Blueberry Cardamom Creamy Cashew Lassi Smoothie with Whipped Cream

Imagine a tall glass of deep purple lassi, thick enough to hold a spoon, with a dark blueberry swirl at the bottom and a crown of soft whipped cream on top. This blueberry cardamom cashew lassi comes together in one blender jar, so you can go from fruit to finished glass in about fifteen minutes.

This lassi takes the cool, tangy character of yogurt and gives it the richness of cashews and ripe banana. Fresh blueberries supply the colour and a bright fruit flavour, while a pinch of ground cardamom adds the warm, perfumed note that makes lassi taste like a dessert without any extra fuss. A drizzle of honey rounds out the sweetness.

The finished smoothie is served cold in clear glasses, so you see every layer: the dark blueberry sauce, the fine white chocolate curls, the purple body and the pale cream on top. It works as an afternoon drink, a brunch companion or a dessert served in a tall glass, and it needs no cooking at all.

Ingredients

Why this recipe works

Layering the ingredients in the blender jar in a fixed order is what makes this easy. The heavier blueberries and banana sit at the base so the blades pull them down into the liquid, while the yogurt on top loosens the mixture.

Blending on high speed then breaks the cashews into a smooth, creamy base instead of gritty specks. Because the cashews are raw and blended whole, they give the lassi body without any thickener, and the banana adds natural sweetness that balances the tang of the yogurt.

The sauce and the topping are built in the glass rather than in the blender. Crushing a few blueberries with honey gives a concentrated, dark layer that stays at the bottom, while the grated white chocolate melts slightly into the cold lassi as you drink.

Piping the cream last keeps it stiff and fluffy above the smoothie, so the glass looks finished and every sip brings a little cream with the fruit.

Notes and substitutions

Use plain whole-milk yogurt for the richest texture. Greek yogurt makes a thicker lassi and is a good choice if you want a spoonable result; thin it with a splash of cold milk if it feels too stiff to blend. Ripe bananas with brown spots blend sweeter and more smoothly than firm ones, so choose fruit that is fully ripe for the best colour and flavour.

You need a high-speed blender with a glass jar so the cashews break down fully and the mixture turns an even purple-pink. A box grater produces the fine white chocolate curls that look so striking on top.

A piping bag fitted with a star tip makes the tall cream crown easy to shape. If you do not have a piping bag, spoon the whipped cream on top and shape it with the back of a spoon for a similar effect.

• raw cashews: blanched almonds, chopped, for a different nutty note; note that almonds are also tree nuts
• plain whole-milk yogurt: plain Greek yogurt thinned with a splash of cold milk
• heavy cream, whipped: ready-made whipped topping, chilled

Equipment

• High-speed blender with a glass jar
• Box grater
• Wooden cutting board
• Chef's knife
• Piping bag with a star tip
• Tall clear glasses