You Old Smoothie

Before there was Jamba Juice and Robeks Juice, there was mango lassi. I have long had a thing for this refreshing, yogurt-based Indian drink--the original smoothie, you could say--that tempers spicy Indian food.

Not long ago, I tasted the best mango lassi I’ve ever had at a newish Indian spot called Tamarin in Beverly Hills. It was slightly frothy, not too sweet, creamy, icy cold and served in a tall, clear glass with a straw, which meant that I could measure my progress so as not to run out before I finished my chicken tikka and eggplant bharta.

Manager Brij Singh says the restaurant’s lassi is made to order, whipped up in a blender then and there instead of being made in a large batch early in the day and kept in the fridge. But there was another reason the lassi that day was so delicious. Chef-owner Uma Singh (no relation to Brij) made the yogurt for the lassi herself, just as her grandmother did when Singh was growing up in New Delhi. (She has since switched to plain nonfat Alta Dena yogurt.)

“We had our own cows and buffalo,” she recalls. “Every morning, my grandmother would make her own yogurt and make a big pot of lassi. All of our neighbors would come and take some. When I came home from school, she’d make me some fresh too.”

Although most American diners think of lassi as a lunch or dinner drink, Uma Singh says “it’s nice in the morning or with any meal. You’d have it all day with paratha--whole wheat bread stuffed with cauliflower or potato.” She even serves a shot glass of mango lassi on her “sweet platter.” And lassi would make a lovely addition to a weekend brunch, perhaps served in a chilled pitcher along with a colorful strata or fresh herb frittata. Best of all, it would be easy to prepare, especially if you cheat and buy the yogurt.

But what if mango just isn’t your thing? “A lot of restaurants in India are doing fancy ones with strawberry or blueberry,” Uma Singh says. “I even heard of a restaurant doing a cantaloupe lassi.”

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Mango Lassi

Serves 4

1 1/3 cups plain homemade yogurt (see recipe below)

1 cup chopped fresh mango (Uma Singh also likes Alfonso brand canned mango pulp, which is available at Indian markets)

6 tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup cold water

Blend all of the ingredients in an electric blender to achieve the desired consistency. Do not over-blend or the yogurt may separate. To serve, pour into tall glasses over ice.

Note: Tartness or sweetness can be adjusted to suit individual tastes. More sugar may be necessary when using fresh mango.

Homemade Yogurt

2 cups whole milk

1 tablespoon yogurt starter or store-bought, plain whole-milk yogurt

Using a stainless steel pot, bring the milk to a boil while stirring frequently so it does not burn at the bottom. Allow the milk to cool about 30 minutes until it is warm to the touch, or about 95 degrees. Add the yogurt starter to the milk and mix well. Cover the pot and set in a warm place for about 8 hours. (An oven that is off but has the pilot light on works well.) When the yogurt has cultured, a thin film of clear liquid will rise to the top. Refrigerate before using. The yogurt will keep for up to two weeks.

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Leslee Komaiko is a frequent contributor to the magazine.