We all love and appreciate dairy products. All of us have them in our diet. The recipe for yogurt and dishes based on it will be the topic of our story.
Some consume dairy products fresh, others - as part of other dishes or various mixtures. Sour milk products have occupied an invariably strong niche in our nutrition process. Sour cream, yogurt, kefir, yogurt - this is just a small list of sour milk products that periodically appear in the refrigerator of each of us. However, there are products that are not so popular with our consumer.
They came to our native places from completely different cultures and have not yet had time to settle down and take their places in the food chain of our traditional cuisine. Nevertheless, these products deservedly occupy pride of place in their cultures, and it is only a matter of time before they spread to our cuisine. We will consider one of these dishes of the traditional cuisine of the Caucasus today.
The inhabitants of the Caucasus have been using this product in their food for a very long time. This is facilitated by a fairly simple recipe for making yogurt, which is very easy to recreate at home, as well as a small set of ingredients. These factors have become by far the main advantages of this dish, which led to the incredible popularization of yoghurt among the local population.
The taste and texture of the finished dish is so original that there are a lot of recipes based on it. Sauce, dressing, soup - all these dishes are only a small part of the whole variety of recipes, which are based on yoghurt.
In order to prepare yogurt at home, we need the following set of ingredients:
- milk - 500 ml;
- sourdough - 50 ml.
The method of preparing traditional yoghurt is quite simple. Any kind of this product can be used as milk. Sheep, goat or cow's milk is great for creating this chic dish.
We take our milk and heat it to a temperature of 90-95 degrees. This procedure will remove from it natural bacteria and microflora, which is formed during the life of the animal. It is these natural bacteria that allow milk to turn sour naturally.
Their removal makes milk a virgin-pure substance. As soon as it has warmed up to the indicated temperature, set it aside and let it cool to 40-50 degrees. Then add yeast to it. Sourdough is a mixture of a special Bulgarian stick and special bifidobacteria, which create a special structure for the future matsoni.
At home, it can be replaced with a couple of tablespoons of ordinary kefir, which also contains these specific elements.
After adding the starter, it is necessary to wrap the entire mixture in a sheet or blanket to slow down the process of heat transfer and keep the temperature within 40-50 degrees for as long as possible. This is necessary to accelerate the reaction and all the processes of souring milk.
The whole mixture must be left in this form for 5-6 hours. After this period of time, the consistency of the dish should become similar to a thick sauce or sour cream. However, the finished yoghurt has a completely different taste, different from the usual fermented milk products. Traditional matsoni is ready.
You can eat it as a sauce, filling or use it as the basis for many extravagant dishes that the Caucasus and all of Asia are famous for.
Recipes with yoghurt at the base are also popular in their native spaces, like this sour-milk dish itself. A striking example is the preparation of a variety of dressings and mixtures that complement ready-made dishes, completing the composition of flavors and giving an unforgettable flavor. This will help us create a completely original sauce, which has no analogues in any cuisine in the world.
To prepare it, we need the following set of components:
- matsoni - 300 g;
- fresh cucumber - 0.4 kg;
- garlic - 0.5 heads;
- cayenne pepper - 0.5 tsp;
- salt to taste.
First of all, we will grate our cucumbers on a fine grater. In addition, this procedure can be performed using a blender, which finely chop our cucumbers no less well.
Now we take our matsoni, pre-chilled in the refrigerator to a temperature of 5-10 degrees, and send the grated cucumbers into it. Thoroughly mix all the ingredients until a homogeneous mass is created, which will form the future sauce. We clean the garlic and pass it through a garlic press. This method of chopping garlic will allow you to get a much larger amount of juice compared to other slicing methods.
It will give a special flavor to the dish, which, together with cucumbers, will form the entire bouquet of smells that make up the sauce. Mix the whole mass again and send cayenne pepper and salt to it. This step will complete the formation of the finished dish and create its final texture and taste, and we will see a fully prepared sauce, which, in its piquancy and palette of flavors, will be the best decoration for any table.
Spicy chicken appetizer
Consider another great sauce that can also serve as an appetizer and just spread on bread. It is based on a combination of flavors of smoked chicken fillet and creamy matsoni base, which creates an unforgettable taste and piquancy of the finished dish.
To recreate it, we need the following products that will form this sauce:
- smoked chicken fillet - 0.3 kg;
- matsoni - 300 g;
- garlic - 3 cloves;
- red pepper - 0.5 tsp;
- basil - 0.5 bunch;
- salt to taste.
First of all, take a deep bowl or pan and pour matsoni into it. Using a blender, we turn the smoked fillet into a crushed mass, which we add to the chilled yogurt. Its smoked particle will give the dish an unforgettable flavor, and in combination with the creamy component of the yoghurt, the finished sauce will be just great.
Thoroughly mix the whole mass until smooth. Now take the basil and grind it into small fractions with a blender. Its spicy aroma will complete the formation of the taste palette, and in addition, it will give the appearance of the sauce a special flavor.
We send the basil to the mass and mix all the ingredients thoroughly. It's time for the garlic. Using a garlic press, we turn it into a gruel, which will contribute to a greater detail of the taste, and mix it with the main part of our sauce.
Red pepper forms the final chord and completes the creation of the entire dish. We will send it, paired with salt and pepper, to a container and mix with the rest of the ingredients. As a result, we get a wonderful thick sauce that can be used as a filling for sandwiches or seasoning for meat.
Until recently, the appearance of my pies left much to be desired - no matter what I did, instead of a fluffy yoghurt pie, I took out a flat sheet of baked dough from the oven. And in order to somehow hide my pathological culinary failure, I covered an incomprehensible plane with powdered sugar, beautifully cut it into pieces and tried to quickly feed my family with it in order to quickly forget about my masterpiece.
Meanwhile, on the Facebook social network, I came across two recipes for a magnificent yoghurt pie, the author of which praised not only the taste of the dough, but also the impressive height of this very delicacy. With distrust and without any interest, once again, at the risk to myself, I took up baking a magnificent pie, with the firm conviction that I could not conquer such heights ...
I will not surprise you with the result, but for the first time in my entire conscious female life, I got a really lush and airy cake, like an inflated mattress. Since I accidentally deleted the step-by-step photos of the recipe, I offer you only the final result, and that is not in the best quality. I promise next time I will present you visual images.
Lush pie on matsoni - recipe 1
- eggs - 3 pieces
- granulated sugar - 1.5 cups
- sunflower oil - 3 tablespoons
- vinegar or vodka - 2 tablespoons
- yogurt - 1.5 cups (you can use kefir)
- soda - 1 teaspoon
- flour - 1.5 - 2 cups
In a bowl, add eggs, sugar, sunflower oil and 1 cup of yoghurt. Then pour one teaspoon of soda into the rest of the yogurt and stir. Naturally, matsoni with soda will turn into a lush carbonated mass, it must be added to the above ingredients and mixed well, then add 2 tablespoons of vinegar or vodka, a little vanillin (you don’t need to add much - vanillin has a bad effect on the liver). Mix the whole mass with flour (the main thing is that the dough should be weak, but not thicker than sour cream). Grease a baking sheet with sunflower oil and pour the dough into it. Put it in an oven preheated to 180 degrees.
Lush pie on matsoni - recipe 2
- eggs - 3 pieces
- granulated sugar - 1.5 cups
- sunflower oil - 1 coffee cup
- yogurt - 1.5 cups
- soda - 1 teaspoon
- flour - 1.5 - 2 cups
As in the first recipe, we mix all the ingredients step by step. At the end, when our dough is ready for baking, we divide the mass into two parts. To the second part add 1-2 tablespoons of cocoa. In a baking sheet greased with sunflower oil, alternately add white and chocolate dough, as if drawing patterns or repeating zebra stripes.
These 2 recipes for a magnificent yoghurt pie I have been preparing for more than a month. The main thing is to wait until the cake turns pink in the oven at a temperature of 180 degrees. After it is ready, you should not immediately take it out, because it can settle under the influence of room temperature air.
Matsoni is very popular among fans of fermented milk drinks, especially during the hot summer months. By adding a little water to it, you get the Tan drink, which is ideal for quenching your thirst and for preparing cold soups such as okroshka or beetroot.
An analogue of matsoni in traditional Russian or Ukrainian cuisine is curdled milk, but the technology for preparing it and matsoni is somewhat different.
To cook Armenian matsun at home, we need full-fat homemade milk and sourdough.
Milk must be heated to 90 degrees, but not to a boil. Then the milk is cooled to at least 40 degrees. To check the temperature, it is better to use a special thermometer.
Add sourdough to cooled milk. It can be special lactic acid bacteria, or ordinary kefir or matsoni.
Mix milk with sourdough in a saucepan. We close the pan with a lid and wrap it well. We put in a dark place and do not disturb for 4 hours.
It is better to note the exact time, because if you overexpose the matsoni, then the product will turn out to be too sour, and if you do not finish it, it will turn out to be too liquid.
Homemade matsoni is ready! We use it at our discretion.
Matsoni tastes like kefir, but still has a slightly spicy aftertaste. Bon Appetit!
Matsoni is a national fermented milk drink traditionally made in Georgia from goat, cow, buffalo or sheep milk (mixing of these varieties is allowed). In the Caucasus, matsoni is considered a longevity drink, as it has many beneficial properties and has a beneficial effect on the digestive system. Consider how to make yogurt at home.
Useful properties and composition of the drink
Matsoni, in Armenia it is called matsun, is a low-calorie (63 kcal) food product with a low glycemic index (20), related to dietary dishes. The basis of the microflora of matsoni is lactic acid bacteria: Bulgarian bacillus and thermophilic streptococci. The composition of the drink of youth and longevity includes other useful components:
- essential amino acids and protein;
- ash;
- acids of organic origin;
- simple carbohydrates;
- micro / macro elements: iron, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus;
- vitamins of group B, as well as retinol (A), ascorbic acid (C), D, niacin.
The use of a moderate amount of yogurt has a beneficial effect on the human body:
- has a rejuvenating effect;
- normalizes the work of the gastrointestinal tract, ridding the intestines of pathogenic microflora;
- stabilizes cholesterol levels, improving blood circulation, the work of the heart and blood vessels;
- improves immunity;
- improves sleep, helps to cope with stress.
Matsoni is known as a refreshing drink in the heat. It is used as a dressing for salads, cereals, the base of cold soups, sauces for meat / fish dishes. Matsun is a natural baking powder, so it is often added to the dough.
How to make a drink at home
Preparing a healthy Caucasian fermented milk product at home is quite simple. The main requirement is strict adherence to technology: fresh (daily) whole milk, sourdough, maintaining a constant temperature that is comfortable for the reproduction of beneficial bacteria.
There are several ways to prepare yogurt. Today, this process has been simplified by such kitchen gadgets as a yogurt maker or a slow cooker. We present the most popular recipes for making yogurt at home.
Required Ingredients
The main products for a fermented milk drink are milk and sourdough. In the Caucasus, the milk of Abkhazian cows was traditionally used. However, the milk of any animal is suitable: cow, goat, sheep, buffalo, etc. It is better to use whole daily milk, in the absence of it, you can replace it with pasteurized milk.
Usually, for 1 liter of milk, 2 tablespoons of yoghurt starter are required. For the first time, it is better to use a pharmacy / store ready-made dry sourdough: Narine, Matsoni. It is allowed to replace it with any natural fermented milk product containing lactobacilli or acidophilus bacillus. These include ayran, tan, Bulgarian yogurt.
If for the first time you used store-bought sourdough, then after the first cooking, sourdough from your matsoni will do. To do this, each time you need to leave at least 100 g of the finished fermented milk drink, which subsequently ferment milk. You can ferment 3-4 times, after which you need to replace it with a fresh one purchased at a pharmacy.
Classic way
Caucasians have kept an old recipe for yogurt. To prepare a drink using the ancient ancient method, you will need 1 liter of whole milk and 2 tablespoons of matsoni sourdough.
Heat milk to 90°C (do not boil), then cool to 40°C. In the absence of a thermometer, you can check its readiness in this way: dip your finger into the milk, hold for at least 2 seconds. We coped with the task - it means the temperature is the most suitable. Add sourdough to milk, mix ingredients thoroughly. Close the container and wrap it well with a warm blanket, leave for 4-5 hours.
Compliance with the fermentation time is an important condition on which the quality of the finished product depends. If the time is shortened, the yogurt will be watery, and re-suspension makes the drink overly sour.
You can use the oven if it has a temperature setting function. Place the container in the oven and cook for 5 hours at 50°C. After the drink has matured, drain the whey, and keep the thick residue in the refrigerator for 8 hours. The photo shows matsune prepared in the classical way.
In a slow cooker
In order to make Caucasian fermented milk yogurt in a slow cooker, it will take 8 hours. Since this household appliance is able to maintain a constant temperature, the drink is thick and tender. The number of products is the same as in the previous recipe.
You can make matsoni in a slow cooker according to the following algorithm, each step of which is shown in the photo:
- pour milk into the bowl, set the "cooking" mode for 5-10 minutes;
- as soon as the device beeps about the end of cooking, open the lid and let the milk cool down a little;
- mix separately 50 g of warmed milk and 150 g of yoghurt starter;
- add the mixture to the bowl, mix (if a film has formed on the milk in the slow cooker, remove it first);
- start the standard “yogurt” mode, in its absence, “multi-cook” with a temperature of 40 ° C for 8 hours;
- at the end, drain the whey, cool the fermented milk drink in a bowl or pour into a glass / clay container.
If desired, the cooking time can be reduced to 4-5 hours as with the classic method.
The cooking process in this household appliance takes 10 hours. A big plus of using a yogurt maker is that the drink is prepared immediately in portioned cups. The real matsoni starter can be replaced with natural yogurt or sour cream. However, a real matsun will be obtained only after the seventh fermentation: only then will the Bulgarian stick ripen.
Heat 1 liter of pasteurized milk, removing from heat until boiling. Cool to 40°C, add starter and mix until smooth. Pour into glasses, close the lids and place in a yogurt maker. Turn on at 10 o'clock. It is more expedient to do this in the evening, so that Caucasian yogurt is ready by morning. Put the jars in the refrigerator to solidify the product.
You can clearly see how to cook yogurt in the attached video.
How to Express Serum Properly
Serum decantation is the last and important step in preparation. The shelf life of the drink depends on the amount of whey remaining in the finished matsun. The smaller it is, the longer the product stays fresh. Therefore, it is important to express it correctly.
We prepare a tight bag made of linen or canvas fabric. Pour the finished mixture into it and let the liquid drain at room temperature for 1-2 days, depending on the required acidity. After that, put the colander with the bag in the refrigerator on the bottom shelf and hold until the whey drains completely.
Clean glassware should be prepared, lay out the matsun, close the lid. The product is ready to use. You can clearly see this process in the video.
Whey can be used when baking bread (in Georgia - khachapuri, matzo - in Armenia), in okroshka.
Nutritionists warn that people with high acidity, as well as those suffering from pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, hepatitis, and urolithiasis, should be used with caution.
As you can see, the process of making a fermented milk drink is simple and accessible to everyone. Eat only healthy foods, and you will always be healthy, full of energy.
