Lassi/Kefir/Yogurt/Almond drinks for digestion/health

Lassi
Lassi is a south indian drink, and one of the easiest things to make. There are many ways of making it, but essentially it is buttermilk (yogurt whisked with water or your very own whey/klabber), and you can choose almost any consistency that you like, from the thinnest to the thickest.

Yogurt/kefir are on the okay list even though it is milk because it is pre-digested by acidophilus. This converts the milk sugars and milk proteins and makes it easily tolerated, even by some people with lactose intolerance.

If you do have milk sensitivities, you may be better off using whey instead of yogurt in these recipes, although some people have complained of intolerance to even whey, I suspect this may be a healing crisis reaction rather than a true allergic reaction. People underestimate how important microbes are to us and usually don’t have any comprehension of how strongly they can affect our digestive systems both for good and bad except perhaps when suffering food poisoning.

For a broader base of friendly microbes, you can substitute kefir for the yogurt in these recipes. The best kefir is make from scratch in your own home from kefir grains (see recipe and link below).

Pitta dosha people may want to substitute cottage cheese for the yogurt/cream part of these recipes.

Feel free to change the recipes so that the consistency is the consistency you enjoy. Some prefer a much watered down version of these drinks, which is fine. You may also want to try these recipes with your own almond or rice milk! :)

Basic Digestive Lassi

Good as a digestive aid, may drink small amounts with meals or just prior to the meal. Good for all doshas.
1/2 cup plain Yoghurt
1 1/4 cups cold Water
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp finely crumbled Mint
Blend in a blender for 3 seconds

Intense Digestive Lassi

Too strong for Pitta people. Excellent for weak digestion, flatulence, etc.
1/2 jalapeño pepper, ground
1 clove garlic, ground
1/2 inch cube ginger, grated
1 TBS fresh coriander leaves (cilantro), chopped (opt.)
Add and blend together until frothy:
3 cups plain yogurt
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
3 1/2 cups cold water

Almond Lassi

Soak almonds overnight in filtered water.
Drain and throw into the blender.
Add about one tablespoon yogurt out of a cup of yogurt.
Grind thoroughly.
Add remaining yogurt
¼ teaspoon Vanilla or Almond extract

Sweet Digestive Lassi

½ cup cottage cheese
½ cup yoghurt
or just one cup yoghurt and either water or cream to achieve desired consitency
1 teaspoon ground cumin powder
1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup or 3 large dates, pitted
½ teaspoon lemon juice

Gingerbread Lassi

This is especially nice for bringing back memories and giving a taste of baking whilst one is avoiding sweet, floury desserts. All of the herbs are excellent for digestion too.
1 cup cottage cheese
½ cup yoghurt
2 teaspoons molasses
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon Sea Salt

Watered-down Sweet Lassi

1/2 cup yogurt
2 cups water
Honey or Stevia to taste
Pinch of nutmeg
Pinch of cayenne to sharpen flavors
Dash of rosewater (optional)

Use a whisk or eggbeater if you don’t want to get out the blender.

Kefir

2 cups fresh whole milk, nonhomogenized and preferably raw.
½ cup good quality cream.
1 tablespoon kefir grains.

Fermented foods link
http://www.healingcrow.com/ferfun/ferfun.html

http://users.chariot.net.au/~dna/Makekefir.html

good almond/sesame milk recipe

http://users.chariot.net.au/~dna/vegmilk.html#nut-shell
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