Indian · Authentic-ish Indian
Mango Lassi
148 kcal a serving, against 196 for the traditional version. That is 48 kcal off, or 24%, with 14.4g of protein. Serves 4. 10 minutes.
What the traditional version is
A thick, violently sweet blend of mango pulp, full-fat yoghurt, whole milk and heaps of caster sugar, often spiked with a tiny pinch of ground cardamom. It drinks like a melted ice cream.
What changed, and what each change costs
60g of sugar down to absolutely zero
Adding huge amounts of sugar is a cheap trick used to cover up poor quality fruit. If you buy a proper, sweet mango and let it sit in your fruit bowl until it yields completely to the touch, it brings all the natural sweetness you could ever need. You can't rush the fruit.
What it costs you. You lose that intense, syrup-like rush that coats your tongue. The drink is noticeably less sweet, leaning much harder into the natural acidity of the dairy and the floral notes of the fresh mango.
400g of full-fat natural yoghurt and 100g of whole milk for 500g of fat-free Greek yoghurt and 100g of semi-skimmed milk
Fat-free Greek yoghurt is incredibly dense and brings a massive amount of structure to the drink without the heavy fat load. It gives you a thick, spoonable texture. I thin it out just enough with a splash of semi-skimmed milk to make it drinkable.
What it costs you. Call it a sharper, more acidic yoghurt drink rather than a rich, buttery milkshake anymore and you'll be about right. You lose that rich dairy finish that comes from the heavy fat, but you gain a much cleaner taste.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 196 | 148 |
| Protein | 5.1g | 14.4g |
| Fat | 4.5g | 1.4g |
| Saturated fat | 2.7g | 0.6g |
| Carbohydrate | 36.2g | 21g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 2.6g | 9.8g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Indian prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. milk.
The method is in the book
That's exactly what a fruit drink should be. It relies entirely on the quality of your produce rather than masking everything with a bag of caster sugar. The thick Greek yoghurt gives it a satisfying, dense texture while the cardamom cuts through with a sharp, floral edge. You get all the refreshment of the original without feeling like you need a nap immediately afterwards. Buy good fruit, wait until it is actually ripe, and you'll never miss the sugar.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Indian, along with 54 more. Buy the paperback