Mango Lassi

Summer is most definitely here! Temperatures are rising and there’s nothing better than a cooling, refreshing drink. Lassi anyone? Similar to a smoothie, a lassi is a popular traditional yogurt-based drink from India that’s a blend of yogurt, water, spices and sometimes fruit.

My absolute favorite lassi is a Mango Lassi. I can thank the husband for this one. He introduced me to Indian food and the first time he took me to Indian restaurant he ordered one up for me. I had absolutely no idea what it was, but one sip and I was in love. It’s the perfect complement to tame the fire in your mouth from a spicy dish.

When I got a mango in my Bountiful Basket, I knew it was destined for just this. Here’s how I make a Mango Lassi at home.

Get your mango. It is a Mango Lassi after all, so this is pretty important.

Cut off the fat part, known as cheeks, on each side of the stem avoiding the pit.

You will now have 2 halves.

Make parallel slices into the flesh. Be sure not to go all the way through the skin.

Now, make crosswise slices to form a checkerboard pattern.

Push the skin outward so the flesh is lifted out. I like to refer to this as the hedgehog.

Then, simply scrape off the cubes from the skin. You can do this with a knife or even a spoon.

There you have it, cubed mango!

Now that we’ve slayed the hedgehog, let’s get to the lassi. Throw the cubed mango into a blender with sugar, yogurt, cardamom and ice.

Blend until smooth.

Easy peasy! Pour in a glass and enjoy. You can also refrigerate for a couple of hours to let it really chill down.

I’m bringing this recipe to my friends over at Fiesta Friday co-hosted this week by Margy @ La Petite Casserole and Linda @ La Petite Paniere.