YUM YUM YUM.

I used the GOYA canned mango nectar.

To make it non-dairy for those who must, try substituting silken tofu for the yogurt. Adds protein and has less fat, too.

I LOVE Banana/mango smoothies. I don't like ice in my smoothies though, I feel like it dilutes the flavor. Instead, I freeze the fruit. I keep a bunch of little cartons of various fruits in my freezer (mango, banana, strawberry, melons, pineapple etc) and just pick and choose whichever I'm in the mood for. I posted a recipe on my blog a couple months ago before it got so cold here -

I used to eat this every morning last summer, but my recipe went more like this:

1 banana
a handful of chopped, frozen mango pieces
a few spoonfuls of plain yogurt
a little soymilk
a little honey

So good! And no need for ice. My blender won't pulverize ice, bleh.

Frozen mango/pineapple puree, yogurt and a handful of fresh picked blueberries with a dash of juice to blend.

Cardamom with mango? Sounds yummy, and I never would have thought of it. Off I go, to make a smoothie for dessert -- I'm not waiting until breakfast! -- to use up the mango that I've let get super soft...

Sounds like a lovely combo- especially adding the cardamom!
Lately I've been adding a protein powder to smoothies and even hot cereal. Trader Joe's makes a good one- "Aria" is whey-based with 80 calories and 14 grams of protein per serving.

these are very good, this is actually what i have been told is called a "Mango Lassi" which you can get at a lot of indian resturants and is very delicious. Will have to try making one with a banana! This is the mango lassie recipe I usually use:

Mango Lassi Recipe
INGREDIENTS
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1 cup chopped mango (peeled and stone removed)
4 teaspoons sugar, to taste
A dash of ground cardamom (optional)

For a variety try doing a peach instead of a banana. Love peach mango

sounds yummy, a perfect way to get a kick of energy in the morning or cool off after workout, like the addition of cardamon, will be trying this tomorrow :)

Frozen mango chunks, goat's milk yogurt (no lactose intolerance side effects), apple juice and agave nectar in the blender. Mmmm.....

Why must all smoothie recipes include banana?

I agree with @Fnnkybutt: freezing the fruit is much better. The flavor remains stronger. If I need to add some liquid, I only add juice, usually lemon (it removes the "green" taste of green smoothies).

@apartmenttherapy47: because banana just taste great in smoothies. I agree that maybe fruit smoothies could be done without it (they're sweet enough on their own) but for green smoothies, (frozen) banana and mango is what works better.

Tales of a Spoon

mmm, just made it this morning and used frozen mango. I added a little bit of milk because it wasn't blending, and also added flaxseed, it was deeeelicious! I didn't have cardamom, but it doesn't need that (although I'm sure it's really good with it). My 2 year old drank the whole thing in like 2 minutes!

Yep, this is mango lassi - the cardamom is the clincher.

Bananas are also often used in smoothies because the slight amount of fat in them adds thickness and smoothness.

The banana is sort of like the ice cream in a milkshake. It gives a blended drink that "smoothie" consistency. But You can certainly leave the banana out if you're using yogurt. (Although, I'd freeze the mango in that case.)

I also love "green" smoothies. I buy a big container of organic baby spinach and stick it in the freezer. Then I blend a cup of water, a bunch of frozen spinach, a banana, and one or two other fruits (I usually like blueberries and melons). That's really all you need! No milk necessary. I can't wait to try it with mango and cardamom.

i don't have a traditional blender. has anyone tried making smoothies with an immersion blender? i have visions of putting the ingredients in a tall wide glass, then sticking the immersion blender inside. i'm scared to try though.

@apartmenttherapy47: In case you're interested, this tastes great sans banana. I'm a purist when it comes to smoothies, i.e. I don't like to mix my fruits. I made this last night without banana, and I enjoyed all the mango & cardamom goodness without banana contamination. :o)

Sounds delicious. I think I would use coconut water with a spoonful or two of coconut milk in place of the yogurt.

I love mango smoothies! I use mango nectar, banana, frozen mangos (which substitute for the ice), and coconut milk (instead of the yogurt). This makes for a really thick smoothie - so delicious.

Hmm I guess I wouldn't think of this as a mango lassi proper since it includes banana and ice. But of course it was inspired by lassi! I have been meaning to rework my lassi recipe; look for that soon.

@amycywang, I make my daily breakfast everyday with an immersion blender. In fact, I use the tall cup that comes with it bc it has measuring marks on it. As long as you keep the end low enough (and turn it off as you bring it up to mix it) nothing spills out.

I also add a scoop of protein powder (whey) to the above ingredients so I have a frosty, healthy breakfast which keeps me full till lunch!