Claire Saffitz loves mango lassi so much, she decided to turn it into a dessert. The beloved South Asian yogurt-based drink is sweet, refreshing, and one of the best beverages out there, so why not? The mousse’s curd base incorporates fully ripe frozen mango pieces that get blended into the mixture, adding to the creamy texture and fruity sweetness. For the best results, cut up and freeze your own mango, but store-bought frozen mango from Trader Joe’s (Claire’s preferred brand) also works great. The mousse can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days, so make it ahead of time when hosting so your dessert is ready to be served as soon as dinner is done.
Ingredients
8 servings
2
4
¾
½
¼
1
½
1
½
2
Preparation
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Step 1
Place 3 Tbsp. cold water in a small shallow bowl and sprinkle 2 tsp. unflavored powdered gelatin evenly over (do not stir). Let sit until gelatin is softened, 5–10 minutes.
Step 2
Vigorously whisk 4 large egg yolks and ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar in a small saucepan, making sure no unincorporated sugar is trapped around sides of pan, until combined and mixture is pale and thick, about 2 minutes. Whisking constantly and scraping sides of pan often, stream in ½ cup fresh orange juice and ¼ cup fresh lemon juice; whisk until mixture is smooth. Add 1 tsp. ground cardamom and ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt and whisk just to combine.
Step 3
Place saucepan over medium-low heat and cook mixture, whisking constantly, until foaming subsides and curd barely holds marks from whisk and is thick enough to coat a spoon, about 5 minutes (if you want to be really precise, an instant-read thermometer should register 170°). Immediately remove saucepan from heat and scrape in softened gelatin (it will have solidified). Whisk briskly to dissolve and incorporate gelatin into curd, about 30 seconds.
Step 4
Add 1 lb. frozen mango chunks (about 4 cups) to curd and stir to combine. Let sit until mango is mostly thawed and curd is cold, about 5 minutes. Using an immersion blender, blend mango into curd until combined and smooth. (Alternatively, you can use a standard blender and blend on high.) Measure out 1 cup mango curd; set aside. Add ½ cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt to remaining mango curd in saucepan and whisk until incorporated and smooth.
Step 5
Using an electric mixer, beat 2 cups chilled heavy cream in a large bowl, starting on low and gradually increasing speed to medium-high as it thickens, until stiff peaks form. Scrape curd mixture into bowl and gently fold with a rubber spatula until only a few streaks of whipped cream remain.
Step 6
Divide mousse among 8 glasses. Tap each glass gently on the counter to help mousse settle, then top each with about 2 Tbsp. reserved mango curd. Cover and chill until cold and set, at least 4 hours.
Do ahead: Mousse can be assembled 3 days ahead. Keep chilled until ready to serve.
