Ingredients

Preparation

In a mortar and pestle, grind the saffron threads (if used). Add about 1/4 cup of milk.

Combine the mango purée, yogurt, saffron milk (if used), the rest of the milk, superfine sugar, salt and crushed ice in a blender. Blend all the ingredients for about 2 minutes. While the mixture is blending, add the cardamom extract (if used). The consistency of the smoothie should be smooth and creamy.

Pour into 6 small glasses. Wasn't it easy?

Enjoy!

Tips

You can decorate the top of the glasses with crushed nuts (slivered almonds, pistachios or cashews), just as it's done for other Indian drinks, such as sharbat.

I prefer using canned mango pulp because the mangoes are picked at the peak of ripeness, which guarantees a consistent result. I get it at the Indian store but you can also get it online. I prefer the Kesar mango variety, which is much smaller than the Alphonso kind and much sweeter.

I prefer using superfine sugar. It's a fine-grained sugar and it dissolves much more quickly than regular sugar.

I made my own yogurt last summer. It's easier that you imagine; making homemade yogurt doesn't even require a yogurt maker. You can click on the link  for the recipe.

If you don't have cardamom extract (I buy mine at an Indian store), you can grind cardamom seeds** into a fine powder, using a mortar and pestle. Crush all the nits and gather about 1 teaspoon.

** It's very easy to extract the seeds from a cardamom pod with a mortar and pestle. Pound the pod several times and the pod will release its seeds. Pick the shell and discard it.

I use the Vitamix  blender. It's rather expensive but so worth it. I got it as a wedding gift, and it's really powerful. It crushes ice into sno-cones almost instantaneously. It's perfect for smoothies. Just make sure there is some amount of liquid so that the motor does not burn. Vitamix also carries an additional container just for dry ingredients.

Saffron is quite expensive; I usually get it at a more reasonable price at an Indian market. It gives the drink a yellow hue and a nice aroma.