Mango Lassi needs no introduction. It’s a deliciously creamy and tangy yoghurt drink, synonymous with Indian food. To many, an Indian meal out isn’t quite complete without this most refreshing of drinks.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
How to Make Mango Lassi
It really is the simplest of drinks to make. Mango lassi really only needs 2 ingredients. Everything else is extra and totally optional.
You need mangoes. And you need yoghurt. That’s it. If you have sweet and ripe mangoes, you really are not going to want anything else. But if you do:
- you can flavour it with a little cardamom
- saffron is another spice that’s quite popular
- if you want your mango lassi a little lighter (not thick), add some milk
- if your mangoes aren’t sweet enough, a little honey will solve that problem
- and if you want it extra cold, blend it with some ice cubes
- want some texture? Sprinkle some crushed pistachios over
So many ways to jazz up your mango lassi!
And for the actual process:
- Peel the mangoes and add them to the blender.
- Tip in the yoghurt.
- Blend and enjoy!
Did I mention it was easy?
What Mangoes are best for Mango Lassi?
For you to make the best mango lassi, you want to try and get your hands on the sweetest and juiciest mangoes possible. I can tell you right now that the mangoes we get in our shops and supermarkets here in the UK are just not good enough.
Indian mangoes, especially Alphonso mangoes, are your best bet. Or Mexican mangoes, known as Ataulfo. The flesh is a bright orange, as you can see in the images here, and there is no need to resort to colouring your mango lassi.
Given the vibrancy of these mangoes your yoghurt drink will naturally be yellow in colour and not pale.
There are so many online retailers selling Indian mangoes when in season (around March to May). I got my hands on 2 dozen of them a couple of weeks ago, and have thoroughly enjoyed them in so many different ways! Mind you, they are not cheap, but so totally worth the price.
If you have an “ethnic” grocer near you, that’s always worth a try. Mine are always stocking “exotic” fresh produce.
Can you use Frozen Mangoes?
Absolutely! And you don’t even have to thaw them, just use them frozen, as they are, for a brain numbing, ice cold mango lassi! You’ll probably need to lighten it with some milk though.
What type of Yoghurt?
Any natural, not overly thick yoghurt will do perfectly. You can use low fat or non fat, that’s completely up to you. And as mentioned at the start, if you find your yoghurt too thick for your taste, just lighten it with a little milk. And once again, that milk can also be low or no fat.
And that’s it, not much else to talk about today, which always makes a nice change. Shall we get our aprons on?
More Drinks on LinsFood
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Cheers! Lin
Mango Lassi Recipe
Equipment
- Knife and chopping board
- Blender
- 2 tall glasses
- tall spoons or straws
Ingredients
- 250 g natural yoghurt not too thick
- 3 ripe and sweet mangoes
- generous pinch ground cardamom (optional) grind the seeds of 2 cardamoms with a pestle and mortar
Optional Ingredients you may fancy
- honey if your mangoes are not sweet enough
- saffron threads either for garnish or to blend
- crushed pistachios for garnish
- crushed, dried rose petals for garnish or to blend
- ice cubes to blend with the mangoes
Instructions
- Tip the yoghurt and ground cardamom into the blender.
- Peel and chop up the mangoes and add the flesh to the blender.
- Blend everything to a smooth drink and serve up into the your chosen glasses.
- If you like, garnish with some pistachios and/or saffron. I usually don't bother, why mess with perfection? But the garnish makes for prettier pictures!
