Mango Lassi Recipe
Mango Lassi is our all time favorite Indian summer drink. What better way than to combine the sweetness of mangoes with the tanginess of yogurt. Make this fruity, thick, creamy, refreshing Mango Lassi recipe in less than 15 minutes with ripe mangoes, yogurt and your choice of flavorings – green cardamom, saffron or rose water.
About Mango Lassi
A simple mango lassi is made with fresh yogurt or Curd, sweet mangoes and a touch of cardamom. For a bit of rich and creamy taste, some cream is included.
Mango lassi is a fruity variation of the popular classic sweet Lassi – a summer drink made with yogurt, water or milk, sugar and cardamoms.
Note that both curd and yogurt are different dairy products, but mango lassi can be made with either.
During Indian summers (the months of March to May), mango is harvested and sold across all the Indian markets. One can buy different varieties of mangoes in this season.
Ripe, sweet mangoes of the season make the best tasting mango lassi. In a pinch, canned mango pulp works. But if you want to enjoy a refreshing lassi with fresh flavors from the king of fruits, make it with fresh mangoes.
These summer months are the hottest and many summer drinks, coolers are made here to quench the thirst and also to cool the body.
I make this mango-yogurt drink and the classic sweet lassi often to beat the heat during summers in India. Mangoes are a favorite with many people. I still have to find someone who does not like mangoes.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
The proportions of yogurt and mangoes in my recipe are just right. So you do not end up drinking a mango puree or a sweetened yogurt drink instead of mango lassi. The correct balance of these two ingredients makes this a perfect mango lassi recipe.
If you love a slightly richer version, then this recipe is for you. My recipe has a bit of light cream added, though it can be completely skipped if you want a simpler, lighter version.
Alphonso mangoes, which is the prized variety of mangoes feature in this drink. I also make this drink with a few other fleshy, pulpy Indian varieties of mango.
The flavor, taste and aroma profile of the mango variety you use will be one of the dominant flavors in your lassi. Having said that, this is a forgiving recipe and any fleshy, juicy or pulpy variety of mangoes works well.
I love to add ice cubes as it makes for a cold and thick lassi. For flavorings, I choose between rose water, green cardamom powder and saffron strands.
Like me, you can choose either of them or include two flavorings together – say rose water & cardamom or saffron & cardamom or rose water & saffron.
Here I have added rose water that gives a floral flavor to the lassi. Optionally, feel free to skip these flavorings entirely and let the mango flavors rule in the lassi.
Keep in mind that the color of your lassi will depend on the variety of mangoes you use. Whichever variety of mangoes you include, ensure that they have a smooth pulp and are not fibrous or stringy.
Make sure that the mangoes are sweet and not sour or tangy. Dairy products like curd when mixed with sour mangoes, can give you stomach aches.
How to make Mango Lassi
Puree Mangoes
1. Rinse, peel and chop 3 to 4 medium-sized mangoes. You need about 2 cups of chopped mangoes.
Add the chopped mangoes in a blender. Add 4 to 5 tablespoons sugar or honey or any sweetener of your choice. You can choose to omit adding any of the sweeteners if you prefer or if the mangoes are very sweet.
You can add more sugar later if the lassi has more of a sour taste.
2. Add flavorings of your choice – ½ teaspoon cardamom powder or 8 to 10 saffron strands or 1 tablespoon rose water. I added rose water.
3. Blend everything until smooth. The consistency is pulpy and mushy without any fine chunks of mangoes.
Add Curd (or Yogurt) & Blend
4. Add 2 cups chilled curd (dahi) or yogurt and 2 to 3 tablespoons light cream. Note that adding cream is optional.
5. Add 4 to 5 ice cubes (optional). If you want a slightly thin consistency, add some water or milk to the lassi while blending.
6. Blend until all the ingredients are mixed evenly and the yogurt has become smooth.
Taste a few spoons of mango lassi. If it tastes slightly sour or tangy or is not sweet enough according to your taste, add some teaspoons of sugar and blend again.
7. Pour mango lassi in glasses.
8. Serve straightaway.
Serving Suggestions
- Enjoy Mango Lassi as is or choose to top or garnish with herbs or nuts. For herbs, mint leaves are the best flavor pairing with both mangoes and yogurt. The lassi can be topped with some chopped mango cubes as well.
- Add some crunch to your lassi, by topping with almond slivers, pistachio slivers or chopped cashews.
- Love chocolate? Sprinkle some chocolate shavings or grated chocolate. Chocolate and mango are again a great pairing option.
- Top the drink with some whipped cream for a richer taste and flavor.
Storage
If you make a large batch of this recipe, store any leftovers in your refrigerator. Mango lassi keeps well for about 1 day in the refrigerator.
You can choose to freeze the lassi in ice trays or popsicle moulds to be enjoyed later as a frozen mango-yogurt dessert.
Expert Tips
Mangoes
Use mangoes that are in season, fresh, ripe and sweet. You could use any variety of mangoes. But they should be pulpy, juicy, fleshy and have a sweet taste.
Do not use mangoes that are fibrous or stringy. If the mangoes are more sweet, then you need to add less sweeteners.
Yogurt
The creamy consistency in this drink comes from using full-fat or whole milk yogurt. For low-fat options, include skimmed milk yogurt or low fat yogurt.
While I always use homemade curd to make lassi, packaged curd also works great. Simply make sure that your curd or yogurt is not too sour or tangy.
Greek yogurt is another option to try this lassi with. Add some water or milk to thin the consistency a bit if using greek yogurt.
Sweeteners
Sugar is the unanimous choice of sweetener in any lassi. But there are better sugar alternatives and you could feature them in your mango lassi recipe.
Sweeteners like coconut sugar, palm sugar, jaggery, raw unrefined sugar, maple syrup and honey are some nice options.
Flavorings
You can choose to make this beverage simply without any added flavorings. Though to make your drink a little more special and to elevate the mango flavors, a light touch of these flavorings does wonders.
Some great flavoring ideas are:
- ground green cardamom powder – ½ teaspoon
- ground cinnamon, a few pinches
- vanilla extract, about ½ to 1 teaspoon
- rose water
- kewra water (pandanus water), about 1 tablespoon
- saffron, a few strands
- a dash of nutmeg
Canned Mango Pulp
Make the lassi with canned mango pulp if fresh mangoes are not in season. I freeze mango pulp and make various goodies with it.
You will need to adjust the amount of sweetener if using canned pulp, as many of them are loaded with sugar. Include about 1 to 1.25 cups of mango pulp in this recipe.
Plant Based Options
Swap dairy yogurt, with almond yogurt, cashew yogurt, coconut milk yogurt to make a plant based version.
FAQs
Is mango lassi healthy?
Yes, it can be healthy when made without any added sugar. Mangoes are naturally nutrient dense fruit with plenty of natural sugar and curd (yogurt) is probiotic. When you make this lassi without any added sugar, it is healthy and gut friendly.
What can I use instead of yogurt in mango lassi?
Mango lassi is a drink made with yogurt. If you use milk or water in place of yogurt, it won’t be mango lassi anymore, but a mango shake or juice.
How long does this drink last in fridge?
This drink keeps well for about 1 day in the fridge. You can also freeze them in popsicle moulds and enjoy frozen mango & yogurt popsicles later.
Step by Step Photo Guide Above
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 2 cups chopped mangoes – alphonso or any sweet, pulpy mango variety, about 3 to 4 medium sized
- 4 to 5 tablespoon sugar or honey, add as required – optional
- 2 cups Curd or yogurt, cold or chilled
- 2 to 3 tablespoons light cream or malai – optional
- 4 to 5 ice cubes – optional
Flavorings (choose any one)
- ½ teaspoon cardamom powder (ground cardamom)
- 1 tablespoon rose water
- 8 to 10 saffron strands
Garnish – optional (choose any one)
- 3 to 4 mint sprigs
- 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped mangoes
- 1 to 2 tablespoons almond slivers or chopped cashews or pistachios slivers
- 1 to 2 tablespoons chocolate shavings or grated chocolate
- ¼ cup whipped cream – lightly sweetened
Instructions
Making Mango Puree
- Rinse, peel and chop the mangoes.
- In a blender or mixer, puree the mangoes with sugar or honey, cardamom powder or saffron or rose water.
- Make a smooth puree without any finer chunks of mangoes in it.
Add Curd (Yogurt)
- Add the chilled curd (yogurt) and light cream. Adding light cream is optional
- Add ice cubes. This is also optional.
Blend
- Blend until all the ingredients are mixed well, evenly and the yogurt has become smooth.
- if you prefer a slightly thin consistency add some milk or water while blending. Taste mango lassi and add a few teaspoons of sugar if it tastes slightly tangy or sour. Blend again.
- Pour in glasses and serve straightaway.
Serving Suggestions
- Enjoy Mango Lassi as is or choose to top or garnish with herbs or nuts. For herbs, mint leaves are the best flavor pairing with both mangoes and yogurt. You can top the lassi with some chopped mango cubes.
- Top with almond slivers, pistachio slivers or chopped cashews to add some crunch in your lassi.
- Chocolate shavings or grated chocolate also make for a great topping option.
- A topping of lightly sweetened whipped cream also tastes good.
Storage
- If you make a large batch of this recipe, store any leftovers in your refrigerator. It keeps well for 1 day in the refrigerator.
- You can choose to freeze the mango lassi in ice trays or popsicle moulds to be enjoyed later as a frozen mango-yogurt dessert.
Notes
- Mangoes: Use seasonal fresh mangoes that are ripe and sweet. Any variety of mangoes that are pulpy, juicy, fleshy and with a sweet taste will work. Do not use mangoes that have a fibrous or stringy flesh.
- Yogurt: Full-fat or whole milk yogurt give a creamy consistency. For low-fat options, use skimmed milk yogurt or low fat yogurt. If using packaged yogurt make sure that your curd or yogurt is not too sour or tangy.
- Greek Yogurt: Creamy and thick Greek yogurt is another option to try this lassi with. Add some water or milk to thin the consistency a bit if using greek yogurt.
- Sweeteners: Sugar is the preferred sweetener in lassi drink. But there are better alternative sweeteners like coconut sugar, palm sugar, jaggery, raw unrefined sugar, maple syrup and honey that you can add. If the mangoes are more sweet, then add less sweeteners.
- Flavorings: You can choose to make mango lassi simply without any added flavorings. But a light touch of these flavorings does wonders. Some options, you can consider: few pinches of ground cinnamon, ½ to 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon rose water and a dash of nutmeg.
- Canned Pulp: Make the lassi with canned mango pulp if fresh mangoes are not in season. You will need to adjust the amount of sweetener if using canned pulp, as many of them are loaded with sugar. Include about 1 to 1.25 cups of canned or homemade mango pulp in this recipe.
- Vegan Options: Use almond, oat milk, cashew or coconut milk yogurt to make a plant based mango lassi.
- Scaling: Make a large batch of this recipe by increasing the ingredients proportionately.
Nutrition
Mango Lassi recipe from the blog archives was first published on May 2010.
I love your recipes they always bring me back to the days when my mom cooked for me.
Thank you so much. I am truly touched. Food has a special way of bringing back memories, and I am glad the recipes remind you of those moments with your mom.
Awesome on the first go. I made it with Ataulfo which is a Mexican mango and cold yogurt. I did add some sugar as I like it sweet.
The end result made fo a thick, creamy, tangy, sweet lassi which was better than any takeout. Thanks for sharing this authentic Indian recipe.
Lovely and thanks for sharing this super feedback.
finally mango season is back here in mexico and i could try making this lassi with coconut curd!!! was soooo tasty, thank you so much!
Lovely and thanks for sharing the variation you made to your mango lassi.
i made this mango lassi with almond curd and came out fantastic!! i am so glad mango season is back here in mexico! thank you
Lovely and thanks for sharing the adaptations you made.
Can You show the vegan version of this which will taste equally good ?
heena, for a vegan version you can use cashew curd or coconut milk curd. even almond curd can be used. i have made lassis with cashew curd and it tastes equally good. cashew curd recipe is already shared on website. similar way you can make almond curd. for coconut milk curd, you can check on google or youtube as to how it is made. i have never made, but i know a few folks who use coconut milk curd instead of dairy curd.
Followed this recipe last night. And to my utter wonder it turned out to be an unforgettable one. Used Himsagar mangoes instead of Alphanso though. Thank you.
thanks anindya for sharing this. any non fibrous variety of sweet mangoes can be used for mango lassi.
welcome.
Can I use the canned alphonso pulp from the indian stores…and how much should I use? Any idea of the expiration date of these canned mango pulp too? Also,your recipes are very good. I often come here to get good ideas.
Thank you for all your hard work.
the mango pulp should taste like mango pulp. if it has a tinge of bitter taste or has an off rancid aroma, then avoid. i have no idea about the expiration as i generally do not use canned mango pulp. you can add 1.75 to 2 cups of mango pulp. you can also add more if you want.
i will make it in a few after reading this! I really like how you explained the steps. +5 to your effort in putting those pictures! Thank you! 🙂
it should be 5 Stars!
thanks msJithy
welcome msJithy
I m gonna try to make mango lassi today but I have one question is that I don’t have any kind of cream. So it’s necessary to use cream. But I have sour cream I don’t if I can use that. Also is that do we have to use only one item like cardamom, rose syrup or saffron or can we use all of them. Which one is best to use. I am really big fan of mango and my son love mango lassi so I hope he like it. Thank you for this recepie.
you can skip the cream or malai. avoid adding sour cream. the flavorings cardamom, rose syrup and saffron can be used all together or you can just add one of them. cardamom goes well with mangoes.
It’s a warm day here in Oakland, California and I had a mango that needed to be used. This recipe fit the bill. I used evap milk instead of regular milk and reconstituted it with 1 cup of ginger ale so no need for added sugar. It was plenty sweet but not too much. Just the way we like it. Thanks for this excellent recipe. I’ve tried a bunch of your other recipes but have to comment on this. I’ve learned so much about making real Indian foods from your site. Every recipe is well explained and clear. The photo instructions is a great idea and really whets the appetite. Thanks for all your hard work.
welcome charlie. glad to know this. thanks for sharing your variation and positive feedback on recipes.
So good! I tried with greek yogurt because that was the only option, it was bitter, but I believe that was only from the yogurt. Good recipe overall and thank you
welcome ellen. next time try with fresh yogurt. the taste will be better and sweet.
I’ve been comparing this Mango Lassi Recipe with your Mango Shrikhand recipe. Since both recipes use the same ingredients, in your opinion, what makes these recipes different? Do you have a preference to either one?
Thanks!
welcome jessica. both are different. in mango shrikhand the whey from the curd is drained out. so what you get is the thick hung yogurt without the whey. taste wise and consistency wise both the recipes are different. mango lassi is quick and shrikhand takes time but worth the effort. in the end both are delicious and have their own unique taste and admirers.
Delicious! So refreshing and I love the cardamom. Great recipe!
thanks anna
no match thanks dear
You mentioned Salty Lassi’s, so maybe you could add a section on the variations for the proper balance for a salty version. Thanks for your delicious postings!
sean, i will write a post on salty lassi in future.
I’ve never used rose water in lassi before but it sounds to be a great idea! I’ll taste the difference nest time I prepare lassi.
does give a light fragrance of rose in the lassi.