Who doesn't love mangoes?! I'm talking about the amazingly delicious, super soft, juicy, sweet variety not the stuff you find pre-diced in plastic boxes in supermarkets or your local Pret A Manger. I know the fresh fruit can be hard to find so an absolutely brilliant alternative is canned or frozen mango pulp. This stuff is amazing, especially for this lassi recipe and it is much more affordable than buying the fresh fruit. If you do want to hunt for the most delicious mango, I recommend finding the variety called Alphonso. It's called the king of mangoes for a reason.
I've done some digging around and I have mango pulp recommendations for US and UK supermarkets.
US: Goya sells frozen mango pulp (and guava and naranjilla and lime and passion fruit etc.) in most large supermarkets. I love this stuff. It's the real deal and it tastes delicious. Find it in the frozen food aisle with other fruit and veg.
UK: East End and KTC sell tinned mango pulp in Sainsbury's, Waitrose, and large Tesco's. I use what I need then pop the remainder into a Ziploc bag and freeze it for future use. East End sells Alphonso Mango Pulp, which is to die for, so I recommend that one specifically.
When to drink lassis? Honestly, I rarely make them in the cooler months but they make many appearances throughout the summer. It's been absolutely scorching in London the last few weeks so I am constantly vacillating between wanting to be in the kitchen (to stand in the fridge) and be as far away from the heat of the stove as possible. Lassis are happily a no-cook/no-heat situation so that's a winner for me. So the short answer is: drink lassis anytime, but especially when you wish you had air conditioning.
LASSI MANG
•milk
•yogurt
•ice
•mango pulp
•sugar
In a blender, whiz together one cup of milk, one cup of plain yogurt, one cup of ice, and one cup of mango pulp. (Use a stick blender if that's what's available!)
A note on sugar: depending on the brand of mango pulp you buy, there may already be added sugar, so quickly taste the mango before adding sweeteners. The sweetness level should be to your individual taste and it is likely be somewhere between 0-4 tablespoons.
That's it! Pour into tall glasses with a few cubes of extra ice and serve immediately.
