A mango yoghurt drink.!

Mango Lassi , a mango yoghurt 

drink.!

Mango season is here and I am very happy. We have small boys selling mangoes in Bahrain now. Slowly and steadily, mangoes are flooding the markets here in Bahrain. It is just the beginning of the season, hence the mangoes are priced close to BD 2 for a crate which holds around 8 mangoes. I get a kilogram of mangoes for BD 1.2 in Juffair, however there will be about 5 in number. So I guess it is  just about the same. It is during the time when mangoes are at their peak in India that we have the Mango festival at LULU. Most Indians use the opportunity to buy and gorge on these fruits. The choice of forty odd varieties makes it possible to have a little of all types.

Today is a very hot day. The sun is beating down on us and the children come back from school tired, with sweaty clothes and parched throats. All they want is something refreshing to drink and sometime on the couch watching their favorite cartoon. I always wonder, what is the point of an education syllabus which burdens the child so much that they are so tired all the time. Which is better – an academically brilliant student or a street smart academically intelligent student? I guess it is more the case of egg versus hen here. The questions asked 10 years ago are still being asked today and will be tomorrow.  But for now I have some delicious mango lassi on the table waiting to be slurpped down.

MANGO LASSI

• Mangoes – 1 large
• Yogurt - 3/4 cup
• Milk or water – 1/4 cup
• Sugar / Splenda/ honey – 2 Tbsp
• Cardamom powder – optional

METHOD

• Make sure that all the ingredients except mango are cold.
• Peel, seed and chop the mango. You should have approximately a little more than a cup of chopped mangoes.
• Add all the ingredients into a blender . Add cardamom is using but  I like it better without it.
• Blend the entire thing in the blender till it is smooth and creamy.
• Serve over ice in tall glasses.
• I do not use much ice just 2 to 3 cubes. I feel that when the ice melts, the drink become s watery and I like my lassi to be cold and  thick and frothy.
• Also, before you add the sugar taste the mango. Add sugar as per the sweetness of the mango. You do not want a sugary drink.
• Use yogurt that is fresh and not too sour.

MANGO FACTS

• “Big Mango” is the nickname for Bangkok (Thailand) just like “Big Apple” is the nickname for New York City
• Mango is the national fruit in three countries: India, Pakistan, and the Philippines.
• The mango is known as the ‘king of fruit’ throughout the world.
• In the Hindu culture hanging fresh mango leaves outside the front door during the Hindu New Year and Deepavali is considered a blessing to the house.
• The Sanskrit poets believe that munching on mango buds lend sweetness to the voice.
• Although more than a thousand varieties exist, only around 20 varieties are grown on a commercial scale.
• Alphonso is the supreme and best variety available in the world,