Mango Kesar Lassi - Mango Saffron Smoothie

Creamy and smooth yogurt smoothie with the rich and spicy flavor of mangoes and saffron.

Mango Lassi is a truly royal drink straight from yummy land 😍. The natural sweetness of mango blends with the subtle tartness of unsweetened natural yogurt to create this extremely delicious and refreshing drink.

Around the world, mango lassi is one of the most popular drinks found on all Indian restaurant menus. If you're dining out, you don't want to miss this treat. This mildly sweet Mango Lassi will complement your spicy Indian meal and really round out your culinary experience.

In India, summer is all about fun vacations, sleepovers with cousins, lots of good food, and of course, mangoes! I grew up eating different varieties of mangoes like Payri, Badami, Kesar, Totapuri and many others. However, nothing came close to Alphonso, which is also known as the king of mangoes. By the way, this mango got its name from a Portuguese general named Afonso de Albuquerque.

We spent our summer afternoons playing outside until the sun went down. Tired from playing in the sun, we arrived home knowing the best was yet to come. Large jars of fresh, cold Mango Lassi, prepared fresh every day by my mother, were ready for us. This drink immediately revitalized us and I couldn't get enough of it.

What exactly is Lassi ?

Lassi is a cooling summer drink (but in India we have it all year round) made from unsweetened yogurt and sugar, blended to a frothy, creamy consistency with a blender. Sometimes the plain lassi is flavored with different ingredients to make interesting variations.

For example, if you add mango pulp to plain lassi, the result is the super delicious Mango Lassi.

Mango Lassi is one of the easiest drinks you can make at home. It only requires a few ingredients to make, most of which are regular staples. Ideally, I would like to use fresh Alphonso mangoes to make my lassi, but it is a seasonal fruit and not readily available outside of India.

Here in Germany, good mangoes are unfortunately not that easy to get. Mostly we find unripe Brazilian mangos, which are in season longer and not so sweet.

Therefore, I just experimented a little and found that even the pulp from a can provides a super great result and tastes much better than the lassi from the supermarket or the Indian around the corner. The cans have a long shelf life and can be found in all conventional supermarkets.

By the way, you can also store the unused pulp in an airtight glass jar for up to a week..

A simple 3 ingredient Mango Lassi

Mango Lassi is super easy to make. It can be a fun kitchen project to try with your kids. It is undoubtedly one of the most delicious smoothies ever and your kids will love making it so much. All you need for this delicious drink is mango pulp, unsweetened yogurt and sugar. Just mix the above ingredients, and there you go...your delicious Mango Lassi is ready!

I also like to add a pinch of salt and some saffron threads to my recipe. I like how the flavor is enhanced with these two ingredients.

FAQs

Can you use fresh or frozen mangoes for Mango Lassi?

Absolutely yes. If you've run out of mango pulp, you can always use fresh mango or frozen mango pieces to make your delicious jar of mango lassi. Just make sure you buy a mango that is sweet and fleshy.

How to make vegan Mango Lassi?

Vegan Mango Lassi is easy to make by substituting soy yogurt for unsweetened dairy yogurt. You can replace the cow's milk with soy milk or almond milk.

Ingredients for 4 portions

• 600 g plain yogurt (low-fat works too).

• 250 g mango pulp from about 3 medium ripe mangoes or from a can

• 8 ice cubes

• 3 tbsps sugar

• ¼ tsp salt

• ½ tsp saffron

Instructions

Put the pulp in a blender or food processor with the saffron and sugar.Add the yogurt and ice cubes and blend until smooth.Sweeten with sugar to taste and dilute with a little water or milk.

Transfer the lassi to a pitcher and refrigerate.Then garnish the chilled Mango Lassi with a pinch of saffron and enjoy!

Tips

• As a variation, substitute saffron for ½ tsp cardamom powder (or finely ground seeds from 6 capsules).

• Other fruits such as strawberries, pineapple, apricots, etc. can be used instead of mangoes. Don't forget to adjust the sweetness accordingly.

• If you want to make mango lassi for a party, just put all the ingredients in a large, deep pot and puree with a hand blender.

I look forward to hearing from you...

...if you like my blog, my recipes inspire you and your curiosity for Indian cuisine has been piqued. Feel free to give me feedback if you would like to share your cooking accomplishments or have a suggestion for improvement. I appreciate any kind feedback. Whether via the comment function, email, Facebook or Instagram (best tagged with #heutemalindisch and @heutemalindisch, then your cooking success can also inspire others).