Mango Lassi Recipe (Fresh Mango Pulp or Frozen Mango!)
Today we are making a Mango Lassi Recipe using mango pulp! Indian Lassi is a popular yogurt-based drink in India as well as within Indian communities worldwide. If there’s one thing that will always be on the menu of Indian restaurants, it’ll be this (it is the best drink after a spicy Indian meal!)
This refreshing drink consists of mango or another flavour such as saffron, rose, pistachio, namkeen (plain salty lassi) and more. The flavour is then combined with a blend of yogurt, sugar and milk until it becomes a creamy drink.
Note that this can be a sweet drink (such as the mango flavour) or a salty one (like the plain lassi). Slivered almonds, crushed cardamom and roasted pistachios are a few popular toppings to go on the lassi when serving. So basically, it’s a flavoured yogurt milkshake!
Lassi (also referred to as the “ancient smoothie”) began around 1000 BC, beginning with fine fruits or pure spices in the drink. It is known to have Ayurvedic healing properties and to calm the mind and stomach. It’s pretty much the top favorite drink in India!
Traditional only yogurt lassi actually combines yogurt, water and some ground cumin and/or salt. Today, I’ve used one of the best summer fruits out there: mango! We are going to be making a vegan, easy mango lassi recipe!
Why You’ll Love This Mango Lassi Recipe
Creamy Mango Milkshake: This mango lovers recipe is a similar to a milkshake, but it incorporates Indian flavors such as crushed pistachios, cardamom and almonds.
It has an ultra creamy consistency, but doesn’t leave you feeling like you downed a pint of ice cream to have a high and come crashing down. Rather, the natural sugars from the mango give you energy to last all day (and maybe do some summer gardening while you’re at it?)
No wonder it’s one of the most popular drinks in India – the thick mango pulp mixed with yogurt makes for a decadent milkshake-type drink that’ll make you want more and more. It’s one of my family’s favorite drinks in the summer, when mangoes at the Indian grocery store are in stock (the giant sugary ones that smell of amazing mango flavor when you cut them open. You can even smell them without opening one at all, they’re that strong!)
Substitutions: Sweetener
Agave: Substitute with a neutral liquid sweetener of your choice. For example, 100% pure light maple syrup. The darker the maple syrup, the more of a molasses flavor it will have. Do not use anything darker than Grade A, Golden syrup.
You can also use try coconut syrup, brown rice syrup or date syrup as other natural liquid sweeteners.
Substitutions: Milk & Yogurt
Yogurt: I used Silk Coconut Yogurt (thick, plain yogurt with no flavorings). Vegan yogurts have been hit or miss for me, so make sure you taste the yogurt before you use it in the recipe! You can also find vegan Greek Yogurt, which is thicker and tangier. You can try oat, cashew or almond yogurt as well, but coconut milk as a thick yogurt base works best here.
Milk: I used Silk almond milk, since slivered almonds are used as a topping and the flavors combined well. Cashew milk or oat milk can work as well, but this is up to personal preference. If you like the taste of the milk before adding it to the lassi, then it should be fine to add to the recipe.
Coconut Cream: Buy this pre-made in a can OR get a can of full fat coconut milk. Then, leave it in the fridge for a few hours (preferably overnight). Lastly, scoop out the hard white coconut cream that rises to the top.
The coconut cream is only the leftover thick white cream, so do not use “lite” or “fat free” coconut milk. It has to be regular (full fat) and canned coconut milk.
Substitutions: Mango
Mango: The key ingredient of this recipe! Technically, I didn’t make this mango lassi recipe using mango pulp from a fresh mango. I used frozen mango chunks rather than adding ice cubes to the recipe (since the ice dilutes it).
You can also use fresh ripe mangoes (or if it’s mango season and you can find them, the best would be Alphonso mangoes, which are Indian mangoes), or canned mango pulp (alphonso mango pulp is best). You can find the best Alphonso mangoes for lassi at Indian grocery stores in your area!
Frozen mango isn’t as sweet as fresh mangoes. This is even less sweet than canned mango pulp. You will need to freeze these before using (as stated in the recipe card below). If using these substitutions, you can remove the liquid sweetener called for in the recipe, and add it in at the end if you want to adjust the desired sweetness then.
More Recipes You’ll Love
Pomegranate Grapefruit Mocktail
Orange & Mango Summer Slushies
If you make this Mango Lassi Recipe, then leave a comment and star rating! Don’t forget to tag your photos @peanut_palate on Instagram. Enjoy!
Mango Lassi Recipe
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
- 1 cup vegan yogurt
- 1 cup frozen mango pieces substitute: take fresh mangoes or canned Alphonso mango pulp, then freeze it before using
- 6 tbsp cashew milk
- 2 tbsp agave syrup add more if desired
- 2 tbsp coconut cream
- ½ tsp cardamom powder
- pinch saffron strands optional, but recommended if you have access to saffron!
- extra almond slivers, crushed pistachio, crushed cardamom for topping
Instructions
- In a high-speed blender, blend together all ingredients until smooth.
- Now, add in the agave one tablespoon at a time to reach the desired sweetness. Then blend in a half cup of ice at a time until it reaches the desired consistency (texture is like a thick milkshake).
- Top with crushed pistachio, crushed cardamom and almond slivers.
- Pour into serving glasses and enjoy right away!
