Mango Lassi
This mango lassi is an utterly refreshing sweet summer drink to cool down after a hot day. I like making it at home as it can be done in no time at all.
‘Tis the season for mangoes and first comes lassi
Lassi is a popular and traditional fermented milk beverage having its roots in the Indian subcontinent. This Mango Lassi is an utterly refreshing drink during summer and is similar to a milk shake. As I have to drive quite a distance to buy a mango lassi, I much prefer to prepare it at home. This lassi can be made in no time at all and your family will thank you for it, if you make it on a hot summer day. It is my favourite drink during the months between November and January, when the mangoes taste their best and are in abundance. I grew up eating many varieties of mangoes, all grown at home. I love eating mangoes on thier own, in salads, make mango curries, puddings, cakes and this mango lassi. I recall fondly, in the intense heat of Indian summers, me and my college friends have enjoyed Mango Lassi more as a meal than a drink.
Lassi is made with yogurt and comes in savoury and sweet varieties. The sweet varieties are made with mangoes or strawberries with yogurt as the base and blended with a sweetener (sugar, honey, agave nectar or maple syrup), cardamom and milk or water. Savoury versions are rich in spices and equally thirst quenching, the ingredients of which vary from region to region. Being a South Indian, my mother made refreshing savoury versions with salt, mint, cumin and green chillies with or without a seasoning of mustard seeds.
It is a joy to see the Kensington Pride mangoes (also known as Bowen mangoes) come to supermarket shelves, which happens pretty much from the second week of October until mid-January. I love these mangoes and almost always this Mango Lassi tops the list, followed by Sweet and Sour Mango Curry, salads, salsas, mohitos and desserts. You may use any ripe, fleshy and sweet mangoes with a distinct mango aroma. It’s ok if they have some tang but do not use if they are very tarty.
As I started doing this post, a particular Indian mango drink (my childhood favourite) also came flashing back to my mind. This drink is called Mangola and many of you will relate to this drink fondly if you grew up in India in the 70s, 80s and the 90s. I have spent many a summer days stopping by at a local cold drink shop, to have either this bottled drink or a tall glass of sweet sugarcane juice, on my way back from the university. Mangola, Coca Cola, Biccola (purple looking cordial in a tall bottle), Gold Spot (a carbonated orange drink) and Thumps Up (a brand of cola in India) were very popular drinks of the 70s and 80s in India. Mangola and Coca Cola were drinks that were widely served during wedding receptions and other celebrations, be it at home or elsewhere. These drinks were so famous that almost all Indian restaurants had Mangola, Coca Cola and Gold Spot on their menus. We Indians could not have enough of these three energy boosting bottled drinks, that we also often bought them during the heat of the summer months to quench our thirst and to keep down our body temperature.
For your information, Mangola is a mango flavoured soft drink sold in glass bottles and launched in India in the 50s. It was originally owned by the Pundole family and part of Duke and Sons. Dukes was sold to Pepsico in 1994. Pepsico phased out most drinks under the Duke’s brand in 2004 but retained Mangola and Lemonade. My love for Mangola has travelled with me to Australia and funnily, even as of today I go looking for a bottle of Mangola at my local Indian grocery store. It’s that acquired taste and a must have when your tastebuds call for it!!
Enjoy this utterly refreshing, creamy, sweet with a slight tang and delicious lassi as a cooling summer drink or after your dinner. It is not too thick and not too runny, hence also makes a great dessert if served with a scoop or two of your favourite vanilla ice cream.
how do i make a perfect lassi?
- Use fresh mangoes with sweet flesh and a distinct mango aroma because they yield best results.
- If you are planning ahead, place the mango chunks in the refrigerator for sometime to get a cold lassi. Or better still, you can place the mango chunks in the fridge the earlier night.
- Buy a good quality low-fat coconut yogurt in order to get a creamy lassi. Chobani is a good brand and you can hardly feel that you are having a low-fat lassi. You can also use a plant based coconut milk yogurt in place of normal yogurt. You may have to adjust the sweetness and the tang slightly to your taste.
- Use honey/maple syrup and cardamom as per your taste. We are looking for a good balance of sweet, tang and cardamom flavour in this lassi. However, if you are not a fan of cardamom, you can skip this spice and add the spice of your choice eg., cinnamon or nutmeg. Cardamom is my personal choice.
- I like to use a few saffron strands for a deep yellow colour. However, if your mangoes are bright yellow in colour, you may prefer not to add saffron.
- Full cream milk is my personal choice for lassi, particulalry as I am using low-fat yogurt in this recipe. You may use low-fat milk if that is the milk of your choice and you are used to that taste.
- I prefer not to add ice cubes in my lassi as it tends to thin it down a bit more than I like. Ice also changes the taste of the final lassi to a certain degree. Instead, I add a little chilled water. I prefer it this way. If you must, you can add 60g -75g crushed ice to your blender along with other ingredients. If you do so, please adjust the sweetness and lemon juice to suit your taste.
- I like to add a little freshly squeezed lime juice as the lime juice thins down this lassi to the right consistency. It gives the lassi a little sharp taste to add to the slight tang of yogurt and I love this taste. Start off by adding only 2 tablespoons and increase as per your taste.
- As I have a smoothie attachment, I use it when I make my lassi to get a perfect lassi. If you do not have a smoothie attachment, then whiz the ingredients in your blender till smooth and well combined.
- Lassi is best served as soon as it is made. You can also refrigerate this lassi for 24 hours if you have some leftovers.
Mango Lassi
Ingredients
- 1 large ripe chilled mango peeled and cut into chunks (250g) pulp
- ½ cup Greek coconut yogurt (140mL) (I use Chobani Greek low fat coconut yogurt)
- 3 tbsp. honey or ½ cup maple syrup (150mL) or to taste depending on the sweetness of your mango
- ¼ tsp. finely ground cardamom seeds plus a little extra for the garnish
- 4 saffron strands
- 190 mL chilled full cream milk
- 45 mL iced water
- 4 tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice or to taste (30mL)
- Mint leaves for garnish
- ½ tbsp. crushed pistachio nuts for garnish optional
Instructions
- Chobani Low Fat Greek Coconut Yogurt comes in tubs of 170mL. As the coconut pulp sits at the bottom of the tub, you must stir thoroughly to combine the yogurt with the coconut. Once stirred, set aside till you prepare other ingredients.
- Place all the ingredients in the Smoothie attachment of your blender along with any juice from the mango. Blend in the Smoothie cycle until smooth. If you do not have a smoothie attachment, then place all ingredients in a blender and blend until completely smooth (1-2 minutes). Taste and add a little extra honey or maple syrup to suit your sweetness level. If you have added extra honey or syrup, whiz for a further few seconds to combine with other ingredients.
- Once to your liking, pour into two glasses and sprinkle with cardamom. Garnish with crushed pistachio nuts and mint sprigs. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Place your tablespoon under hot running water for a few seconds before you dip it into honey. The honey will be runnier and easier to scoop.
- Add honey or maple syrup according to the sweetness of your fruit. If your fruit is very sweet, you may require slightly less honey or maple syrup.
- I used the pulp of one very ripe Kensington Pride mango (also known as Bowen mango) as the flesh is vibrant yellow, sweet, tangy, rich and juicy. It is better to use a fully ripe mango as it has a strong mango aroma and sweetness. Kensington Pride mangoes have a short shelf life so use up the mangoes within the first 3 days to take advantage of their full flavour for making this lassi. Mangoes are best when they are firm to touch but give slightly when pressed gently. Look for mangoes with smooth skin and a distinctive mango aroma. You may use any mango but use one that has a distinct mango aroma with sweet flesh.
- I have a Breville blender which has a smoothie attachment and a smoothie cycle. If you do not have a blender with a smoothie attachment, just blend the ingredients until smooth (approximately 1-2 minutes).
Hi, I’m Catherine!
I’m all about creating tasty Indian dishes with whatever’s on hand, even when I’m short on time or budget. I love turning simple ingredients into flavorful delights. Join me on this culinary adventure where we’ll explore the magic of Indian cuisine, one delicious dish at a time!
Very refreshing. Unique twist given by the Greek Yogurt. Feels divine on a hot and sultry summer day
Thanks Astria. Happy to hear that you enjoyed the slight twist with the Greek Coconut Yogurt. Much appreciate your feedback.