Recipe - Creamy Mango Lassi For Hot Summer

'The king of the fruits' Mango is one of the most popular, nutritionally rich fruits with unique flavor, fragrance, taste, and heath promoting qualities, making it numero-uno among new functional foods, often labeled as 'super fruits.' Mango fruit is rich in pre-biotic dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, and poly-phenolic flavonoid antioxidant compounds. In This article we will learn about how to make Creamy Mango Lassi. This Lassi is made with sweet mangoes, yogurt and touch of cardamom! Enjoy this summer drink while fresh mangoes are still in season.

Ingredients

1 cup mango pulp 250 ml, use fresh if possible from 2-3 sweet mangoes else can use canned mango pulp
1 cup yogurt 240 ml, plain whole milk yogurt
1/2 cup milk (cold) or cold water, to thin out the lassi
1-2 tablespoons sugar or adjust to taste
1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder
pistachios to garnish, optional
saffron strands to garnish, optional

Method

* To a large bowl, add 1 cup fresh mango pulp. I got the pulp from 2 large sweet mangoes which I blended in a blender to make it smooth .

* You can use canned mango pulp if you can't find sweet mangoes.

* To the same bowl, now add yogurt. I have used plain whole milk yogurt here.

* Now add cold milk (or water). I add this to thin out the lassi a bit. Also add the sugar and the cardamom powder.

* Blend everything until well combined. I used an immersion blender.

* Pour the mango lassi into serving glasses and chill before serving! You may garnish with pistachios, saffron strands before serving.

Benefits Of Mangoes

- Mango is low in calories but full of nutrients. One cup (165 grams) of sliced mango provides 99 calories, 1.4 grams of protein, 24.7grams of Carbs, 0.6 grams of Fats, 2.6 grams of Dietry Fiber. It also contains small amounts of phosphorus, pantothenic acid, calcium, selenium and iron.

- Mango is a good source of immune-boosting nutrients. One cup (165 grams) of mango provides 10% of your daily vitamin A needs. On top of this, the same amount of mango provides nearly three-quarters of your daily vitamin C needs. This vitamin can help your body produce more disease-fighting white blood cells, help these cells work more effectively and improve your skin’s defenses.

- Mango contains magnesium, potassium and the antioxidant mangiferin, which all support healthy heart function.

- Mango has digestive enzymes, water, dietary fiber and other compounds that aid different aspects of digestive health.

- Mango contains lutein, zeaxanthin and vitamin A — which support eye health. Lutein and zeaxanthin may protect from the sun, while a lack of vitamin A can create vision problems.

- Mango contains vitamin C, which gives your skin its elasticity and prevents sagging and wrinkling. It also provides vitamin A, which promotes healthy hair.

- Mango polyphenols may fight oxidative stress, which is linked to colon, lung, prostate, breast and bone cancers.