Friday, April 25, 2008

Whatcha makin', Ma? ....

How to make yogurt:

adapted from "The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking" by Yamuna Devi, 780 pages, 1987

Prep time: 20 min (after assembling ingredients)
Setting time: 4-10 hours
Makes: 1 quart/liter (recipe can be quadrupled easily)

1 quart/liter milk (whole milk)
3 T plain yogurt (Dannon is great, and so is the Greek yogurt Fage. I've used all brands and have never had a bad result if I use a thermometer.) I have never bought starter from the health food store. I have made starter from previous batches too..

tools:
a 3-qt saucepan
wooden spoon
a 2-qt container to set the yogurt in (and eventually go in the fridge) with lid (or cover with towel)
a thermometer (digital or candy)
a sink with 2-3 inches of cold water in it
a whisk
a heating pad (nice but not necessary -- can use a warm garage in summer, or a cooler with an open jar of hot water in it, or put it in an oven warmed to 200F for 1 1/2 minutes then turned off)

Bring the milk to a boil quickly (212F) in the heavy 3-qt pan, stirring constantly to prevent sticking to pan. Set aside to cool or quick-cool by half-submerging it in a sink partiallly filled with cold tap water.

While the milk is cooling, rinse a 1.5-2 quart container with boiling water, then dry (I admit I often cheat and just make sure I rinse a glass or stainless steel vessel with very hot tap water and it has turned out fine).

When milk has cooled to 115F, whisk in the 3T of plain yogurt. Pour into sterilized vessel. Cover with clean towel or a loosely-fitted lid and quickly put in a warm place (ideally 85F-110). I use a heating pad set to low, with a towel between the pad and the steel pot.

Check after 5-6 hours. It should be thick and firm, for as it cools it will set up considerably. The longer you let it set once it is firm, the more tart it will be. If not set, check for up to 12 hours. If it hasn't set the cause could be stale or insufficiently sterilized milk, inadequate blending of starter, inadequate insulation during setting, or worn-out starter.

Refrigerate, covered, once it is set.. It is best used with in 3 days (says the cookbook). Mine has never spoiled and the oldest it has become is about 2 weeks (before being consumed or made into cheese).

It is normal for the whey to separate from the solid -- it is not sign of spoilage. If you don't like it when that happens, level the top with a spoon before you put it back. In India, the watery liquid is a desired beverage "good for health."


Yogurt Cheese (very much like Alouette herb cheese):

To make Labna, or Yogurt Cheese:

Line colander with clean muslin, cheesecloth, or a flour-sack cloth that doesn't have fabric softener on it. Stir up to 1/4-1/2 t sea salt, herb salt, or seasoned salt into 6 cups yogurt. Place into colander and fold or twist edges of cloth together.

Set colander in a bowl or dish that is at least 2 inches deep, and allows about 1 inch of room for the whey to drain off. My colander has feet, but you may need a rack, or use a bowl that keeps the colander suspended. Cover the whole thing with plastic wrap, sealing to make it air tight.

Refrigerate to drain for 12-18 hours for a soft cheese, for 24-26 hours for a firm cheese. Unwrap and store, sealed for up to 3 days. (of course, I have been sloppy in following these rules, and still haven't had a bad result).

Eat on crackers, on pita bread, put in baked potato, etc.



Paneer Cheese
(fresh bouncy Indian cheese - fry until golden like tofu, or dice and mix with veg or chickpeas)

This is my own version from memory - much shorter than this very scientific cookbook.

Heat up a gallon of milk, stirring until boiling (this is the boring part, so put on some music or audio tape).

Put 3 layers of cheesecloth or muslin in colander in the sink and wet them with cold water.

Don't walk away from the milk on the stove because it WILL froth and boil over suddenly (so I use a thermometer to tell me when it gets close to 212F). When it reaches the boil, reduce the heat to low, and before the foam subsides, add lemon juice (8 T of any lemon juice should work) or (2 t of citric acid mixed with 3/4 water). Gently stir -- clumps should form -- if it didn't, add more juice - it will happen in about 15 seconds. As soon as clumps form throughout, remove from heat and let set for 10 minutes.

With a slotted spoon, lift out the lumps and put in colander, then gently pour in the smaller pieces and remaining whey.

Gather the corners and twist 1-2 times, then rinse the cloth-cheese bundle under lukewarm water. Twist a bit more.

You can hang cheese from a kitchen cabinet knob to drain more, or put in the colander and put heavy weight (big can of peaches) on top of the twisted bundle. Press for about 1-2 hours, then remove from cloth, and put in ziploc bag and refrigerate.

Search the internet for recipes that use paneer. You can also store in freezer for a few months with good results.

3 comments:

zelda said...

I had seen the yogurt cheese made by Alton Brown before but had never tried it. I'm inspired to now, especially by your recipe above.

Unknown said...

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shiguy4076 said...

That sounds yummy but I don't know if I could make it.
Shi