rose lassi
As it turns out, sleep training is a thing that actually works. Who would have thought? (Probably, you know, all the experts.) After four months of having a baby with a college-freshman-style late night sleep schedule — and an especially interesting month having a baby who did his best to boycott sleep altogether — we have one who, somehow, has learned to go to sleep by himself. I’m not sure what to do with myself now that I’m not a human rocking chair. (Lest this sound too idyllic, I’ll add that he’s still skeptical of this “sleeping for more than two hours at a time” business. And, more recently, naps.)
Anyway, this turn of events means that we’ve found ourselves, suddenly, in that quintessential early-evening routine that I always imagined for new parents but hadn’t experienced until now: B3 cooing himself to sleep in his crib by 8pm, while we disheveled caretakers are in the living room, half watching TV but mostly doing our best to become one with the couch. Somehow it makes us feel the most “parent-like” that we have yet. At least once an evening one of us says, “It’s like we’re real parents now!” (Except not; I’m pretty sure we’ll always feel like we’re playing house.)
My favorite thing in these cozy hours is to have a little something sweet to sip on, quick to get together but appropriately treat-worthy for some quality time with B2. One recent favorite is this perfect golden latte, of which I absolutely can’t get enough; when I’m feeling something on the cooler side, I’ve been making rose lassi. I’m usually far too intimidated to try my hand at Indian cooking, preferring to leave it to those who know best, but when it comes to lassi, I was pleasantly surprised to see how simple it really was: plain unflavored yogurt, of which I usually have a glut in the fridge, ice water, and your fruit or syrup of choice is all you need to have that mainstay of Indian drinks that I’ve so loved. I largely followed Nik’s expertise, but added an easy homemade rose syrup that’s a spin-off of the rose preserves in this other yogurt-based favorite of mine; you can easily go with sugar and rosewater instead, as per his recipe. Either way, the result is equal parts tangy, refreshing, and sweet, with a floral fragrance that makes it feel much fancier than it is. I like storing it in a giant Mason jar in the fridge and sneaking little glasses whenever I want a treat. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
P.S. If you’re curious, a combination of a short wind-down ritual and pick-up put-down (and, to our huge relief, no crying it out) is what worked best for us to get Luke over his sleep regression — thanks to some life-saving advice from Lindsey!
Based on Nik's sweet lassi with rosewater. The syrup will make much more than you need, but will keep for weeks in the fridge; save the rest for more lassi, to drizzle over yogurt parfaits, or to make rose-flavored lattes.
- For the rose syrup:
- 1/2 cup dried culinary rose petals, packed
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2-3 teaspoons rosewater (optional, for a stronger rose flavor)
- For the lassi:
- 1 ½ cup plain full fat yogurt
- ½ cup ice-cold water
- 3-4 tablespoons rose syrup, from above (or more to taste)
- Sugar, if desired
- Rosewater, if desired
- Pick over the rose petals to remove any leaves and separate the petals, if needed. Combine the water, sugar, and rose petals in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and let simmer for 10 minutes, or until syrup thickens and turns a deep pink. Stir in the rosewater, then remove from heat and strain out the petals. Set aside and let cool.
- In a large bowl or pitcher, stir together the yogurt, water, and 3 or so tablespoons of the rose syrup. If desired, add more syrup, a teaspoon at a time, until it reaches your ideal flavor. If the rose flavor is strong enough but you’d like a little extra sweetness, adjust with sugar; if sweet enough but you'd like a bit more rose flavor, add a tad more rosewater. (If using more sugar, you may want to blend the lassi to thoroughly incorporate the sugar.) Serve chilled.
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