NAMASTE TRINI'S MANGO LASSI

Hey guys, I hope everyone is enjoying the summer season. I have a special drink to share that's a good way to beat the summer heat. Mango Lassi is a very well-known drink in India that originated in the Punjab region. LASSI is the blend of yogurt, fruit, spices, and other ingredients like honey or sugar for sweetness. Now mango lassi is served mainly in Indian restaurants up to a glass full.

My Experience with Mango Lassi: In college, I was taking an Interpersonal Communications class. A demonstration project was assigned by the instructor and as students, we had to create a 5 min project and actually demonstrate it to the class. I thought to myself "What am I going to create in 5 minutes" my immediate idea came to be mango lassi. This was the perfect presentation to show the class plus its part of my culture. On the day of the presentation, it was finally my turn to make mango lassi for the class. I did feel like a chef on Food Network just doing my thing with AMAZING ingredients...lol! Right in the middle of my presentation after adding all ingredients to my blender you'll never guess what happened. Smoke came out from the blender along with a burnt smell I was like "Oh no I failed the presentation". My instructor came up and wanted to know WHAT HAPPENED, I said "The blender started smoking and I don't know what to do". He helped me with the blender and FINALLY, my ingredients started to actually blend. Here's a happy ending for you guys. At the end of my project, I served my mango lassi to the class and I got that A+ which worried me so much.

This mango lassi is SUPER YUMMY! I love everything about this drink. So rich, sweet, and refreshing. Easy to whip up at home for the family to try. All you need is a few ingredients to get started!

Note: You can use frozen or fresh fruits to make lassi.

SUBSTITUTIONS -Those of you who are not a fan of mangoes there are ways to substitute:

• Mixed Berries

• Strawberries/ Strawberry Banana

• Pineapple

• Peaches

Ingredients

1 carton of Light Nonfat Yogurt (32 oz)

2 cups of Ripe Mangoes (cut in cubes)

1 cup White Sugar

1 tsp cardamom powder

1 cup ice cubes

Directions

1. Cut mangoes into small sizes and add them to a medium bowl (Set aside).

2. Set up a blender to put together your mangoes and yogurt.

3. After setting the blender add your ice cubes, yogurt, and mangoes. Start pulsing the blender until ice cubes, yogurt, and mangoes are well combined. Note: You're looking for a thick texture.

4. Add sugar and cardamom powder then pulse again everything. Let all of the sugar and cardamom work in the blender. Note: You may adjust the sugar depending on how sweet you like it.

5. Pour mango lassi in a mug and let it chill between 1-3 hours then you can start serving.

Now you have a refreshing mango lassi to enjoy!