Method
- Peel the mangoes, slice the flesh away from the stone and roughly chop. Discard any fibrous parts near the stone. Aim for about 350g of clean mango flesh.
- Combine mango, yogurt, milk, cream, sugar and ground cardamom in a blender. Blend for 90 seconds at high speed until perfectly smooth and slightly aerated — the lassi should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon but pourable.
- Taste. If the mango is fully ripe and sweet, you may need less sugar; if it's slightly underripe, adjust upward. The cardamom should be perceptible but not dominant.
- Refrigerate at least 30 minutes — lassi tastes flat at room temperature; it's a cold drink at heart.
- Pour into tall glasses over a few ice cubes. Drizzle the saffron-milk in a thin spiral on the surface — the strands should bleed orange streaks through the pale mango colour.
- Top each glass with slivered pistachios. Serve with a long spoon; lassi is too thick for a straw, and the garnishes are part of the drink.
Common questions
Can Mango Lassi be made ahead?
Mango Lassi is best made and eaten the same day, but the components can be prepped earlier — chop and measure the ingredients up to a day ahead, refrigerated separately. Final cooking takes about 0 minutes.
Is Mango Lassi spicy?
Mango Lassi as written is mild to mildly warming — the heat comes from aromatics rather than chili. Add fresh sliced chili or chili oil at the end if you'd like to push it spicier.
Is Mango Lassi vegetarian or gluten-free?
Mango Lassi is suitable for vegetarian (and vegan if dairy is omitted) diets.
How hard is Mango Lassi to make at home?
Mango Lassi is approachable for a home cook with basic stove skills — total time about 5 minutes, no special technique required.
Can Mango Lassi be scaled up or down?
This recipe is written for 4 servings. To scale, multiply each ingredient proportionally; the cooking times stay the same up to about double the volume. Beyond that, expect to cook in batches because of pan size and heat distribution.
Cultural Note
Lassi is Punjab's daily drink — sweet, salty, and many shades between. The mango version is a North Indian summer favourite, made when Alphonso mangoes flood the markets between April and June. The drink is heavier than a smoothie; it's traditionally served at the end of a heavy meal as a digestive cooler, never as a breakfast beverage in Punjab the way Western markets sometimes position it. The Banaras-style gulkand lassi (with rose petal preserve) and Lucknowi mawa lassi (with reduced milk solids) are regional flourishes worth knowing.
