a salted lassi fan?

Buttermilk vs lassi

Buttermilk is so much similar to lassi in many ways. They have the same texture and ingredients

Buttermilk, however, is made from sour milk. However, lassi is made from full-fat yogurt.

Lassi also includes spices which buttermilk doesn’t have. I have always wanted to try adding cumin or cardamom to buttermilk. Have you tried it and what do you think?

Buttermilk is often used in cooking and baking recipes. Lassi, on the other hand, is frequently consumed by itself.

I am one of those few people who can drink buttermilk plain. Weird, I know, but, it does taste good to me.

Health benefits

• Sweet lassi and salted lassi have a very cooling effect on the body
• Its a good thirst quencher and better than sports drinks, I think. There are no added sugars or refined sugars in lassi.
• On a hot summer day, a cool watermelon lassi drink is a good drink to have. Its so much more delicious when the sun is blaring down
• Its very quick to make. Most lassi recipes take less than 5 min to make which makes my life easier
• Lassi is also good for those with gut issues. The bacteria in yogurt have been known to help with the good bacteria. I am not a health professional, so, don’t take this as medical advice. Always consult your healthcare professional for more information

Common questions

I made this watermelon lassi recipe as a way to combat some of the recent triple digit temperatures we have experienced here in Florida. Just like my beet lemonade, fruit infused drinks and my frozen hot chocolate, this is one more recipe that will help you combat super hot temperatures.

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