Blend the yogurt and water in a blender with a pinch of salt – if you have a whipping attachment use it . Taste and adjust salt . Keep blending until the mix is frothy.
Toast the cumin seeds in a pan for about 1 minute or until it begins to pop. Crush to a powder using a mortar and pestle.
Transfer the lassi to serving glasses and sprinkle the cumin powder on top.
For Mango Lassi
Blend the mango slices into a smooth pulp. Add the yogurt to this mix and blend. Taste and add sugar if needed.
Add enough water to thin the mix into pourable consistency .
For Strawberry Lassi
Wash and remove the stem from the strawberries. Slice into small pieces if needed. Blend the berries till smooth. Add the yogurt and blend till uniform. Taste and add sugar if needed. Add water and blend for 1 minute till frothy.
Pour into glasses and serve.
Notes
Use plain yogurt , not strained or the Greek Perferably use homemade yogurt.
Salt lassi tastes better if the yogurt us Homemade yogurts gets more tangy as it gets older. Use a little lemon juice if making salt lassi with fresh yogurt and you prefer the tang.
Mangoes vary in terms of sugar Canned mango pulp is usually sweetened and there will be no need to add extra sugar.
Blend a handful of mint leaves with ¼ C yogurt and proceed with the salt lassi recipe to make Mint Lassi
For Sweet Lassi follow the recipe for salt lassi and add 2- 4 tbsp of sugar while blending. Garnish with powdered cardamom.