Padma Lakshmi's Tangy Twist On A Butter Board

If you've scrolled through TikTok at any point in the past few months, you probably stumbled upon at least one video of a whole bunch of butter slathered atop a charcuterie board with custom medleys of herbs, spices, seeds, berries, and veggies sprinkled on top. The creamy trend, simply dubbed the butter board, quickly swept the nation.

The first butter board was whipped up by Joshua McFadden, who published the recipe in his 2017 cookbook "Six Seasons: a New Way With Vegetables," according to NPR. However, it was popularized by food blogger Justine Doiron when she shared the hack on TikTok in September 2022.

Since the butter board craze began, many variations have made their debut. In addition to butter, folks have swapped in other spreadables, including but not limited to hummus, ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, and nut butter, per Everyday Health. Even Padma Lakshmi stans the voguish snack, but she prefers a traditional Indian ingredient.

Padma Lakshmi is an advocate of Indian cuisine, as she proudly showcases her native culture through her always mouthwatering, always colorful meals. She has expressed her perpetual love for tasty eats such as tadka, khichdi, and lime pickles. Most recently, Lakshmi expressed that she likes to put her own twist on the famous butter board by incorporating lassi, a cultured drinkable yogurt with Indian origins. She even calls her alternative "better than a butter board."

Lakshmi posted a video on her Instagram of her go-to lassi board recipe, which she describes as "tastier, tangy-er, healthier, and a whole lot easier to clean up than a butter board!" Her savory board calls for strained lassi (she recommends the probiotic-packed DAH! brand in the caption), a drizzle of olive oil, za'atar, sumac, smoked paprika, Aleppo pepper flakes, fresh mint, and chopped dried apricots. And as far as the vessel, she scoops the lassi "butter" up with a giant cracker.