Pumpkin Ginger Lassi- A Nourishing Treat for Halloween !

Makes 1 tall glass (without ice)

It is Halloween today! So I wanted to post something ‘pumpkiny’ and thought of a lot of  pumpkin recipes that I have made in the past. Some take a lot of effort and time and I was feeling lazy, some seemed the ‘usual’ and not ‘that’ interesting for Halloween. So I went to the grocery, collecting ingredients and my thoughts as I was walking in the aisles. Do you do that? I am sure that if someone is watching, it must be quite amusing to see me just having stopped in my tracks, staring at a yogurt container or a pumpkin. But people! I have not lost it completely…..not yet anyway:)….I am trying to come up with a recipe.

 I was thinking about a pumpkin and ginger lassi but my toughest critic at home, my husband, made a face that told me volumes. I continued undeterred on my quest to come up with a great recipe for it because I love lassi. Lassi, to me, is this nourishing, refreshing and calming drink that takes me back to the days when my mom made it for me especially during stressful exam times.

Ginger is just perfect for this time of the year with its amazing therapeutic qualities ! According to Ayurveda, it  enhances circulation, stokes the digestive fire and also helps with colds. Cardamom is said to restore vitality and calm the mind. Just what I need! I was thinking ‘nourishing’ when I saw pumpkin Greek yogurt and almond milk at Trader Joe’s and a recipe began to form in my head. I stopped staring at the grocery items and came home eager to try out my new recipe combining many of my favorite flavors for fall.

Nourishing, healthy and delicious Ginger Pumpkin Lassi, as my dear hubby is now convinced, is not a trick but a treat for Halloween! It is so good to have a critic at home! Also, I have to give him credit for suggesting the black background for the photo.

For the Ginger Pumpkin Lassi I used-

• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger. Wash and peel the ginger before grating.
• seeds from 2 pods of cardamom
• 4 dates. I used Mariani brand pitted dates.
• 1/2 cup almond milk. I used Pacific Organic brand, vanilla flavored
• 1 (8 oz) container pumpkin flavored Greek yogurt. I used Trader Joe’s non-fat pumpkin Greek yogurt

For the glass ‘rim’

I used molasses and brown sugar

To serve-

• Candied ginger ‘leaves’. I used Trader Joe’s candied ginger.

To make the Pumpkin Ginger Lassi-

1. In a blender, blend together the grated ginger, cardamom seeds, dates and the almond milk into a very fine paste. Add the pumpkin Greek yogurt and blend for a few seconds to combine.
2. Serve plain or over ice in the molasses and brown sugar rimmed tall glass and serve with candied ginger.

I hope you enjoy this treat as much as we did! I am joining the fiesta with my Pumpkin Ginger Lassi. Thank you  Angie @ The Novice Gardener ,  Margy @La Petite Casserole and the fantastic Jhuls @The Not So Creative Cook for hosting,

Happy Halloween!

Love,

Sandhya