You can not have an Indian meal without some form of lassi.  The traditional lassi made with yoghurt and salt, and garnished with ground cumin is my favourite.   Nothing is as refreshing to me as a cold salted lassi in the heat of summer.  I thought I had tasted all the types of lassi there are, salted (traditional) , sweet and fruit (typically mango) all made with a mixture of yoghurt and water. That was until I stumbled across an article in the Saveur this summer and discovered the caramel lassi made wholly with milk that is heated slowly to make sweet  creamy concoction which is topped with pomegranate seeds. Delicious, as SM2 commented it’s a little bit like rice pudding but with out the rice! The recipe calls for the milk to be heated for 40 – 45 minutes , but I think it needs a little bit more, possibly 60 to 90 minutes, this is not a quick drink to make but trust me it’s so worth the wait.  Oh yes, and make sure you use full fat milk, I don’t think it works as well with semi skimmed, next time I may even try with almond milk!

Ingredients

• 8 cups of whole milk ( full fat)
• 1/4 cup of granulated sugar
• Pomegranate Seeds for garnish (also add chopped cashew nuts)

Method

1. Pour the milk into a large enough saucepan and boil, reduce the heat to a medium heat and simmer for approx. 60 to 90 minutes , or until the milk has reduce to a 1/3 of its original volume.
2. Add the sugar and heat further until all the sugar has dissolved, this should only take a few minutes.  The milk should now be a war creamy honey colour.
3. Allow to cool and then pour into a glass, top with the pomegranate put your feet up and enjoy.