A lassi is the Indian version of the American yogurt-based smoothie, or maybe it’s the other way around. Our mango lassi recipe uses the classic Indian ingredients of yogurt, fruit and spices. What spice? Read on………
Lassis can be salty or sweet. Some even have butter added……….reminds me of the Bullet Coffee that’s rocking America right now. And speaking of crazy trends, there is a Bhang lassi that is cannabis-infused. Not sure if it’s like the CBD that’s all over the place now, but there are shops in India that specialize in Bhang lassis.
But I digress, what we are talking about here is a sweet mango lassi recipe that is rich and sweet, healthier than a milk shake but with the same indulgence. Basically a yogurt based drink with water and either salt or fruit added.
Our recipe is loosely based on one from Madhur Jaffrey, but with more readily available ingredients.
How To Make Our Mango Lassi Recipe
You’ll need a blender, a high powered one will make a smoother lassi. I often make enough for two smoothies and keep the extra in the refrigerator for the next morning.
Drop the frozen mango chunks (if you don’t have a high powered blender you may need to defrost them a bit), sugar, cardamom, and yogurt in the blender. If using water add now. Blend. I use an “upside” down blender called a NutriBullet, if using another type blender read directions as to what order to add the ingredients.
In my Nutribullet I let it run for about a minute to make sure the lassi is completely mixed and the frozen fruit is blended.
Serve in a glass. If you want to get fancy put a chunk of mango on the side of the glass. You can also lightly sprinkle additional cardamom on top, but be careful, cardamom can be overpowering.
If you have nutmeg around, shave a little on top instead of the cardamom.
Chopped pistachios are pretty and add a nice extra flavor and just a bit of crunch.
What’s The Secret Spice?
Cardamom. A few years ago, I had no clue what cardamom was. I first heard about it when I made the recipe for Blueberry muffin tops which is a riff on a Biscone recipe from Back In The Day Bakery in Savannah, GA.
Cardamom is a unique flavor that’s added to sweet and savory foods alike and is a secret ingredient for many dishes. It’s used extensively in Indian cooking.
This spice is one of the most expensive in the world, so if you want to substitute with a cinnamon nutmeg mixture or with ginger that would work for our mango lassi recipe. Scroll down to Substitute Ingredients for more information.
It’s hard to get that citrus, spicy and mint flavor that only cardamom can give. It took me awhile to take the plunge and spend the money on it, but once I did I never went back. Keep in mind though that a little cardamom goes a long way.
Substitute Ingredients
Smoothies are a creation of what you have on hand. You can switch out the Mango for any of your favorite fruits. I like to make frozen fruit smoothies so that the lassi flavor doesn’t get diluted by ice or water.
But if you do use fresh fruit then you’ll want to add some crushed ice to the blender to thicken it up and of course make your lassi colder.
Frozen mango – you can use the same amount of fresh mango. Fresh mango is delicious but can be a little bit of a hassle to cut. See our post on How To Cut A Mango.
I like using the frozen mango to make the lassi thicker and cold. If using fresh mango add 1/2 cup crushed ice to the blender
Cardamom – Equal parts cinnamon and nutmeg. Or use fresh ginger.
How To Make A Mango Lassi Recipe On-The-Go
Mango lassis are great for an on-the-go breakfast, lunch or snack. You have the protein from the yogurt to keep you going and the vitamins and minerals from the mango. Healthy, easy, fast.
A small water bottle or mason jar is perfect for this on-the-go drink.
The mango lassi recipe can be kept at room temperature or unrefrigerated for up to 2 hours (only an hour if at 90 degrees or over, according to the UDSA food guidelines).
If you don’t want to put the lassi in a cooler, then freeze the night before. That way it should stay safe and be a thick consistency by lunch time. Depending on the weather the lassi should last about 4 hours unrefrigerated if frozen first.
How To Store or Freeze Mango Lassi
There are a couple of ways to freeze your mango lassi recipe, it depends on how you choose to use it.
I’ll often freeze in a freezer plastic baggie (make sure to remove as much air as possible when freezing to prevent freezer burn). Lay the baggie flat so that it stores easily, also so that the lassi can be broken up when putting in the container for on-the-go.
If you have time you may want to give the smoothie a quick whirl in the blender to “fluff” it up. But not necessary.
What’s The Best Thing About Our Mango Lassi Recipe
It tastes great, is refreshing on a hot day or to cool down a spicy meal (this is how the lassi is used in India) and healthy to boot!
Mango Lassi Recipe
Easy, quick and nutritious. Our mango lassi recipe is easy to take on-the-go and is like a yogurt smoothie with a little hint of spice
Ingredients
- 1 cup plain yogurt if using Greek you'll want to add 1/2 cup water or milk
- 3 teaspoons sugar optional if fruit is already really sweet
- 1 cup frozen mango chunks or equivalent of fresh
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom, optional or use equal amount cinnamon and nutmeg
- 4 whole pistachios, optional chopped
Instructions
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If using pistachios, shell and chop about 4 nuts for topping.
Drop mango, sugar, cardamom and yogurt in blender and mix until smooth.
Pour into drinking glass and top with chopped pistachios and just a little cardamom for color.
Recipe Notes
Substitute fresh mango for the frozen. If so add 1/2 cup crushed ice to the blender.
If using Greek yogurt you can dilute it with 1/2 cup water or milk since it’s thicker than regular American yogurt.
Cardamom is a special spice but expensive. If you don’t have any you can replace with equal amounts ground cinnamon and nutmeg or with some ginger.
To take on the go put in a small Mason jar or water bottle.
See posts for freezing instructions and more ingredient substitutions.
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