Persimmon-Cardamom Vegan Lassi

Amber Silk

42 minutes total · Easy · Makes 2

Ripe persimmon, oat yogurt and fragrant cardamom blend into a chilled amber lassi with gentle lime brightness and a pistachio finish.

12 minutes to mix30 minutes to chill2 finished drinks

What you’ll need

3 ripe Fuyu persimmons, yielding 280 g flesh plus 4 thin half-moon slices for garnish
240 g unsweetened oat yogurt, certified vegan and alcohol-free
120 ml unsweetened oat milk, certified vegan and alcohol-free
1 1/2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon ground green cardamom
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1 small pinch fine sea salt
80 g ice cubes
12 g unsalted roasted pistachios, finely chopped

Place two 250 ml footed goblets in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes so the finished drink stays cold without serving ice.
Peel the persimmons. Measure 280 g flesh into a blender and reserve four thin half-moon slices for garnish.
Add the oat yogurt, oat milk, maple syrup, lime juice, cardamom, ginger and sea salt to the blender. Blend on high for 45 seconds, until completely smooth.
Taste the mixture; it should be softly sweet, fragrant and lightly sharpened by lime. Add no more than 1 teaspoon additional maple syrup only if the fruit is unusually tart.
Transfer the mixture to a covered jug and refrigerate for 30 minutes to let the cardamom settle into the fruit.
Return the chilled mixture to the blender, add the 80 g ice cubes and blend for 20 to 25 seconds, until the ice is fully incorporated and the lassi is silky rather than frothy.
Pour immediately into the chilled goblets, dividing evenly and leaving about 1 cm of space at the rim.

The glass, temperature and first aroma all shape the drink. Set those details before the final pour.

Use two chilled, clear 250 ml footed goblets; the short bowl shows the warm amber colour and suits the drink's creamy texture.
Serve without ice in the glass because the measured ice has already been blended into the lassi; the finished drink should be thoroughly cold, about 4°C to 6°C.
Cut a small slit in each reserved persimmon half-moon and place two slices neatly on each rim without dipping them deeply into the drink.
Finish each glass with half of the chopped pistachios and the lightest dusting of cardamom from what remains on the measuring spoon.
Serve within five minutes of the final blend, before the lassi warms or separates; give it one gentle stir if it waits longer.

At the table

Crisp vegetable pakoras with fresh mint chutney, whose savoury spice is cooled by the creamy persimmon.

Smoky tandoori cauliflower with cumin-roasted potatoes, balanced by the drink's fruit and gentle acidity.

Vegan pistachio-cardamom shortbread for a quiet autumn brunch or dessert pairing.

Estimated per drink

Persimmon supplies fibre and carotenoid pigments, while the drink's sugars come mainly from the fruit and maple syrup; values are estimates.

Estimates vary with ingredient brands, substitutions and serving size.