Mango Lassi: The Gold of India

Mango lassi, the famous Indian cocktail, is one of India's most important exports. It has made a career in the world comparable only to the popularity of Bollywood movies, yoga and chicken tikka masala! No wonder - it is a delicious, healthy drink that is just as good a thirst quencher as... the fire burning in your mouth after eating the most spicy Indian dishes. How to make it at home?

I fell in love with mango lassi, like millions of travelers, from the very first days of my first visit to India. Thick and velvety, slightly sweet and a little salty, from the very first moments it was not only a delicious drink for me, but also the best dessert, a convenient snack during sightseeing, as well as a way to learn about local customs, recipes and... people who prepared it for me even right on the street. Exactly! Because I order it not only in cafes and restaurants, but also from carts placed right on the crazy streets of Indian cities or on the beautiful beaches there. It has never harmed me and I have never been poisoned by it, although the conditions in which it was prepared were far from acceptable from the point of view of our strict European hygiene standards. Why? It's all about time! The smaller, let's put it in quotation marks, "gastronomic establishment", the fresher the drink is! In restaurants it can wait for the customer for a few hours in the fridge, but on the street it must always be prepared on the spot: the fruit is cut and mixed in front of us, and the yogurt is fresh.

The nutritional value of mango lassi is material for a serious scientific treatise. However, its health-promoting potential can be described in a few words: fruit, yogurt, exotic spices. Because mango lassi consists of only a few ingredients, but they all do wonders for the body. And the fact that they occur together has an additional positive effect on blood sugar levels! Not to mention how cleverly the original Indian mango lassi helps maintain the right level of minerals in the body. How does it work?

Let me explain. Mango is a fruit full of carotene, which makes the skin radiant, makes it resistant to sunlight and... improves the color of the tan. It also has a lot of vitamins, but let's treat it as a nice bonus ;). Yogurt, as a fermented drink, supports the intestinal bacterial flora, giving it vigor and accelerating digestion, which in turn works against unwanted putrefactive bacteria. The intestines are also healed by fiber, which is rich in mango - it speeds up the passage of food content in the digestive system. Mango itself has a lot of sugar, but because it is in the company of yogurt in lassi, the whole thing has a lower glycemic index, satisfies for a long time and prevents spikes in blood glucose levels. And the secret of salt: according to some Indian recipes, lassi also contains a pinch of it - it is a great way to replenish the level of minerals, when on hot days (or after a hard workout!) we lose them with sweat.

You're not going to India and want to prepare mango lassi at home? Nothing could be easier. Thanks to dozens of mango lassi, the preparation of which I observed in India, I developed a recipe that is easy to apply in Polish conditions. It tastes like in Asia!

The recipe is really simple. To make mango lassi you need one mango (or two, if you want to prepare a larger quantity or you like more intense flavours), preferably ripe, 100 ml of cold mineral water and 200 ml of natural yoghurt. Peel the mango, remove the stone and cut the pulp into small pieces. Throw everything into a tall container, pour in the yoghurt and water and mix. The success lies in the details, so now pay attention: add a large pinch of ground cardamom, which will give the cocktail a characteristic flavour, and if the mango is not too ripe - also a spoonful of honey or maple syrup to sweeten. And you can already enjoy a nutritious afternoon snack or a second breakfast with an amazing taste. Or a diet dessert - cheers!