This recipe was originally published in May 2017. It has been updated with new photographs and improvements to the recipe and text as of July 2020.
This vegan mango lassi is very simple, and dairy free, but it tastes just like it should – light and dreamy and a little spicy. The recipe only calls for a maximum of five ingredients but just make sure that you’re using your favourites of everything that’s going in it.
Get a good mango, your favourite yogurt, and use whole cardamom pods if you can (which is always better anyway). You can use ataulfo mangos – the small yellow ones, they’re best – or a regular green mango (usually Kent). Let it get really ripe before making this recipe and you shouldn’t need any extra sweetener.
If you’re not familiar with lassi, it’s a yogurt based drink that originated in the Punjab region in India. Traditionally it’s salty, rather than sweet, but sweet versions (with additions like rose, saffron, or mango, like this one) are popular. So make yourself a good curry, a batch of naan, and a lassi to go with it instead of ordering in!
Ingredients
- Fresh, ripe mango
- Coconut yogurt
- Cardamom
- Maple syrup, or honey if not vegan (optional)
- Cold water, if needed
Method
Couldn’t be easier! Simply blend the mango, yogurt, cardamom, and sweetener (if using) until very smooth, and serve immediately. This should be served at room temperature rather than chilled before consumption.
If the lassi is too thick, you can thin it out with a bit of cold water until it’s the consistency you like. It should really be a bit thinner than it is pictured, but this particular one was quite cold when I took the photos because my mango was in the refrigerator. It thinned out when it came to room temperature.
Tips and Notes
If you have an ultra high-speed blender, you can probably chuck the whole cardamom seeds in without grinding them ahead of time. Otherwise, use a mortar and pestle or, my old method, the back of a spoon on a hard surface.
I use an immersion blender, but any type of blender will work for this as mango is so soft. If you find that your blender is leaving chunks or stringy bits behind, it’s probably the type of mango you’re using, so I recommend searching out an ataulfo mango, which doesn’t have a fibrous texture.
Keep in mind that lassi is a yogurt drink, not a mango drink, and so there is more of a yogurt flavour than you’d get in a fruit smoothie. It tastes a bit like mango yogurt, really. This doesn’t keep very well after mixing so I don’t recommend storing it in the refrigerator for any length of time.
Substitutions
Coconut yogurt is best here – it’s an obvious pairing – but other non-dairy yogurts are good too. Oat, almond, whatever your favourite is. As mentioned above, make sure it’s one you really like, and choose a yogurt you like plain because the taste won’t be masked enough to hide one you hate.
Cardamom is classic, and I always recommend fresh cardamom rather than ground. Like nutmeg and pepper, pre-ground cardamom is not great. You can use other spices, like vanilla or ginger, if you hate cardamom.
The recipe calls for fresh mango, but frozen is good if you can’t get fresh. You will likely need to thin the lassi out with some water or non-dairy milk if you use frozen mango.
More Refreshing Drinks
Strawberry Watermelon Juice
Orange Coconut Smoothie
Blueberry Peanut Butter Smoothie
Strawberry Slush
Orange Ginger Beer Sparklers
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Mango Coconut Lassi
Ingredients
- 1 very ripe mango peeled, stone removed, and chopped (about 1 cup flesh)
- 200 grams coconut yogurt
- 1 pod green cardamom ground
- Maple syrup or honey to sweeten to taste
- Cold water as needed to thin
Instructions
- Place the mango, yogurt, and cardamom into a blender and blend until smooth and thick. Alternatively, use an immersion blender.
- Add a little cold water to thin it out to the consistency you’d like, if needed, and maple syrup if you prefer it to be sweeter. Serve immediately.
Leslie-Anne @ From Pasta to Paleo says
What a busy month! Wandering the Swedish countryside sounds like an absolute dream. I'm a huge lassi fan – thanks for this recipe!
Nicoletta De Angelis Nardelli says
I had already pinned and yummed this recipe. It looks beautiful and sounds delicious. We've always wanted to make a mango lassi, but never did it. You gave us a gentle push, with your lovely recipe 🙂 . P.s. I've been to Stockholm as well, from Rome, and I loved Gamla Stan!
Vicky Chin says
I love mango, and it goes so well with coconut ! Love the addition of cardamom. Thanks for sharing and I am pinning it !
Hilary says
I love mango lassies! I remember as a kid being thrilled I was able to order it with my meal when we went out for Indian food. And yet somehow I've never tried making them at home! Thank you for the reminder and inspiration 🙂
Natalie Browne says
Sounds like you had quite the month. This lassi looks so wonderful. Mango and coconut go so well together, and with the cardamom, it sounds so wonderful.
Dana Sandonato says
I've never had a lassi, and I hardly ever use mangos, but this looks like a fab reason to rectify that!
Good on you for taking some time off. This is something I need to do more of. We had family visiting from Canada this past week as well, but instead of taking the time off, I crammed a week's worth of assignments into two days. I don't know what it is with me!
And yay, kitties! I'm so glad your other cat found such a wonderful home, and I hope your two new girls do too. Ours has settled in quite well — she basically rules the roost now. No surprise there. Because cats. 😉
Justine Celina says
I've been waiting to hear more about your wedding and recent adventures, Alexandra! Taking time off to simply enjoy life, family and friends so necessary — I'm glad you made the most of your time with your company. 🙂
This lassi looks just delicious! I've never made it, but I love mango and love the sound of this recipe and I LOVE mango. Just pinned it to try this summer!