Punjabi Lassi

Thick, full-fat yogurt churned with water or milk to a dense, creamy consistency and sweetened generously with sugar, served in tall brass or earthen glasses topped with a thick float of fresh cream and sometimes a small lump of home-made white butter. The Punjabi lassi is substantially richer than the thinner, commercial versions; in Amritsar it is served in earthen kulhads so thick with cream that the yogurt component is almost secondary. The defining post-meal drink of Punjab; in summer, a large lassi replaces lunch for many Punjabi households.