Easy Indian Mango Lassi Recipe

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It is a hot summer afternoon, and you enter one of your favorite Indian restaurants. What would you order first? For most of us, it should be an ice-cold, sweet lassi made out of fresh mangoes that takes us right back to the Indian subcontinent. Mango lassi is a favorite drink for many people from India and all around the world now, thanks to globalization. If you have ever wondered how to make this summer drink at home, follow this easy Indian mango lassi recipe to master this refreshing Indian drink.

What is Lassi?

Indian summers can get unbearably hot, so to beat the heat, a yogurt-based drink can be your ideal companion. Lassi is basically a sweet drink based on Greek yogurt or curd blended with ice. Although it is always made fresh in India, you can now easily find it in Indian restaurants and stores around the world.

It is traditionally made with full-fat yogurt, other versions can now be found and made with low-fat yogurt, almond milk, coconut yogurt, coconut milk, and so on. Traditional lassi recipes generally involve thick yogurt and ice cubes, with sugar for a sweet version and salt for a savory lassi.

What’s The Hype Around Mango Lassi?

Ripe mangoes are the sweethearts of Indian summers. Amidst all the heat and humidity, if there is one thing that brightens up the unbearably hot Indian summer days, it is Indian mangoes. Mangoes from the Indian subcontinent are famous around the world for their aromatic, juicy, and sweet product. Lassi is one of the most popular drinks in India, and the mango flavor is ideal for lassis owing to its sweetness. The good news is that you can make the perfect restaurant style mango lassi at home with fresh mangoes, canned mango pulp, or mango puree combined with a blend of yogurt. This is one of the best mango recipes for a spicy Indian meal or just by itself during the hot summer months.

So, let us give a kick to your plain lassi by adding sweet mangoes to it this mango season. Try this easy mango lassi recipe to go with your spicy Indian food, but first, let us have a look at its simple ingredients.

Ingredients for an Easy Mango Lassi Recipe

Homemade mango lassi is very easy to make with ingredients that are easily available at any local grocery store or Indian grocery stores. For authentic mango lassi, we like to keep things as simple as we can and go with the adage “less is more.”

So, mango lovers, today is your day. Let us jump into the Indian market and fill our carts with these simple ingredients.

Mangoes

Mango is the key ingredient in a mango lassi, which is no surprise given that the type of mango makes a lot of difference. You can get Alphonso mangoes or any other sweet variety of ripe mangoes for this purpose. You can also use alphonso mango pulp, mango chunks, or even store-bought mango pulp. The sweetness of the mango pieces counters the sourness of the curd to achieve a perfect balance of flavors in this delicious drink.

Curd or Yogurt

This is another main ingredient that gives the lassi its creamy texture. One of the best ways to achieve that is to use whole milk yogurt, or for best results, use Indian-style homemade curd. However, you can also make vegan mango lassi by using vegan alternatives to yogurt. Ideally, any plain yogurt or fresh yogurt can do the job and make the perfect Indian lassi.

Milk

Milk is not just used in a mango milkshake, but cold milk can also be added to mango lassi in order to balance out the sourness and consistency of the yogurt and make it more drinkable. So ideally, you need a little milk to make the best mango lassi. For a vegan version, you can replace regular milk with oat milk to achieve your desired consistency.

Ice Cubes

You need some ice cubes to add to your lassi while blending to make a refreshing, ice-cold lassi.

Sugar or Sweetener

You need to add some sweetener of your choice, like brown sugar, white sugar, maple syrup, etc. However, be careful with the amount of sugar, as the lassi is already sweet with the sweetness of the mangoes.

Optional Ingredients

You can make a salty version by adding some salt for a salty lassi. Other optional ingredients include cardamom pods for that touch of spice. You can also make a rose lassi version of this by adding rose water or decorating it with rose petals to add more freshness. Similarly, you can use saffron strands or mint leaves while garnishing. The possibilities are endless, and it is all up to you.

Directions:

By now, I hope your mouth is already watering thinking of the creamy mango lassi, so let us jump right into the kitchen and make it in five minutes. Follow these step-by-step instructions for this easy mango lassi recipe, or jump straight to the recipe card.

First thing, is to curate the mangoes that you need for this recipe. Wash, peel and cut your mangoes if you are using fresh mangoes. Then blend them in a jar to make a puree. If you are using a canned pulp, open your tin and pour the contents into a blender.

Now add your choice of yogurt to the blender jar to achieve that creamy consistency. I prefer using Greek yogurt or Indian homemade curd which is a thicker but less sweet version of yogurt.

Then pour some milk into your blender jar, to balance the consistency and thickness of your drink. You can also use water but I prefer milk.

Now add your choice of sweetener. You can optionally add some freshly ground cardamom or store-bought cardamom powder for added flavor and rich aroma. This is a great way to enrich the existing flavors and take them to the next level.

Now add some ice cubes and blend the mixture in your blender jar.

Pour your mango lassi into serving glasses at this point.

Now garnish it with dry fruits and your Indian mango lassi is ready to be gulped and savored.

Serving Suggestions:

Like always, serve your mango lassi with a lot of love and garnish it with your love for food, and it will turn out perfect. Serve it as soon as it is ready to enjoy the fresh, ice-cold mango lassi, and do not forget to thank Mother Nature for gifting us juicy mangoes to brighten up our summer days!