What is Lassi?
Lassi is a popular, traditional, yogurt-based drink that originates from the Indian subcontinent. Indian Lassi is a blend of yogurt, water or milk, spices, and/or fruit. Plain sweet lassi and salt lassi (without fruits) are the most popular in India. On the other hand, Mango lassi is one of the most popular drinks served in restaurants in the USA.
What is Mango Lassi?
Mango lassi is a yogurt-based drink, made from yogurt, milk, mango pulp (fresh, frozen, or canned mango pulp), sugar, and flavored with cardamom. Also known as Indian Mango Smoothie. My daughter loves this lassi, and by default, that is the first thing we order when we visit a local Indian restaurant in Bay Area. It’s easy to make at home using yogurt, fresh or canned mango pulp, and sugar. Also, try another variant of Strawberry Lassi from my blog. Restaurants generally use canned mango pulp to prepare lassi. When mangoes are in season, I make them with fresh pulp. Otherwise, I use canned mango pulp at home to get restaurant quality. You can use leftover mango lassi to make mango lassi popsicles. Do try this for your next potluck or gathering.
Ingredients
You need very few ingredients to make this healthy yogurt-based mango-flavored drink.
Mangoes: Use the best quality mangoes that are ripe, sweet, juicy, and non-fibrous to make a mango lassi recipe. In India, Alphonso, Kesar, or Raspuri would be a good choice. In the USA, I prefer Ataulfo, Kent, or Keitt variety. You can also use Alphonso or Kesar canned mango pulp (I like Laxmi Alphonso mango pulp brand) if you can’t find the fresh one. Yogurt: To make lassi, yogurt is the star ingredient. Use plain, fresh, and not sour full-fat yogurt for the best taste (homemade yogurt works best). You may also use store-bought full-fat, low-fat yogurt. Greek yogurt, is also another option, make sure to thin it with milk or water. Milk: Lassi gets thick if the yogurt is too thick, so thin it down with some milk or water. You can use either whole milk, 2% milk, low-fat milk, or any plant-based milk like unsweetened almond milk. Sweetener: add a sweetener of your choice, like refined sugar, jaggery, coconut sugar, maple syrup, honey, agave, or stevia. If the mangoes are too sweet, you can skip adding them. Cardamom Powder: add it for the flavor, crush the whole green cardamom pods and use it or use store-bought ground cardamom. You can also add a drop of rosewater. Garnish: I have garnished lassi with finely chopped mangoes, pistachios, and saffron strands.
How to Make Mango Lassi
There are two ways to make this lassi – one from freshly cut mangoes and the other using store-bought canned mango pulp. I am sharing both methods below.
With Fresh Mango Fruit
Add freshly cut mango, yogurt (curd), milk, sugar, and cardamom powder in a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth and creamy consistency. You can adjust the consistency by adding water or blending it with ice cubes.
With Canned Mango Pulp
Add canned mango pulp, yogurt, milk, sugar, and ground cardamom in a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy consistency. Store-bought mango pulp contains added sugar, so adjust according to your taste. Pour the lassi into the serving glasses and garnish with chopped mangoes, pistachios, and saffron. Serve chilled.
Serving Suggestions
Enjoy this delicious chilled mango lassi as a soothing accompaniment with the following combination as served in Indian restaurants.
Paneer Makhani, Butter Naan & Jeera Rice Navratan Korma, Paratha & Peas Pulao Chana Masala, Aloo Gobi & Roti Veg Biryani, & Raita
Storing Suggestions
Store: It tastes best when served fresh. You can store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container or mason jar for up to 1 day. Freeze: Pour the leftovers into freezer-safe containers or zip-lock bags and freeze. They will last up to 2-3 months in the freezer. When you are ready to serve, thaw for at least 2-3 hours on the kitchen top before use. You may also pour them into ice trays or popsicle molds, and enjoy them as mango lassi popsicles later. If you have some leftover canned mango pulp, don’t worry, store them in the silicon freezer molds or ice tray for later use. Once frozen, pop and transfer them to freezer-safe zip-lock bags.
Tips to make the Best Mango Lassi
Choosing Mango: Try to use sweet, ripe, and non-fibrous mangoes to make the best lassi. If the mango has fiber, then strain the lassi before serving. If mangoes are not in season, use canned or frozen mango pulp. Yogurt: Use homemade full-fat yogurt, avoid yogurt that is sour or tangy. Canned pulp: Most store-bought canned mango pulp contains added sugar, so adjust the sweetener according to your preference or skip it. Consistency: For a thicker lassi, reduce the amount of milk or use thick yogurt (or greek yogurt). Or thin it with milk or water for a thinner consistency.
Variations
Vegan Mango Lassi – Replace regular yogurt and milk with almond, cashew, soy, or coconut yogurt and milk for a dairy-free version. Ice cream - You can add a few scoops of ice cream (vanilla or mango flavor) while blending lassi to make it rich and creamy. You can also top the lassi with a scoop of ice cream and serve it as a dessert. Flavorings - Ground cinnamon, vanilla extract, rose water, and saffron strands are some of the flavoring ideas to elevate the taste of lassi.
If you like mangoes, then check out more Mango Recipes
Mango Banana Smoothie Mango Juice Mango Avocado Salad Mango Black Bean Salad
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