Mango & yoghurt — Colonel Saab London
The mango lassi is the gateway drink for millions of people encountering Indian food for the first time — and for good reason. It is the perfect complement to spiced food: the yoghurt's lactic acidity cools the palate, the mango's sweetness provides contrast, and together they form a drink that is simultaneously dessert, digestif, and hydration. Colonel Saab serves theirs at both London locations, priced at £8. At the Trafalgar Square building — a beautifully restored Victorian space — it arrives alongside their heritage Indian cooking as the most natural drink choice.
The ratio of mango pulp to yoghurt is the key variable — Colonel Saab's version is mango-forward. Kesar mango pulp (the Gujarati variety — rich, orange, sweetly aromatic) is most commonly used in UK Indian restaurants. Full-fat yoghurt is essential — low-fat yoghurt makes the lassi watery and thin. Cardamom is the traditional garnish; use it sparingly.
An elegant homage to the era of the Indian Army officer — refined North and Central Indian cuisine in a handsome Holborn dining room. Colonel Saab's bar programme is built on house-spiced spirits and techniques drawn from both the subcontinent and the British raj era, producing some of London's most inventive Indian cocktails.
Visit colonelsaab.co.uk