Is there is one beverage that will get you through an overly spiced Jalfrezi, it’s a glass of mango lassi. Sweet, cold, milky and refreshing, it’s the perfect partner to a spicy curry or a summer’s afternoon. Unless you have a well stocked supermarket, I find to really difficult to get hold of the perfect lassi-grade mango. What you want a very ripe alphonso or honey mango – the type that risks explosion in your hands if you hold it too tightly.

If you are lucky enough to have an Asian supermarket near you then I find it far more reliable to use mango pulp instead of risking an underripe mango. You’ll find it in the tin section and nowadays, you’re just as likely to find it in a big supermarket (just not in the French Alps where I am). Mango pulp to me is in more ways authentic. Although I hate the word, it is authentic to me, my grandma and the way she would make it for us. The bright orange tin is iconic to me and the syrupy, concentrated taste of mango is just what I want as the foundations of my lassi.

As for the dairy, typically dahi is used which is a traditional Indian curd, it’s tangy, slightly salty and delicious. Any yoghurt will do though if you can’t get hold of it – Kefir, natural yoghurt, greek yoghurt or even crème fraĂ®che would be just fine. If however you are using a particularly creamy dairy like greek yoghurt or crème fraĂ®che, I would suggest substituting some of it with milk so’s it doesn’t taste so heavy.

Use my recipe only as a guide; if you don’t want it to be so sweet the omit the sugar, if you haven’t got rosewater to hand then no biggie, leave it out and if you want some extra tang then add a squeeze of lime juice. I love my lassi to be fragrantly spiced so I would probably add more cardamom than I have mentioned for myself. Taste and adjust to your liking.

Mango Lassi

Mango Lassi

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Course: DrinksCuisine: IndianDifficulty: Easy
Servings

2

servings
Prep time

10

minutes

Sweet, cold, milky and refreshing, it’s the perfect partner to a spicy curry or a summer’s afternoon.

Ingredients

  • 2 very ripe mango or 500g mango pulp

  • handful ice cubes

  • 250 ml dahi or natural, full fat yoghurt

  • 1/2 tsp ground cardamom

  • splash rosewater

  • 1 tso jaggery or soft light brown sugar

  • pinch salt

Directions

  • Peel the mangoes using the “hedgehog” method. Scoop the flesh into a blender. If using mango pulp then simply pour it into the blender instead.
  • Add the ice cubes and whiz until broken into small pieces. Spoon in yoghurt, add cardamom, rosewater, sugar and salt. Whizz well.
  • Add a splash of milk if you’d prefer a thinner consistency.
  • Cheers!
CategoriesDairy Indian Summer

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