I know you love your mangoes as is, but if you want to have a twist in enjoying mangoes this summer season, make this mango lassi which is undoubtedly the coolest drink you can possibly have during these hot months!
Mango lassi could be the most coveted drink for summer – the cooling effect of yogurt soothes your senses and the unique sweetness of mangoes fills your soul like no other drink! This bright yellow-orange drink is nothing but pure bliss in a glass!
As summer is in its full swing, I am sure most of you are enjoying the best attraction of summer, which is nothing but mangoes – the king of fruit! I am addicted to mangoes and love them just as is!
But mangoes can also be a good ingredient for making something special for your guests or just to enjoy this soulful fruit a little differently! I have expressed my immense love for mangoes in a post here in Flavor Quotient, I request you to check it out!
From the list of must-try mango recipes, I am sharing the recipe of a delightful glass of cool mango lassi today. This is a smashing recipe to serve your guests or just enjoy together with family.
And what’s even better in my mango lassi? It is completely sugar-free! Yay! So you can have it totally guilt-free! Since I am following a no-sugar diet, I always replace it with my most favorite replacement which is honey!
What is mango lassi?
If you are an Indian, I do not need to define what is lassi for you. If I am lucky to have you from a different country other than India and you stumbled upon my page while looking for delicious mango recipes, then let me decode mango lassi for you!
Lassi is a summer cooler drink made of plain curd or yogurt and splash of milk which is typically sweetened with sugar or any other natural sweetener. The regular lassi is white in color sometimes topped with extra malai or cream especially if you are ordering from a restaurant.
Curd and milk are churned in a blender with lots of ice cubes to make a glass of lassi which is the most satisfying summer drink ever. Now to make a special mango lassi, you just need to add sweet mango pulp to it while blending! That’s soulful mango lassi just for you!
Ingredients for mango lassi
Now let’s see in detail what you will need to make a tempting glass of mango lassi! Ingredients for mango lassi are actually very few and it takes just a while to make it because all you have to do is blend everything in a blender! So gather all the ingredients beside your blender first and then add items one by one into the blender jar.
Mango: Of course the star of mango lassi is nothing but sweet and ripe mango! And I strongly recommend to use a good quality mango which is sweet, pulpy and less fibrous. Good choice of mango would be Kesar, Alphonso, Himsagar. You will need about 2 to 3 medium sized mangoes to make 4 glasses of mango lassi.
Curd/Yogurt: Curd is the epicenter of a good lassi. You can use home-set curd or store-bought curd/yogurt; just make sure to use the plain variety and not any flavored yogurt. Store-bought yogurt may give you a creamier lassi as I feel the store-bought curd has some amount of cream added to it to make it more addictive. I personally prefer home-set curd to make my own mango lassi or even the regular lassi.
Milk: You will need a splash of milk to adjust the tanginess of plain curd. Milk also helps in blending lassi to a smooth consistency. Feel free to use skimmed milk or full fat milk.
Honey: I know that sugar is usually used as the sweetener for lassi, but since I have quit sugar, I try to make my recipes as sugar-free as possible and honey has proved to be the best substitute for me! You may also experiment with other sweeteners like maple syrup.
The amount of honey will depend on two things – how sweet your mangoes are (do a taste test) and what is your personal choice of sweetness level. It’s very easy to taste and adjust the amount of sweetness while blending.
Ice cubes: Lots of it! Use lots of ice cubes which would give you that ultimate cooling effect in hot summer! Just make sure you are using the right blender which is meant to crush ice; else your blender blade may break and become damaged.
How to make mango lassi?
Making a good mango lassi is as easy as eating mango just like that! Let’s see the step by step process so that you can make it for yourself and friends & family to enjoy summer to the fullest!
Step 1: First you have to get the mango cubes from whole mangoes. Peel the mangoes and cut the flesh out from both sides.
Step 2: Now it’s time to make the mango pulp first. Drop all the mango pieces into the blender jar and blend until you get a smooth mango pulp.
Step 3: Next it’s time to add other ingredients. Add all the ingredients – yogurt/curd, milk, honey and ice cubes into the blender jar.
Step 4: It’s time to blend again! Blend everything until smooth and creamy. You may need to adjust the amount of milk and curd to get your desired consistency; feel free!
Step 5: Check for the sweetness of your mango lassi before you serve. Add a little more honey if it is not sweet enough for your liking.
Step 6: Your super-cool mango lassi is ready to serve! Transfer to tall serving glasses and garnish with a few strands of saffron and fresh mint leaves! Enjoy!
Tips to make & enjoy a perfect & addictive mango lassi
Lassi is more about yogurt and mango is just an additional flavor! While making a good glass of mango lassi, you need to balance the amount of curd and mango appropriately.
If you put too much mango pulp, your mango lassi may turn out more like a smoothie. For a good lassi, the taste and flavor of yogurt/curd should be more prominent.
Adjust sweetness right! Not all mangoes are equally sweet. Taste your mango first before starting with your lassi.
If your mangoes are not naturally sweet at all, then that’s not the right type of mango to use for making a lassi. I know you will add sweetener but the natural sweetness is what makes a mango lassi truly addictive!
What is the best time of the day to enjoy a tall glass of mango lassi? Lassi cools your body from within and helps you adjust with the scorching summer heat; so the best time to have a glass of lassi is of course during noon.
But I feel that adding mango to it makes it a little heavy; so I don’t recommend having it immediately after lunch. The best time to enjoy it is in a slightly empty stomach to reap its full benefit preferably between breakfast and lunch.
That’s a wrap for today but before leaving you guys with the mango lassi recipe, here are a few other delicious mango recipes to make and enjoy this summer!
- Ripe mango - 2 to 3, medium or about 2 cups of chopped mango pieces
- Plain curd/yogurt - 1 & ½ cup
- Cold milk - ½ cup
- Honey - 4 tbsp (adjust as per taste)
- Ice cubes - 15 to 20
- Few strands of saffron and fresh mint leaves to garnish
- Peel the mangoes and get the flesh out of them. Blend the mango pieces in a blender until smooth.
- Now add all the other ingredients to the blender jar - curd, milk, honey and ice cubes. Blend until all the ingredients are smooth and ice cubes are completely crushed.
- Taste for sweetness and adjust if needed by adding a little more honey and blend again.
- Now your mango lassi is ready. Pour the lassi in 3 tall serving glasses, garnish with saffron strands and mint leaves and serve chilled! Enjoy!
Liked the recipe? Let us know!