Banana and Turmeric Lassi

The loveliest thing happened to me last week. I went to bed on Tuesday night the eve of my 40th birthday and was fast asleep by 10pm. The front door and car starting woke me up at midnight but for some reason I thought perhaps my husband had gone to pick up his Mother from a friends so thought nothing of it and fell back into a deep sleep.

At 12:30am my husband shook me gently and whispered ‘your birthday presents in the sitting room, you need to come downstairs’.  Now for those who know me…never wake me up from a deep sleep. I might have slurred some words like ‘could you not wait until tomorrow, i’m reeeeeeallly tired’ but then I heard a baby cry!

Down the stairs I went and there standing in my sitting room was my sister and her little baby Addison (a.k.a the Justin Bieber baby) who had flown the entire way from Toronto – just for me. Seriously in my entire life no-one has surprised me as much as I was surprised that night.

It has just been amazing to hang out with them both and more importantly cook for the most beautiful little lady. Which brings me onto my recipe. My husband and I drank banana lassis every day when we travelled around India and i’ve been meaning to make them for my blog for ages. Usually by the time i’ve blended up the bananas, little hands are up and the drink has disappeared before I’ve had a chance for a photo!  A lassi is simply a banana milkshake but I wanted to add a little twist to it and also make it a super yellow colour so I used a little turmeric and it is amazing!

When I normally think of turmeric I think Indian curry, but this spice is really versatile and goes well with fruit, especially yellow fruits; pineapple, mango or banana. Not only does it being a little exotic flavour to this drink it also brings with it an abundance of health benefits. Turmeric is a natural anti-inflammatory and is also really high in antioxidants.

I used almond milk and coconut yogurt for my version which is just a preference but you can use any combination of milk and yogurt you wish and its still delicious!

Finally delicious bananas. I seriously don’t think I could live without bananas in my life. I use them to create a little sweetness and they are full of goodness. They are rich in potassium, niacin and fibre and they make a great snack for little hands. Blended with milk they become creamy and smooth and work so well with the other ingredients in this recipe.

This recipe is also really great for teething gums. Just make a batch then freeze into little ice pop moulds. The coldness helps relieve sore gums and the anti-inflammatory properties of the turmeric will also help a little too.

Hope you like it enjoy the rest of your week,

Aileen, Oscar (a.k.a Captain Emergency) & Baby Addison

xoxoxoxoxo