Indian mango smoothie (mango lassi)

Creamy, sweet and tart all at once, the lassi is a refreshing smoothie-style drink of yoghurt, water and salt, flavoured with spices such as cardamom and cumin. This street food staple is traditionally plain and salty, and served chilled, but many sweet, fruit-based versions have become popular in recent years, none more so than the mango lassi. It is often served alongside curries to cool the palate, or just whenever it’s needed to beat the heat.

Credit: Feast Magazine / Chris Chen

• serves

  4

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  10 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 400 g (2 cups) chopped mango (about 2 mangoes)
• 60 ml (¼ cup) milk
• 1 tsp caster sugar  
• ¼ tsp ground cardamom, plus extra, to sprinkle
• 560 g (2 cups) thick natural yoghurt
• crushed ice, to serve

Mango syrup

• 220 g (1 cup) caster sugar
• 250 ml (1 cup) mango purée

Cooling time 10 minutes

Instructions

To make mango syrup, place sugar, mango purée and 250 ml water in a small saucepan over low heat, and stir until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high, bring to the boil and cook for 5 minutes or until thick and reduced. Set aside to cool completely.

To make lassi mixture, place chopped mango, milk, sugar, cardamom and 280 g yoghurt in a blender and process until smooth.

Fill 4 tall serving glasses with crushed ice, then divide mango syrup and remaining 280 g yoghurt between glasses. Top with lassi mixture. Serve sprinkled with extra cardamom.

Photography Chris Chen

As seen in Feast magazine, Dec/Jan 2013, Issue 27.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.