If you frequent Indian restaurants you might be familiar with lassi – a rich, creamy drink typically made with a yogurt or buttermilk base. Lassi is sometimes sweet, sometimes savoury, and sometimes a bit of both.

Our mango-tofu lassi isn’t strictly a traditional recipe by any means – it uses tofu after all – but it will still give you that lassi-loving feeling with a higher protein boost to keep you going.

The typical plain lassi is made of yogurt, water and, occasionally, a little salt. Savoury lassies have spices added to them, while sweet ones tend to contain honey or fruits.

We’ve done away with the water in our recipe, but we’ve added milk, honey and salt alongside some ripe yummy mangoes, as well as silken tofu for that extra creamy factor.

It’s a simple recipe that comes together quick, and will have you sipping it down wishing there was a chapati or thosai by your side.

Power-packed ingredients

Tofu isn’t a typical ingredient in lassies, or Indian cooking for that matter, but its soft texture and mild flavour makes it a great addition to smoothies. It adds creaminess without that heavy feeling, plus, it’s an excellent source of protein.

Besides all nine essential amino acids, tofu also contains iron, calcium, manganese, magnesium, zinc and vitamin B1 – all good things for your body.

Naturally gluten-free and low in calories, tofu also has no cholesterol, making this a great ingredient for all your creamy smoothie needs.

Plain natural yogurt also has a lot of health benefits. It is filled with nutrients such as calcium, B vitamins, phosphorous, magnesium and potassium, all of which are important in maintaining your blood pressure and metabolism levels while improving bone health.

Yogurt is also packed full of protein, while those containing probiotics can also help your digestive system. It may also strengthen your immune system, protect against osteoporosis, benefit the health of your heart and, if you’re looking to lose weight, yogurt also helps you feel full longer. Sounds good, doesn’t it?

Milk, another ingredient in our mango-tofu lassi, is also a great source of calcium and vitamin D, which helps in the prevention of osteoporosis. Vitamin D also produces serotonin, which lifts the mood, can reduce chronic fatigue and reduce the effects of PMS.

For a little sweetness, this recipe calls for honey. Raw organic 100% honey is best as it has lots of antioxidants as well as anti-fungal and antibacterial properties.

Honey can also soothe a sore throat, and help with digestive issues. Diabetics should consume honey with caution though, as it still contains a significant amount of sugar.

And what about that mango?

Besides being delicious, especially when ripe and sweet, consuming mangoes can also be pretty healthy for you. Rich in antioxidants, mangoes have properties that can help our bodies protect itself against certain types of cancer.

The high levels of vitamin C in this fruit is also great for controlling cholesterol levels while strengthening your immune system, and the high iron content in mangoes are great for those with anaemia.

And here’s a little bonus you may have not known about before – besides being an aphrodisiac, mangoes are also good for the eyesight and can help prevent heatstroke as eating it will cool you down instantly. Perfect for our hot Malaysian temperatures.

Plus, mango and yogurt goes so well together that this mango-tofu smoothie actually tastes like cheesecake. Want an even heartier drink? Sprinkle with some granola over the top for a little crunch.

Ingredients

• 140g (1 cup) ripe mangoes, cut into cubes

• 125g (1/2 cup) plain yogurt

• 125g (1/2 cup) silken tofu

• 120ml (1/2 cup) milk

• 25g (1 tbsp) honey

• ¼ tsp sea salt

Method

• Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.

• Serve while the mango-tofu lassi is still cold.

Extra tips

• Keep your mango in the fridge for a cooler drink. Optionally, use frozen mango for an extra cold factor.

• Temperature is key to making a delicious mango-tofu lassi – you want it cold. If you can’t get your ingredients cold enough, add a little bit of ice during the blending process. Don’t add too much or it will water down your drink. Alternatively, serve it with a cup full of ice on the side.

• Opt for non-GMO silken tofu if you’re worried about the potential effects of GMO food.

• Prepare all your ingredients before bringing out your mango, silken tofu and milk, or they will warm up and your mango tofu lassie won’t be as delicious.

• Different types of mango vary in sweetness. Adjust the amount of honey as needed.

• The little bit of sea salt makes this drink really delicious. Don’t skip out on it.

• A high-powered blender will make the process of blending your ingredients faster, ensuring it remains cold once the blending process is complete. However, as this recipe doesn’t contain any hard ingredients (unless you freeze your mangoes), a regular blender should suffice.

• Blender cleaning tip: Add a drop of dishwashing liquid into the blender and fill it with about 1/5th to ¼ of water. Give it a few pulses to clean your blades and the bottom of the blender much more easily. Don’t “blend” the water for too fast or for too long though or you may end up with overflowing foam instead.

Sweet and savoury

Have you had your glass of mango tofu lassi? It’s good, isn’t it? Unfortunately this isn’t one of those recipes that can be easily made vegan, as the yogurt gives the drink an important sour component.

You could try swapping yogurt and regular cow’s milk for vegan-friendly varieties, but it will probably result in a fairly different tasting drink altogether.

This article first appeared in butterkicap.com

Butterkicap is a food and culture platform and community that enables anyone to experience Malaysia through stories of her people, food and places.