There are lassis and then there is rooh afza lassi…growing up in hyderabad, this was our must have on summer afternoons on our way back from summer camps….back then they (the summer camps i mean) were’nt as hi-fi as they are now….but I reckon now is all style and no substance…..one of the things us kids would be looking forward to every afternoon was to stop the cycle rickshaw under the shady tree of the Irani café where the rickshaw man would stop, and go in to place the order….for kids aged about 6-7, we could barely contain our glee when a tray would appear with the scarlet stained glasses….with a tall spoon (amithabh bachchan spoon it was called), crushed ice on the top and we’d swirl it around to see the blobs of scarlet disappear into a more uniform pink………..a thick layer of cream on top beneath the layer of ice….this tall glass is the thing childhood dreams were made of….of course before coke and Pepsi choke them out of business that is……
Rooh afza is a typically desi drink which is supposed to do everything from improve your complexion to regulate your digestion….i just love the flavour of the thick sugary syrup, with a hint of rose and khus khus……it can be added to lime juice and desserts, but I just love it with lassi…..
