Do you need a break from the world (I’m looking at you “the Media”) right now?!? ‘Cause I sure as heck do. Most of your kiddos have started classes again and I’m sure the days are starting to run together. Well, in case they are, I’m sharing one of my favorite, easy-to-make, easy-to-drink morning meals. This Mango Lassi with Rosewater and Cardamom have all the makings of a balanced meal.

Protein and calcium comes from Greek yogurt, as well as fiber, potassium, and vitamins from the mangoes. Boost the lassi with a couple of scoops of protein powder, or make it a legit filling meal by pulsing a 1/2 cup of rolled oats before adding the rest of the ingredients.

On days when I know I’m going to run ragged, this is what I rely on- heavily.

Gather the following:

The most unique ingredient you’ll need to source for this recipe is the rosewater. Since it’s just a trip to the liquor store, I’m going to say it’s a level 4 out of 10 with regard to difficulty of obtaining. I’ve been able to find it- easily- at Spec’s, Whole Foods, and on Amazon. So, yeah, that’s about as hard as hearing fake news on your local news station, amiright?!?!

I use plain low-fat Greek yogurt for my lassis, but you can use whole milk yogurt if you’re making this for your youngins. They need a whole milk type of yogurt at a young age, after all. Fresh Tommy Atkins (pictured) mangoes, ground cardamom, honey, and a wee bit of salt are all you need to seal the deal.

What is a Mango Lassi?

Now when you’re trying to figure out what a lassi is, you just need to think “Indian Smoothie”. That really is all this refreshing yogurt drink is. Strange though it may be to most Westerners, some lassis in certain parts of India are more savory (salty) than sweet. My version is obviously my take on the Asian beverage, but I would think it’s not too far off the mark, authentically.

The one ingredient I’ve found common in Indian lassis is saffron threads. Guess what I’m not buying to put in my lassi? Saffron that’s running $125 an ounce, that’s what. You want saffron? Knock yourself out. Does this mango lassi lack anything at all because it doesn’t have some expensive stigmas in it? Nope!

Save the saffron for your paella and let’s move on!

Prep the Mangoes

Using a chef’s knife, slice off a sliver of the peel at the bottom of the mango. Then, use your knife to remove the mango’s peel in strips, starting at the pointy- domelike- top of the fruit and working your way to the exposed flesh (where you cut away your sliver).

Cut the “belly” and the “butt” of the mango’s flesh from the large, oblong pit in the center.

Now cut any remaining strips of flesh away from the pit (these will usually be left on the sides of the mangoes).

Cut the mangoes into 1″ chunks and place them in the carafe of your blender.

Combine the rest of the mango lassi ingredients

Add a cup and a half (about 10 oz) of the plain Greek yogurt to the mango chunks in the blender. I prefer to use a plain, unflavored yogurt so I can better control the sweetness of the finished mango lassi. As a homeschool mom, I don’t need my kids pinging off of the walls because they OD’d on too much sugar for breakfast. But, hey, that’s just me.

Add a 1/2 teaspoon of ground cardamom and a pinch of salt to the blender. I love the earthiness of the cardamom. That, paired with the floral essence the rosewater gives balances the creaminess of the yogurt and the acidity of the mango awesomely. If you don’t have cardamom, use the same amount of ground cinnamon instead.

Pour in a teaspoon of the rosewater.

Whatever you do, do not add too much rosewater! I don’t care how much you love the way it smells, don’t go overboard. It’ll taste like you’re dragging your tongue down a rose bed, I swear!

Sweeten up your mango lassi by adding a 1/4 cup of honey to the blender. You can also use maple syrup.

Then, blend everything together on low for a minute. Stop the blender and scrape down the sides before blending again- on low- for another minute.

Pour, Serve, and Enjoy

After the mango lassi is smooth, pour the mixture into two tall milkshake glasses, or these cute smoothie glasses.

I like to garnish mine with some rose tea buds, but that’s not a must. It’s just a cute addition.

You’ll need to drink these mango lassis with smoothie straws, too.

A great tip for making these lassis even easier (as if they’re difficult) is to cut and freeze your mangoes ahead of time. Having the mangoes frozen makes this recipe so much easier to prepare before work or school.

Because this Mango Lassi doesn’t have much in the way of complex textures, you can make these the evening before and enjoy them on the way out of the house. Just be sure to consume them within 24 hours of mixing for optimum flavor. Be sure to pin and share this recipe.

I’m wishing you a more positive week (and month) ahead! Here’s to great school years for the kiddos (and maybe even for some of us adults), people being better neighbors and countrymen, and less media influence in our opinions of one another.

Let’s drink our mango lassis to that, shall we?

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