Bhang Lassi Recipe: How to Make a Cannabis Milkshake
No celebration of Holi, the Hindu festival of colors, is complete without the buzz of bhang lassi. Hindus have used this traditional holiday drink for thousands of years to represent renewal as they usher in the spring.
Shops across India sell bhang lassis, and it’s wildly popular with locals and tourists. Some drink it to feel closer to the gods and meditate, while others simply want to sip something that will give them a delicious buzz. Whatever the case, when you know how to make bhang lassi, you can elevate any party!
Let's take a closer look at the history and preparation of this drink before we dive into our own delicious bhang lassi recipe.
What is Bhang?
Bhang refers to a cannabis paste used to make a variety of drinks in India. Ancient Hindu texts say the god Shiva found bhang in the mountains after being poisoned. Shiva ate the bhang, and its healing powers saved them.
Bhang is an essential component of Ayurvedic medicine. Ayurveda is a traditional Indian medical system that traces back thousands of years. It takes a holistic approach to health and wellness by balancing a person’s energy.
Of course, you don’t have to be spiritually or holistically inclined to enjoy bhang. Ask anyone from India, and they’ll be sure to have stories of tourists really enjoying themselves. Bhang lassi is just one of the many marijuana-laced drinks you can enjoy at a bhang shop in India, and they can get pretty potent for the uninitiated!
Once you know how to make bhang, the possibilities for drinks are endless. However, we love the colorful traditions of Holi and the celebration of change and renewal, so we’re focusing on our bhang lassi recipe.
Bhang Lassi Recipe
One of our favorite parts of this recipe is how simple it is! For the uninitiated, cooking with cannabis can be a little intimidating. But because this drink doesn’t require making cannabutter first, it’s an easy entry point—and a delicious one, too.
Materials You’ll Need
Our bhang lassi recipe requires the following tools:
Mortar and pestle
Blender
Small saucepan
Parchment paper
Rimmed baking sheet
Ingredients You’ll Need
It only takes about 20 minutes to whip up a batch of bhang lassis. Since this drink is best enjoyed fresh, be sure you have the following ready to go before you start.
0.5 grams of dried cannabis
2 cups of dahi (plain yogurt)
1.5 cups cold water
0.5 cup sugar
1 tablespoon rose water
0.25 tablespoon cardamom powder
5 soaked and peeled almonds
5 cashews
Mint leaves for garnish
Step-by-Step Instructions
Once your supplies are ready, it’s time to jump into a centuries-old tradition! First, we have to start by decarboxylating the marijuana. This process activates the THC and gives our bhang lassi recipe the psychoactive kick we want!
How to Make Bhang Paste
Preheat your oven to 225°F.
On a parchment-lined baking sheet, spread 0.5 grams of marijuana into a single layer. You’ll use a mortar and pestle later, so don’t worry about grinding it now.
Allow it to bake until it begins to toast and becomes lightly fragrant. This takes about 15 minutes.
Add the leaves to your mortar and pestle (or blender).
Using a small amount of water, grind the leaves into a fine paste.
How to Make the Milkshake
Now that you have your bhang, it’s time to add everything together!
Add yogurt, water, sugar, cardamom powder, almonds, cashews, and bhang paste to your blender.
Blend until the texture is very smooth and creamy.
Allow the mixture to cool in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before serving.
Alternatively, you can add crushed ice to the blender if you want your drink immediately chilled and ready.
Garnish your bhang lassi with mint leaves.
Looking for a Dairy-Free Bhang Lassi Recipe?
You can be vegan or lactose-intolerant and still enjoy a delicious bhang lassi. Just substitute the dahi for two cups of your favorite milk alternative. We think almond milk helps bring out the nutty flavor of the drink even more!
However, you are technically enjoying a different drink when you remove yogurt from your bhang lassi recipe. This drink is closer in preparation to a bhang thandai, which substitutes dahi with milk. However, if anyone wants to give you a hard time over the exact preparation and name, just shush them and insist they take a sip. They obviously need to chill out!
Low and Slow
Whether you’re new to edibles or a seasoned pro, our advice is always the same: start low and go slow. Cooking with cannabis involves lots of variables. And depending on the time, temperature, and strain of your cannabis, your bhang can vary in its potency.
Ask any old-school smoker about the days before you could buy delicious, accurately dosed edibles in a dispensary. They’ll be sure to have a story or two about a harrowing experience with a “special brownie.” Of course, you can’t overdose on marijuana, but take it from us: a night of paranoia isn’t fun.
So, even if it’s really delicious, be sure to pace yourself. The effects of a bhang lassi can take anywhere from thirty minutes to a few hours to kick in. Remember, you can always drink more bhang lassi.
One more pro tip: just because you’re taking edibles doesn’t mean you won’t have munchies later! Be sure to stock up on some snacks.
Bon Appétit!
Now that you know how to make bhang, we recommend sharing this bhang lassi recipe with your loved ones. This incredible part of Indian and Hindu tradition has brought people together for centuries, and the laughter and memories you’ll make (however foggy they may be) are the best part of any tradition.
Visit our Westwood dispensary today for bhang lassi recipe supplies and more! Our expert budtenders are always happy to help you find the best strains and marijuana products. We constantly bring fresh, award-winning stock into our store, so it’s a good idea to come back often!
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