Mango lassi

India's golden yoghurt drink: ripe Alphonso mango blended with thick dahi into a cold, sweet glass of the subcontinent's most beloved summer ritual

Origin: India

From the journey of Mango.

The lassi, a drink of yoghurt thinned and seasoned, is ancient across North India and Pakistan, pre-dating written records. The mango lassi as a specific genre emerged as cultivated mango varieties proliferated across the subcontinent. Today it is India's most internationally recognised drink, served in every Indian restaurant worldwide. But the mango lassi at its best is made with the Alphonso mango from the Konkan coast of Maharashtra, a variety of almost hallucinatory sweetness and saffron-yellow richness, blended with full-fat dahi (Indian yoghurt). The result is halfway between a drink and a dessert.

Ingredients

Base

  • 2 large ripe mangoes, peeled and diced (or 400g frozen mango)
  • 250 g full-fat plain yoghurt (dahi)
  • 100 ml cold whole milk
  • 6 ice cubes

Sweetening

  • 2 tbsp sugar or honey, to taste

Spices

  • 0.25 tsp ground cardamom

Garnish

  • 1 pinch saffron threads, dissolved in 1 tsp warm milk
  • 1 tbsp chopped pistachios, to garnish

Method

  1. Combine the mango, yoghurt, milk, sugar, ice cubes, and ground cardamom in a blender.
  2. Blend on high speed for 60 seconds until completely smooth, thick, and frothy.
  3. Taste and adjust sweetness. If the mango is very sweet, you may need no added sugar at all.
  4. Pour into two tall glasses. Drizzle the saffron milk over the top in a slow spiral. Scatter with chopped pistachios.

Notes

The Alphonso mango (Haapoos in Marathi) is India's most prized variety, grown on the Konkan coast of Maharashtra and Goa. It has a GI tag. The season is brief, April to June, and during these months the mango lassi made with fresh Alphonso is an entirely different experience from the year-round version made with frozen mango. Pakistani mango varieties, Chaunsa, Sindhri, are equally extraordinary and make a superb lassi.

The Gastrographer

The Gastrographer

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