Rich & Soothing Mango Lassi! (A Yogurt-based Indian summer drink)

So, last Friday hubby and I went to the Indian store for the first time after returning home from our India trip and the first thing we saw perched on the counter was- A box of Mangoes!

In the past, we have tried the mangoes available in the UK and now Ireland, and never have they turned out to be as sweet as the mangoes available in the hot months of May and June in India. So, normally we never get the mangoes at the Indian store, but still reveling in the hangover of our recent trip, we couldn’t stop ourselves this time and got the box, hoping that they turn out to be reasonably sweet.

Back home and over excited, we cut the first mango as soon as we entered through the door aaandddd……It was SOUR! 

*Long faces*

“We will never ever purchase mangoes outside of India again!” Hubby remarked angrily.

Sighing, I chopped the sour mango and kept it in the refrigerator to make Mango Milkshake or Mango Lassi (A traditional yogurt-based Indian summer drink) the following morning.

I started making the Mango lassi after breakfast the next day, as I wanted to inaugurate my new Kulhars I had brought from India. North-Indians will understand the term ‘Kulhar’ very well. It is basically a traditional, handle-less terracotta cup that is unpainted and unglazed, and meant to be disposable after one use. When we were kids, I remember stopping at a little district called Firozabad, on our way to our grandparents’ house in Meerut, specially to drink the famous Kulhar wali chai (tea served in Kulhars). Nowdays, you get a variety of unbreakable and re-usable kulhars in the market and I brought along a set with me from India this time.

So back to mangoes, I set up the blender and threw in the chopped mango from the night before in it. Taking another mango from the box, I peeled it and had a little taste of it, expecting it to be as sour as the first one………Surprise Surprise! IT WAS SWEET! 

YAYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!

Being a weekend, hubby was home and I shouted for him to come and taste the mango. He did and we were both jumping with joy in my little kitchen! 1…2…3 mangoes…..We kept on eating like crazy people until I saw that there were only two mangoes left in the box.

“My Mango lasssii!!!!” I wailed, “..and I wanted to decorate the mangoes in the background for the photos!!!!“

We looked at each other and burst out laughing!! Well, this is Indians and Mangoes for you. Total madness.

Anyway, I made the Mango lassi from 2 mangoes (using the sour one) and as you can see from the pictures, had one remaining for the picture taking. 

The pride of North-India, lassi is probably one of the most beloved beverages during the sweltering Indian summer. This smooth and creamy yogurt-based beverage is a great summer cooler not only in the north, but all across India. You can consider it as an Indian smoothie! 

Mango lassi combines two of my favorite things together during summer- Mangoes and Yogurt. Yummy yum yum!!

Give this easy recipe a go friends, and enjoy! (If you are in India, eat extra mangoes on my behalf before the season ends)

Happy Summer!

Ingredients:

– 2 large mangoes, peeled and chopped

– 2 tbsn cream

– 3 tbsn yogurt

– 1/4 cup chilled milk

– 1 tsp Rose-water

– 3 tablespoons sugar (or as per taste)

– 1/4 tsp cardamom powder

– Chopped almonds for garnishing

– Some mint leaves for garnishing (Optional)

– Some ice cubes (Optional)

Method

– Blend mango, cream, yogurt, rosewater, milk and sugar together.

– Add the cardamom powder and if the lassi seems too thick, add some more chilled milk to achieve the desired consistency. Throw in some ice-cubes and blend again.

– Pour into a glass or a kulhar and garnish with mint leaves and chopped almonds.  

Enjoy chilled!

*Notes-

– Adjust the quantity of sugar according to the sweetness of the mango.