One of the MOST popular drinks at Indian restaurants, rich and creamy Mango Lassi is super easy to make at home in under 10 minutes!
Seven easy ingredients and a blender is all you need to make it through the summer months!
Mango season is the MOST loved time of the year. Once mangos arrive in summer, they become the centerpiece for every meal.
Chopped into pieces, served as sliced or churned into aamras; mangos are super satisfying and great in all forms. Besides, the large number of desserts that are easy to make with mangos are the best! Mango Kulfi , Mango Salsa, Eggless Mango Mousse and Mango Falooda are definitely my favorites for summer.
If you are a mango lover just like me, this mango lassi recipe is made for you! Besides, it is so simple to make and super refreshing.
The sweetness of mangos combined with the slight tartness of yogurt makes a great combination. A super smooth drink that is creamy, filling and perfectly cold, mango lassi is a MUST-HAVE during mango season.
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What is Mango Lassi
A drink made from yogurt; lassi can easily be understood as drinkable yogurt. Lassi comes in various forms; sweet, salty, with rose, mango or other fruits or with lots of nuts.
Mango Lassi, as the name suggests has yogurt and mango. That would be it for a traditional version. No milk, water or sugar is added.
However, based on the sweetness of the mangos and how thick you desire the lassi to be these can be added. There is a lot of literature on whether or not milk and yogurt can be served together. Make your best judgement based on what suits you.
I generally add water to thin out the lassi if the yogurt is super thick.
Mango lassi is a super popular drink at Indian restaurants and for events. But it is super easy to make it at home and enjoy. It barely takes 5 minutes to make it and it is such a refreshing drink for summer afternoons!
Why this recipe works
- It is super easy to make. All you need to do is blend the ingredients and serve! Plus, the ingredient list is not super complex too.
- Home-made lassi is easy to customize. Add some nuts, skip the saffron, flavor with rose water or add a dollop of mango ice cream. The options are unlimited!
- This recipe can be made ahead of time. When mixed and placed in the refrigerator, the flavors actually become even better. That is why I love to make it for my parties.
- It is a drink that is loved by everyone! Whether kids or adults, it is hard to find someone who does not enjoy mango lassi.
- Lassi is a perfect drink with hot Indian food or some light snacks. It blends well with all cuisines and is apt with lunch, snacks or dinner.
This mango lassi is perfect to make at home and serve at a party or just enjoy by yourself. It is great when served in glasses or placed a pitcher with some glasses on the side.
It is definitely a party favorite and making it at home is quite economical compared to ordering it at a restaurant.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Mangos: Mango is the first ingredient in this recipe. Using fresh mangos or canned mango from the Indian store works. Both will be perfect in their own way. Just read the sugar content on the can if using it as some varieties do contain sugar. The sweeter the mangos, the better the taste of lassi without any add-ins.
- Yogurt: Yogurt is an ingredient that is required here. Regular or Greek variety works well. If using Greek yogurt, you might need to thin it out with some water/ milk.
- Sugar: As the mangos I used were not super sweet, I add some sugar to the lassi. This however is optional, based on taste and preferences.
- Cardamom and Saffron: To make the mango lassi even better I like to add some saffron and cardamom. Both aromatics, they raise the flavor of mango so well. And they add a lot of texture to the lassi.
- Toppings: I like to add some chopped nuts as toppings. Pistachio is my favorite nut for topping. They taste so good with the smooth lassi and look amazing too.
- Finally a blender or hand blender is needed to make lassi. I like to use a blender to get a thick creamy lassi.
See the recipe card for detailed ingredient information, measurements and nutrition.
What mangos work best for this lassi?
In India we generally use alphonso or kesar to make lassi.
However given the short time that these would be available, my mother used to freeze the pulp of these mangos so that we could enjoy it year round.
Here in the US we do find these pulps in the Indian store. My first priority is definitely alphonso mango pulp for this followed by kesar.
If you do not have access to Indian mangos or pulp, make the mango lassi using Ataulfo or Tommy mangos from the grocery store.
What yogurt to use to make this mango lassi
Yogurt is one of the required ingredients here and most of the time I use home-made yogurt. I use my Instant Pot to make my yogurt from scratch.
If you do not want to make your own yogurt from scratch, store bought plain yogurt works too.
When making it with store bought Greek Yogurt, add some water to make it drinkable.
For regular yogurt, skip the water and yet if the lassi feels too thick, add some water to thin it out.
How to make Vegan Mango Lassi
It is easy to make Mango Lassi vegan. Just swap out the yogurt for your favorite Vegan yogurt and follow the same proportions. It works well.
How to make this recipe
1-Add saffron strands and cardamom seeds to a mortar.
2- Using a pestle roughly crush them roughly and set aside.
3- Add everything except pistachios to a blender.
4- Run for 3-4 minutes till thick and smooth.
5- Open the blender and taste the lassi.
6- Pour into glasses and top with chopped pistachios. Serve immediately or chill before serving.
Expert Tips and Notes
- Use fresh or canned mangoes for the recipe. They both work equally well. However, adjust the sugar if the canned mangoes have sugar added to it.
- If the mix of mango and yogurt is too thick, thin it out with water or milk.
- To make Mango Lassi Vegan, substitute the regular yogurt for a plant based one. Plus, use water or plant based milk for thinning it out.
- The toppings like saffron and cardamom are optional in the recipe. However, they add a lot of flavor and texture to the drink.
- Mango lassi can be enjoyed immediately or stored in the refrigerator fpr up to 24 hours.
Recipe FAQs
Mango Lassi is made using mangos, yogurt and some add-ins like saffron and cardamom. It is almost like a drinkable version of yogurt.
Yes certainly. Just swap out regular yogurt for a plant based one. And use either water or plant based milk alternative to make it.
Yes certainly. While we need sugar for mangoes that are not super sweet, we can skip it if you do not want to overload the drink with sugar. Alternates like honey, maple syrup can be used too.
Serving Suggestions
Enjoy this cooling drink with your favorite Indian meals. Given that the drink is cold, sweet and fruity it pairs wonderfully with all the spicy Indian curries and meals.
More Mango Recipes
Love this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the recipe card below & if you REALLY like it, consider a review in the comments whilst you are there, thanks!
Mango Lassi
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup mango peeled and cubed (or 1 cup canned mango pulp)
- 2 cups Plain Yogurt
- ½ cup cold water
- 2 teaspoon Sugar
- ½ teaspoon Cardamom Seeds optional
- ⅛ teaspoon Saffron optional
- 1 tablespoon Pistachios optional
Instructions
- Add saffron strands and cardamom seeds to a mortar.
- Using a pestle roughly crush them roughly and set aside.
- Add everything except pistachios to a blender.
- Run for 3-4 minutes till thick and smooth.
- Open the blender and taste the lassi.
- Pour into glasses and top with chopped pistachios. Serve immediately or chill before serving.
Video
Notes
- Use fresh or canned mangoes for the recipe. They both work equally well. However, adjust the sugar if the canned mangoes have sugar added to it.
- If the mix of mango and yogurt is too thick, thin it out with water or milk.
- To make Mango Lassi Vegan, substitute the regular yogurt for a plant based one. Plus, use water or plant based milk for thinning it out.
- The toppings like saffron and cardamom are optional in the recipe. However, they add a lot of flavor and texture to the drink.
- Mango lassi can be enjoyed immediately or stored in the refrigerator fpr up to 24 hours.
Nutrition
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