Of Mangoes And Mastani

Celebrating the Indian mango season with a drink fit for royalty

The Indian mango season has started with a bang. At this time of year, I always feel so lucky to get Alphonso and Kesar mangoes from my homeland. It’s not just that they are the tastiest mangoes in the world, their arrival also takes me back to my younger days and the famous Sujata Mastani, Pune’s legendary ‘ice cream parlour’(for the lack of better words). I would often sneak in there on my way home from S.P. College. I could never get enough of their mango mastani. Two decades later, I still can’t!

So if you went to Pune (India), especially in summer, and told me you hadn’t tried one of Sujata’s luscious mango mastanis, then I’d probably judge you for not doing your research properly. Am I being hypercritical? Perhaps. 

But that’s how emotionally attached I am to this delectable drink enriched with the season’s best mangoes. And this became crystal clear to my husband as I dragged him moaning through the ‘sweltering heat’ of Pune’s winter (his words, not mine; I better not take him in summer!) to this crowded spot called Sujata Mastani. He was ready to murder a (cool) drink by the time we got there and so he didn’t complain once about queuing for 30 minutes to finally be seated.

At first, he really didn’t get the fuss about queuing up, even for a takeaway, but then when the order arrived (which BTW I didn’t need a menu for), he got so engrossed in his mango mastani that I didn’t hear a word from him for a good 10 minutes - just the occasional slurp and ‘mmmm’. Many mastanis and icecreams later, he blurted, “...the world could really learn a thing or two about milkshakes from this place”. So now, it’s strictly forbidden in our household to see the summer go by without soaking in the impossibly creamy nectar that is, mango mastani.

I grew up in the ancient land of Peshwa, specifically modern-day Pune, where this much-celebrated drink originates so it only took a few years before I made its acquaintance. This lusciously thick milkshake, whipped up by blending fresh Indian mangoes and ice cream, conjures up many tales. Legend has it that it’s named after the famous Peshwa ruler’s second wife, the beautiful Mastani. Bajirao, his princess, Mastani’s fabled beauty is reflected in this most attractive drink. 

Established 55 years ago, Sujata Mastani is synonymous with Pune’s very own version of milkshake and falooda. All a mango mastani is, is a wonderful amalgamation of layers - a generous dollop of mango ice cream dropped on a bed of ice followed by a thick creamy mango milkshake, that’s later topped with fruit and nuts before serving. A good mastani is creamily thick from the first slurp to the last drop in your glass. And that’s what makes it stand out from the crowd.

Sujata is still going strong; always packed with customers hungry to slurp their delicious shakes and ice creams. I badly miss their impossibly creamy mastani now that I am too far away to be a regular. But with a few mangoes and some ice cream (vanilla will do) it’s a doddle to recreate this layered milkshake at home.

I just whizz up some mango, milk and ice cream in a blender, then add a healthy dollop of mango ice-cream, some diced mango & ice, and embellish with some dried fruits. Then I close my eyes and slurp. For a moment I am transported back to the bustle of old town Pune and its labyrinth of ‘peths’ (and my exuberant younger self).

I have tried to replicate Sujata’s famous mango mastani in this recipe. It’s really just a layer assembly job once you have all the elements handy. Yesterday when I served this drink to my daughter, Aarya, with a few tiny cubes of raspberry jelly, I was reminded just how satisfying a concoction it is. The jelly with its delicate texture adds a new melody that Mastani sings to my taste buds which I rather enjoy.

If you ever get the chance to visit Sujata’s, go for it, you’ll thank me later (and no I’m not on commission!) Otherwise, this recipe is the next best thing…

RECIPE

For the mango shake (makes 2 tall glasses)
400g (2 cups) mango flesh (skin removed) (ideally Alphonso or Kesar mango)
2 scoops mango ice cream
240g (1 cup) whole milk
sugar to taste
1/2 tsp ground cardamom 
4 ice cubes

For the mastani (makes 1 tall glass)
2 scoops of mango (or vanilla) ice cream
50ml (1/4 cup) mango pulp
40g mango chunks (skin removed)
3 chopped cashew
3 chopped whole almonds
1 tbsp slivered pistachio
1 tbsp dried cranberries
100g raspberry jelly (cut into cubes)
2 ice cubes

Method
For the mango shake:

1. Blend the mango flesh with 2 scoops of mango ice-cream, milk, sugar, cardamom and ice-cubes to make a thick shake.

For the mastani:

1. Drop 2 ice cubes in the bottom of a glass, followed by half of the mango chunks.

2. Next, layer with the raspberry jelly.

3. Spoon in the mango pulp, coating the inside of the glass.

4. Follow with a scoop of ice-cream.

5. Pour in half the quantity of mango shake (see above).

6. Finish with another dollop of mango ice-cream on top and garnish with fruit and nuts - cashew, almond, pistachio, dried cranberries and of course, the remaining mango chunks.

So much more than a milkshake, raise a glass to the beautiful mango mastani.