Lassi Panna Cotta – a fresh, summery dessert accompanied by juicy, sweet mangoes, perfect at this time of year.

Anyone who has travelled to India in the summer will be familiar with Lassi stalls that pop up all over small towns and cities during the summer months serving these cooling drinks at the peak of hot unbearable summers.

I love using the inspiration of lassi, a smoothie type  drink and turning it into a simple dessert which is great for summer afternoons but also for entertaining big numbers.

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 5 gelatine leaves
• 500ml  full-fat Greek yoghurt
• 300ml whole milk
• 125g caster sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon green cardamom powder
• 3–4 whole ripe mangoes, peeled, stoned and flesh chopped into 2.5cm dice
•  sprinkle of chaat masala

Method:

Soak the gelatine leaves in 100ml of cold water to soften them.

In a mixing bowl whisk the yoghurt, milk, sugar, salt and cardamom powder until it turns frothy.

Melt the gelatine in 100ml warm water, and then add to the yoghurt mixture. Mix well and pour into individual moulds or serving bowls. Chill in the fridge for a couple of hours, or even overnight if you have time.

Mix the diced mango (or seasonal fruits) with chaat masala and set aside for 15 minutes to make a fruit chaat. Serve the panna cottas with a mango chaat garnish or with any seasonal fruit salad.