Mango Lassi

Come summer, sweet-fleshed mangoes begin appearing in Indian markets. Chilled drinks become an everyday necessity. Establishments selling sugarcane juice, creamy sherbets, and buttermilk do brisk business. In Punjab, the drink of choice is the lassi, made from beaten full-fat yogurt that is salted or sweetened with sugar. Traditionally, the first step to making a lassi involves setting a bowl of full-fat milk into curd. The cap of thick cream that settles on the curd is scooped off and set aside, and the rest of the yogurt is whisked by hand with a wooden churn until it is light and frothy. Into this goes a shower of sugar, and a block of ice to keep the lassi cool. Finally, it is all poured into a kulhad or clay cup, crowned with the scooped-off cream, and served. In a mango lassi, the buttermilk is brightened with mango and served chilled.

For a quick homemade version, I reach for whole-milk plain yogurt, which makes this a two-ingredient drink that is as easy to make as a smoothie. Ideally, the mango should provide enough sweetness to balance the tartness of the yogurt, but you should feel free to supplement with powdered sugar (or even brown sugar for a deeper, more caramelly flavor). For an extra treat, you can serve the lassi with a glug of heavy cream on top! 

• It’s incredibly refreshing. With juicy mango and creamy yogurt, this smoothie is perfect any time of day.  
• It’s very, very easy. It’s quick, unfussy, and easy, as there’s no cooking involved, and only the slightest washing up to do after. You can make it even easier by opting for frozen mango pulp over fresh chopped mangoes. 

• Sweet mango: There’s no real substitution for the OG fruit. You can use either chopped fresh mangoes or frozen mango pulp.
• Yogurt: Brings a gentle tang to the drink, and gives it the perfect consistency — not too thick, not too thin. (If you make yogurt at home, you can use it here!)

1. If using fresh mango: Try to make sure you use a really sweet, ripe variety that is not too stringy such as the Indian Alphonso mango. To cut the mango, slice the fat sides close to the stone, then the remaining two thin sides. (Set aside the stone to suck dry later, the proper Indian way!) With a spoon, scoop all the flesh you can out of the sliced mango pieces, and add them into the blender with the yogurt. Blend until smooth, then taste and add sugar, cardamom, or water as desired. If you like, garnish with slivered or chopped pistachios, or a pinch of crushed saffron threads.
2. If using frozen mango pulp: Mix the mango pulp and the yogurt together in a blender, and you’re done! After that, you may or may not add flavoring — sugar and cardamom — or thin down the mango mixture with chilled water.

In a pinch, you can swap in an equal amount of unsweetened Greek yogurt, but you will need to thin the lassi out with water.  

You can store this in the refrigerator for up to a day, but it is a drink best enjoyed fresh and frothy.