Mango Lassi

Mango Lassi is a rich, creamy, sweet yogurt based drink made in India and neighboring countries. Often served as a refreshment in summer, it is made with fresh mangoes, milk, yogurt, sugar and a dash of cardamom.

A favorite drink at Indian restaurants, this simple yogurt based beverage is very popular in Indian cuisine.That said, it is so easy to make it at home.

What is Lassi?

Lassi (pronounced [ləsiː]) is a popular traditional dahi (yogurt)-based drink that originated in the Indian subcontinent.Lassi is a blend of yoghurt, water, spices and sometimes fruit.

How do you pronounce the word Lassi?

It is ‘Luh’ as in luscious and ‘cee’, not “Lassie” like the dog, Lassi, as I have heard some of my American friends here, pronounce.

What are the different kinds of Lassi?

Lassi’s come in two different kinds basically :

• Salty Lassi (Namkeen Lassi) is similar to doogh.
• Sweet Lassi which could be of many variations depending on the fruit that is used in making the Lassi.Sweet Lassi is basically a yogurt based milk shake made with different fruits like mangoes, strawberries etc.

There are two other less known variations in Lassi,

• one of them is the Bhang Lassi infused with the drug cannabis in the form of bhang.This is mostly used in the state of U.P in India, during the festival of colors, Holi.
• and the other is Chaas. Chaas is a similar drink of a thinner consistency.

How is Chaas different from Lassi?

Chaas is a salted drink similar to lassi, but may contain more water than lassi and has the butterfat removed to reduce its consistency.

Salt, cumin seeds or fresh coriander may be added for taste. Fresh ground ginger and green chillies may also be added as seasoning. Chaas is popular in India where it is a common beverage during or after mealtime.

What are the benefits of drinking Lassi?

• Lassi is amazing for your immune system since it is rich in Vitamin D and lactic acid, hence Indian cuisine includes lassi in our daily menu. It prepares the body to combat diseases of various kinds.
• Lassi is actually very beneficial to your digestive health as well. Since it is yoghurt based, it is rich in probiotics, which helps support bacterial balance in your digestive system.It also prevents stomach bloating.
• It’s also calcium-rich, which helps with bone health.
• Lassi helps in converting the food into energy and assures high energy levels due to the presence of proteins, vitamins, minerals, calcium, potassium, magnesium and other enzymes essential for the body. It even helps in reducing accumulated fat, especially on the belly.
• Lassi can be consumed with salt or sugar and is excellent in preventing heat strokes.
• It is very refreshing during the summer and is a drink that both kids and adults love.

Tips for making the perfect Indian Lassi

• Homemade yogurt tastes best for making lassi. Some prefer to use store bought yogurt, in the case remember to use plain fat milk yogurt instead of sweetened or flavored yogurt.
• Some use Greek yogurt to prepare lassi, however since it is too thick to use as such, diluting it with a little water would get a more favorable lassi like consistency.
• When adding fruits to make lassi, the resulting consistency needs to be pancake batter like. Drink the fruit based lassi right away, to avoid the fruits turning bitter in the lassi.
• The thinned down buttermilk like version/Chaas can be made savory with the addition of spices and herbs.Spices like cumin seeds were roasted and powdered to be used for their cooling and digestive properties, while cilantro or mint added the refreshing flavor.These savory lassi’s do well in the refrigerator up to 2-3 days.

How to make Mango Lassi?

Fresh, sweet and ripe mangoes tastes the best. If they are not available you may use frozen mangoes or canned mango pulp to make lassi. The taste certainly would not be the same.

When using fresh mangoes make sure they are sweet and ripe, since raw mangoes will add a tartness to the lassi , which will require the addition of more sugar or honey into the making of lassi.

Similarly, if using canned mango pulp make sure they are not already sweetened (most of them are!) so you can adjust the amount of sugar or honey you use to make the mango lassi.

Flavoring the mango lassi with cardamom and saffron strands takes it to another level. Some prefer to sprinkle them on top.

When using cardamom pods, remove the husk and powder/grind the seeds inside using a mortar and pestle, before adding them to the lassi .

Garnishing with fresh mint, also adds a refreshing touch to the mango lassi.

Which Mangoes are the best for making Lassi?

In India, Alphonso, Kesar, Dussehri and Totapuri taste best in mango lassi. Here in the U.S , sometimes if we are lucky during the mango season we chance upon them in the Indian stores, most of our mangoes come from Florida,Texas, California, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico and the taste definitely varies.

Texas grows a few mango cultivars such as Haden, Kent, Keitt, and Tommy Atkins hailed the sweetest and most flavorful.

Mango Lassi Recipe

Mango Lassi

Recipe by Maya Shetty

Cuisine: Indian

0 from 0 votes

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Servings

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Calories

458

kcal

Total time

10

minutes

Ingredients

• 2 2 Mangoes peeled fresh and cut into small pieces

• 2 cups 2 Curds/Dahi/Yogurt

• 1 cup 1 Milk

• 2 tsp 2 Honey

• 3 3 -4 Cardamom pods husked and seeds powdered fine

• A few A few Saffron strands for garnish

Directions

• Clean and peel mangoes and cut them into small pieces.
• Add all the ingredients in the blender or blend it fine
• More milk may be added if you prefer it more dilute
• Garnish with saffron strands, a bit of powdered cardamom & mint leaves.
• Pour it in serving glasses
• Serve chilled

Notes

• If using sweetened mango pulp reduce the amount of sugar or honey as per your preference.

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What kitchen equipments are used in making lassi?

Traditionally people used to make lassi with a use of a wooden churner called mathani. These days, people prefer using a steel whisk, hand mixer or an electric blender.

Churning the fresh homemade curd with the traditional Indian wooden churner called mathani has its own charm. Lassi made this way tastes different and delicious.

Can we make dairy free lassi?

Some prefer dairy free options and use coconut milk or almond milk as a dairy free option. I have never tried that, so I cannot comment, though I have heard friend tell me that adding coconut milk gave hem a nutty flavor.I am not sure I would like coconut milk in a lassi, which to me has always tasted deliciously sweet and creamy.

What can you pair Lassi with?

It works perfectly with spicy food. Some like it with Indian flat breads like parathas or naan, while others like it with spicy Indian snacks like chaat.

Some save it as a dessert till the end of a meal, some start the day with a lassi as a post drink after a workout in the gym(the calcium & proteins help build muscle and bone).

 Either way, it is a win win with lassi!

Variations of Lassi

• Plain/Sweet Lassi ( the authentic Punjabi version)
• Mango Lassi
• Strawberry Lassi
• Rose Lassi
• Mint Lassi

The above are the most common ones.But there are nearly fifty plus variations using different fruits and in combination with ice-cream too!

• Mango Lassi Ice Cream : Freezing this lassi in a bowl or churning it in an ice-cream maker, will give you the perfect Mango Lassi Ice-cream.You can even freeze it in popsicle molds and make mango lassi popsicles.
• Mango-Lassi pudding :Add some gelatin in mango lassi and set in dessert glasses to serve as dessert after dinner.

The Bottom Line

Now that you know how to make a perfect mango lassi, why spend more for them at restaurants, when you can a whip a batch of sweet & frothy mango lassi at home?Are you willing to give it a try?

Share in your comments below.

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