Mango Lassi

Recipe: Mango Lassi (serves one)

• 1 cup kefir (or buttermilk)
• 1 heaping cup frozen mango
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• dash of cinnamon
• sprig of mint

Blend kefir, frozen mango, water, vanilla, and cinnamon in blender until smooth. Garnish with mint sprig.

I love ordering mango lassis when we’re out at restaurants. It turns out they’re easy to make at home if you have kefir, a fermented milk drink high in probiotics. You can use buttermilk as a substitute: it’s also made by culturing milk, but with a single bacteria type instead of multiple.

Including some water in the recipe makes for a more drinkable consistency. And using frozen mango is not only convenient, but also makes the lassi cold and frothy. You can create any other fruit lassi by substituting the mango with another frozen fruit — I like raspberry, strawberry, or dragon fruit lassis as well, and sometimes add cranberries for tartness.