Lassi

Mango Lassi

A classic sweet yoghurt drink from Punjab, blended with ripe mango, a whisper of cardamom and rose. Served chilled, it is the traditional cooling counterpoint to a spicy meal.

Prep

10 min

Total

10 min

Serves

2 (about 500 ml / 2 cups)

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •300 g (10½ oz) plain full-fat yoghurt, Indian-style dahi if available; otherwise whole-milk yoghurt, never low-fat
• •150 ml (⅔ cup) cold water, use milk for a richer, Indian-dhaba style drink
• •200 g (7 oz (about 1 cup pulp)) ripe mango pulp or flesh, Alphonso or Kesar for authenticity; canned Alphonso pulp is the standard substitute
• •30 g (2 tbsp) sugar, adjust to taste; jaggery or honey can be used, but sugar is traditional
• •0.5 g (¼ tsp) green cardamom powder, freshly ground from 2 to 3 pods
• •1 ml (¼ tsp) rose water or rose syrup, optional but characteristic of the sweet version; Rooh Afza is the common household brand
• •4 g (1 pinch) saffron strands, optional, soaked in 1 tsp warm water
• •10 g (2 tsp) pistachios, finely chopped, optional garnish

Steps

1. 1 Chill the yoghurt, water and mango in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before blending; a cold mix gives the traditional frothy top.
2. 2 If using saffron, soak the strands in 1 teaspoon warm water for 5 minutes.
3. 3 Add the yoghurt, cold water, mango pulp, sugar, cardamom powder, rose water and saffron soaking liquid to a blender.
4. 4 Blend on high for 45 to 60 seconds, until completely smooth and visibly frothy on top. Taste and add more sugar only if the mango is not sweet enough.
5. 5 Pour into two tall chilled glasses. Optionally top with a small scoop of thick yoghurt, a sprinkle of chopped pistachios and a light dusting of cardamom.
6. 6 Serve immediately while cold and foamy; lassi separates and loses its texture if it sits for more than 15 to 20 minutes, so drink it fresh.