Some days, things just flow. Like the other day when I finished working out, one of my friends said she just bought a mango lassi from the health food store. It sounded so yummy that I asked her what that was, and she said it was like a mango smoothie, made with yogurt, a traditional drink from India. The idea seemed very attractive after a hard yoga routine.

I stopped at Palama Market, one of my favorite markets, because they always have nice produce and fairly decent prices. I found two gorgeous mangoes there. Using my knowledge of smoothies. I went home and whipped up a lassi. My lassi resembled a milkshake, but made with low-fat yogurt instead of milk. I always have yogurt in my fridge and frozen ginger and ice in the freezer. In a few minutes, I had this thick, creamy, cooling drink that was super easy to make.

The mango lassi originated in Punjab, India. Traditionally, it was made by blending mango, yogurt, water, salt and spices. Normally it is served cold and is a perfect beverage in hot weather. A plain yogurt/water lassi is also an excellent "cooler" to counter the heat of fiery curries. Both the sweet and savory types are quite common. It is considered one of the more popular non-alcoholic beverages in South Asia.

I thought this would be a welcome suggestion because the weather has been so hot recently. If you are lucky enough to have a source for local mangoes, mo' betta. If you don't, substitute store-bought or frozen mango. Why not play around, and add other fruits of the season, like peaches, nectarines or lychee? Not only is this beverage refreshing, it also provides a good source of beta-carotene and antioxidants.

MANGO LASSI TWISTED GINGERLY