Salted Cumin Lassi (Chaas)

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

The savory cousin of mango lassi: thin, tangy yogurt whisked with ice water, crushed toasted cumin, black salt and a bruised handful of mint and cilantro. It takes five minutes, costs almost nothing, and cools the mouth after chile-heavy food better than any soda. A quick tempering of curry leaves in ghee is the optional step that makes it taste like a South Indian lunch counter.

Ingredients

• 1 tsp whole cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp black salt (kala namak), plus more to taste
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

• 2 cups plain whole-milk yogurt, well chilled (not Greek)
• 2 cups cold water
• 1/4 cup packed fresh mint leaves
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems
• 1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 1 small green chile such as serrano, stemmed (optional)
• 1 tsp fresh lime juice, or to taste
• Ice cubes, for serving

• 2 tsp ghee or neutral oil
• 12 fresh curry leaves
• 1/4 tsp black mustard seeds
• 1 dried red chile, broken

Instructions

1. Toast the cumin: set a small dry skillet over medium heat and add the cumin seeds. Toast, shaking constantly, for 60 to 90 seconds, until the seeds darken a shade and smell nutty. Immediately pour them onto a plate so they stop cooking.
2. Crush the cooled cumin coarsely in a mortar or under the flat of a heavy knife — you want gritty fragments, not fine powder, so the drink finishes with little bursts of spice. Stir together the crushed cumin, black salt, sea salt and black pepper in a small bowl. Reserve about 1/4 teaspoon of the mixture for garnish.
3. Make the tempering, if using: wipe out the skillet, add the ghee and set over medium heat. When it shimmers, add the mustard seeds and cover loosely with a lid; they will pop within 20 to 30 seconds. Add the curry leaves and dried chile and swirl for 10 to 15 seconds, until the leaves turn translucent and crisp. Scrape everything into a small heatproof bowl and let cool to room temperature, about 5 minutes.
4. Whisk the yogurt alone in a large bowl or pitcher for 30 seconds until completely smooth and loose with no lumps. This step matters: adding water to lumpy yogurt gives you a grainy chaas that never comes together.
5. Whisk in the cold water in two additions, then add the spice-salt mixture, grated ginger and lime juice. The consistency should be like thin cream — pourable and drinkable, not thick like a smoothie. Add up to 1/2 cup more water if your yogurt was very thick.
6. Blend the aromatics: transfer 1 cup of the lassi to a blender with the mint, cilantro and green chile (use half the chile for mild heat). Blend on high for 20 seconds until flecked green and fragrant, then whisk it back into the pitcher. Alternatively, bruise the herbs hard in a mortar and stir them in for a rustic, unblended version.
7. Taste and adjust aggressively — chaas should read clearly salty and sour, not bland. Add salt in 1/8-teaspoon increments and lime a few drops at a time. Chill at least 20 minutes if you have time; the herbs and cumin keep opening up.
8. Fill four tall glasses with ice, whisk the pitcher once more (it separates as it sits), and pour. Sprinkle each glass with the reserved cumin salt, and spoon a few curry leaves plus a little of the fragrant ghee over the top if you made the tempering. Drink right away, before the ice dilutes it.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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