Mango Lassi is a low-fat creamy, Indian style mango smoothie. It is prepared with fresh mango pulp, yogurt and a dash of cardamom and saffron. Mango lassi is the perfect drink for summers when
juicy mangoes are in season and at their ripest best.
Who doesn’t love mangoes? Tropical fruits such as mangoes and pineapple really thrive in the warmer months such as Indian summer and this is the best time to enjoy them. Indian mango lassi is one of the quickest ways to enjoy the sweet, ripe, best of mangoes available during the season.
What is lassi?
Lassi is an Indian style smoothie prepared with fresh yogurt (curd), sugar and cardamom. Unlike a milkshake, Indian lassi uses yogurt instead of milk. Hence, it is considered good for your gut because of the probiotic bacteria in the yogurt.
Traditionally, lassi has it’s origin in Punjab, where it is prepared without a blender by churning yogurt manually till the cream floats to the top. Each serving of the drink is then topped with a generous bit of this cream or malai, crushed dry-fruits and saffron or cardamom.
What is lassi called in English?
In the Indian subcontinent, lassi is also known as ‘sweet lassi’. It is a refreshing decoction of yogurt, sugar, water and a hint of cardamom or dry fruits. The salty version of lassi is known as ‘namkeen lassi’ or buttermilk.
Making of Mango Lassi…
Type Of Mango: Mangoes come in several different varieties as anyone living in the tropics would know – ripe mangoes with the hint of sweetness are best for making Indian mango smoothie. The aroma of fruit should be full-bodied and sweet. This is always a sign of a good-tasting mango. Needless to say, the skin must be smooth in shades of yellow and with minimum blemishes. If you don’t have locally sourced fresh mangoes, use canned mango pulp.
Yogurt: Try to use thick, creamy, plain yogurt for making the lassi. You can use greek yogurt as well. Some lassi recipes use milk and yogurt – this is to reduce the thickness and tanginess of the curd. If you want a traditional Indian lassi use only yogurt (preferably made from full-fat milk).
Sweetener: To sweeten the mango lassi, one can use granulated white sugar, honey, vanilla ice-cream, or mango ice-cream. At times, the natural sweetness of the mango and yogurt are sufficient. Hence, always taste lassi before adding any sweetener or sugar.
How long does mango lassi last?
Indian Lassi can be easily stored in the fridge for 3 – 4 days. There is no change in the taste or texture of the lassi. You can freeze it for 2 – 3 months. Transfer lassi to a freezer friendly ziplock bag and keep in the freezer. At room temperature, it needs to be consumed immediately as the yogurt might turn sour.
Is mango lassi good for health?
Mango Lassi is packed with the dietary fiber, Vitamin D and probiotic bacteria. It is an excellent low-calorie, gluten-free summer drink which keeps you full and energetic for hours. Lassi is also a gut-friendly mango drink.
How to make Vegan Mango Lassi?
To make vegan mango lassi, you can replace yogurt with almond milk or vegan coconut yogurt. For a creamy texture, freeze the mango pulp for few hours before making the smoothie. The frozen mango pulp and the chilled almond milk will surely yield a delicious vegan lassi.
Love Mango Lassi? Try these Indian Drink Recipes:
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Mango Lassi Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Cup ripe mango pulp
- 1 Cup plain yogurt (curd), chilled
- 1/4 Cup milk, chilled
- granulated white sugar, to taste
- 1 teaspoon green cardamom powder (elaichi powder)
- a pinch of saffron (kesar)
- 5 – 6 ice-cubes
Instructions
- Soak saffron in a tablespoon of milk for 3 – 5 minutes
- Combine mango pulp, yogurt, milk, sugar, cardamom powder and saffron in a blender.
- Blend until smooth. Taste and add more sugar if required. Add ice cubes and blend for a second.
- Serve mango lassi chilled.
Recipe Notes:
- Canned mangoes usually come with sugar syrup, in that case, do not add additional
sweeteners to the mix without prior tasting. - Don’t use sour curd; it will ruin the balance of flavors in Lassi.
- Adding milk is optional.
- You can add approximately 1/4 cup of condensed milk while blending, to make lassi even more thick and delicious
- If you want to add to the indulgence, serve with a spoonful of thick cream on
top or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. - A drizzle of rose water or rose essence adds a burst of freshness, do try it out
Nutrition
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2 comments
Hi, thanks for this post. Mango lassi is an absolute favourite so it is even nicer that I can make it at home. Thanks for posting this. Very tasty drink!
Homemade version is always better than the preservative loaded packaged lassi. I am so happy you like the recipe 🙂