Spiced Papaya Lassi
There are many joys to summertime, including of course the rich bounty of fruit. One of my favorite fruit is Papaya. Now you can also find good papaya around winter. Imported of course. This helps me enjoy one of my favorite breakfasts all year round. The breakfast being Papaya Lassi. I love all kinds of lassi and mesh them with slightly different spices. And my go to now for papaya is cayenne and ginger. And no sugar needed.
Actually, we have a local lassi bar, They are a sister enterprise run by the folks at Little Kabab Station. Lassi is my favorite all time non-alcoholic beverage. I shall not insult it by calling them mocktails, since somehow the word seems a little fake, almost suggestive of an imposter.
What is a lassi?
A lassi folks, is a quintessential Indian drink and contrary to popular believe is not always made with mango. In fact, the best lassis are light and made with a mixture of whipped yogurt and sweetened as an optional choice. In fact, most restaurants in India offer a choice of sweet or namkeen (savory) lassi. I love fruit lassis.
You will find my recipe for,
Mango Lassi and a
And for a tested and tried recipe for yogurt, which I make in the instant pot, check out this post.
A note on the color, yes, it is beautiful. However, I have made this with the yellow papayas as well. This blush variety is found more often in the colder months is from the Caribbean. Honestly, I love everything about the Islands. I associate all things vibrant and colorful with the islands, so it does not surprise me that this vibrant papaya is from the islands. Papayas are so prolific in Eastern India, we enjoy them both ripe and in their unripe green state. Here is a dish made with green papaya for your edible pleasure.
And this sunny cheerful lassi is a great start to any morning.
A locally inspired summer version of a peach lassi.
Ingredients
- 2 cups of ripe papaya, peeled and cubed
- 3/4 cup natural yogurt
- 1/4 teaspoon red cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
- 1/2 cup water
Instructions
- Place the papaya, yogurt, cayenne pepper, ginger and water in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Serve over ice if desired. And for a vegan variation use soy or coconut yogurt.
Nancy Adkins
Just finished having your Lassi for my lunch. I do not know why I never thought to use Papaya before. Thank you. Living in Hawaii my yard is full of Papaya and now I have the perfect solution for the ones that are just a little over ripe. MAHALO NUI LOA (thank you very much)
Nancy Adkins
rinkub@aol.com
I use almost any fleshy fruit on hand. Lucky you to have so much papaya at your disposal.