Health-Boosting Savoury Sweet Mango Turmeric Smoothie

Have you heard of golden milk? It’s an incredibly healing drink used in Ayurvedic medicine for hundreds and hundreds of years. Made with turmeric and coconut milk, golden milk contains properties to help reduce inflammation, fight bloating and digestive problems, gives you better sleep and even aid in weight loss. However, many Malaysians may find it a little bit odd to have a drink made from santan and kunyit, preferring instead to keep these two ingredients strictly for their curries and masak lemak. But there’s no denying the health benefits of turmeric, so we’ve put together a mango turmeric smoothie recipe that will hopefully convince you to add a little bit more of this incredible spice into your diets.

The x factor

It’s all about the turmeric in this drink, and if you’re still feeling hesitant, let us share with you why it’s more than just a spice to marinate your ikan goreng with. Turmeric is a common ingredient in Malaysian cooking, whether used fresh or in dried powder form. Often it’s there for flavour and colouring, but did you know that this humble spice has some amazing health benefits? Turmeric is a natural pain reliever with great anti-inflammatory properties especially beneficial for those with arthritis. The antioxidants in turmeric can help improve liver function, aid in digestion and has positive effects in the treatment of certain types of cancer including prostate and pancreatic cancer.

You shouldn’t, however, go overboard with consuming turmeric. Despite being a great digestive aid, eating too much can cause the opposite and upset your stomach instead. Turmeric may also thin your blood, something to consider if you’re already on blood-thinners or have pre-existing conditions requiring you to stay away from blood-thinners.

While turmeric brings a savoury touch to this smoothie, mango and honey brings the sweetness. Besides being delicious, mangoes are also pretty healthy for you. Rich in antioxidants, mangoes have properties that can help our bodies protect itself against certain types of cancer. The high levels of vitamin C in mangoes are also great for controlling cholesterol levels while strengthening your immune system, while the high iron content is great for anaemics! Mangoes are also good for the eyesight and will also help prevent heatstroke as eating it cools you down instantly.

Raw organic 100% honey has lots of antioxidants as well as antifungal and antibacterial properties. Honey can also soothe a sore throat, and help with digestive issues. Diabetics should consume honey with caution though, as it still contains a significant amount of sugar.

That other rhizome

We’ve talked about turmeric, but ginger is also not without its own power-packed health benefits. Another popular ingredient in Malaysian cuisine, ginger has a lot of medicinal properties and has always been part of the history of traditional medicine. Besides being anti-inflammatory and full of antioxidants, ginger can treat nausea as well as morning sickness. It helps reduce muscle aches, lowers blood sugar and cholesterol levels, treat indigestion and can even help reduce menstrual pain. Ginger also contains properties that may help prevent cancer and can even help improve brain function while protecting against age-related damage to the brain. Fresh ginger is also great at fighting infections while inhibiting the growth of many types of bacteria, making it a popular remedy for the common cold.

Finally, on the dairy front, we have plain natural yogurt and milk. Filled with nutrients such as calcium, B vitamins, phosphorous, magnesium and potassium, yogurt can help maintain your blood pressure and metabolism levels while improving bone health. It is packed full of protein, while those containing probiotics can help your digestive system. Yogurt may also strengthen your immune system, protect against osteoporosis, benefit the health of your heart and, if you’re looking to lose weight, also helps you feel full longer. Milk is a great source of calcium and vitamin D, which helps in the prevention of osteoporosis. Vitamin D also produces serotonin, which lifts the mood, can reduce chronic fatigue and reduce the effects of PMS.

Sounds like our mango turmeric smoothie is a great way to help keep you full while giving your body a dose of much needed goodness. Let’s go make some, shall we?

Ingredients

• 140g (1 cup) ripe mango
• 80g natural yogurt
• 240ml (1 cup) milk
• 5g (1/2”) ginger
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 13g (1/2 tbsp) honey
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• 1/8 tsp (pinch) chili flakes, optional

Making mango turmeric smoothie

1. Add all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.

2. Serve while the mango turmeric smoothie is still cold.
3. For a little kick, add a pinch of chili flakes over the top of your smoothie.

Extra tips

1. Keep your mango in the fridge for a cooler drink. Optionally, use frozen mango for an extra cold factor.
2. Get all your ingredients ready before bringing out your mango, yogurt and milk or they will warm up and your smoothie won’t be as delicious.
3. Temperature is key to making delicious smoothies – you want it cold! If you can’t get your ingredients cold enough, add a little bit of ice during the blending process. Don’t add too much or it will water down your smoothie. Alternatively, serve your smoothie in a cup or glass filled with ice to keep it cool.
4. Different types of mango vary in sweetness. Adjust the amount of honey as needed.
5. The little bit of sea salt makes this drink really delicious. Don’t skip out on it.
6. A high-powered blender will make the process of blending your mango tofu lassi faster, ensuring it remains cold once the blending process is complete. However, not everyone can afford to fork out a pretty penny for one those blenders. We used the Philips ProBlend 5, which crushes ice faster than your usual blender. However, as this recipe doesn’t contain any hard ingredients (unless you freeze your mangoes), a regular blender should suffice.
7. Blender cleaning tip: add a drop of dishwashing liquid into the blender and fill it with about 1/5^th to ¼ of water. Give it a few pulses to clean your blades and the bottom of the blender much more easily. Don’t ‘blend’ the water for too fast or for too long though or you may end up with overflowing foam instead!