Mango is not merely a fruit in India but is synonymous with a season, a romance, a period of frenetic juicing, pulping, pickling, bottling, gorging and excesses. Obviously when natives revere, colonizers must denigrate. During the Raj, the British referred to the mango as the bathroom fruit. Their Victorian sensibilities were offended by the sight of natives squatting down and sucking on this gloriously messy fruit with its golden juice flowing everywhere. Hence they ordered that this fruit should be eaten only in the bathroom. It is interesting that cultural food colonialism has come a full circle in this century and Western palates are now seeking indigenous superfoods for healthier diets.

On hot and dry Delhi summer afternoons my father-in-law would take a tall steel glass, add 2-3 tbsp of yogurt, some water, a pinch of rock salt and cumin powder, and fix himself a cooling drink of mattha or thin lassi. Lassi is the hallmark drink of the dairy rich state of Punjab. Aai (my mother), too, makes taak (buttermilk) everyday to be consumed at the end of their lunch. The only seasonings used are salt, and sometimes grated ginger and chopped cilantro.

Technically, adding fruit to dairy is an incompatible food combination for digestive health as per Ayurveda. The exception seems to be mango. Combinations like mango lassi seem to be a newer trend that contradict this rule — but permissible to me, perhaps because it is so delicious. Mango Lassi is hugely popular in the US, ubiquitous at the famous eat-all-you-want fixed price buffet lunches of Indian restaurants. My daughters love it and ‘tis the mango season so why not…

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Step by Step

1. Take 1.5 c mango pulp from a can and pour into a blender (see tips below if you are using fresh mangoes).
2. Add 1 c plain yogurt (homemade or store bought) to it and 1 tsp cardamom powder to it.
3. Blend to a smooth puree and taste the mix.
4. Add sugar to taste (I added 4 tbsp). Usually canned mango pulp has somme added sugar to it so you may not need to add any.
5. Blend one more time.
6. Crush some pistachios, almonds and cashew nuts.
7. Prepare the molds or steel glasses by sprinkling some crushed nuts at the bottom. I also added some fresh rose petals from the garden.
8. Pour into molds (Makes about 8)
9. Top the popsicle with more crushed nuts.
10. Place in the freezer.
11. Place a popsicle stick in each mold after the pulp has started to set.
12. Freeze for at least 6 hours.
13. Serve as dessert or when someone needs a cooling-off treat.

Some Tips

1. These are easier to make with mango pulp from a can as it saves a few steps and you can make this treat anytime of the year.
2. If you use fresh mangoes, the process is a bit longer:
   • Choose 4-5 ripe mangoes like the Ataulfo variety, which has more pulp and less strings
   • Warm them in a microwave for 2 minutes
   • Squeeze all the juice and pulp in a bowl, discard the peels and pits
3. Follow the same steps above.