Doogh - Persian Yogurt-Drink and Homemade Yogurt

دوغ Doogh is a popular and refreshing drink in Iran. Doogh is made with yogurt, water, and salt. However, another variation is to add club soda instead of water for a tastier doogh. Yogurt soda is usually served with kabab dishes, and grilled chicken or it's just served as a cooling and healthy drink. The best kind of yogurt soda is a homemade one where you can adjust the amount of club soda, salt, and yogurt to your liking. I find the store-bought doogh somewhat harsh and hard to swallow. This is very easy and takes little time and effort to make. I like to add almost equal parts of both yogurt and water, considering that the added ice will melt quickly, especially in hot weather, therefore it will dilute the content.

Yogurt Drink (Doogh)

Ingredients:
Serves 4

1 1/2 cups whole-milk plain yogurt, whisk until smooth 
2 cups of water
1 cup (8 oz) club soda *optional
Salt to taste
A good pinch of dried mint or other aromatic dried herbs 

A pinch of crushed rose petals
Lots of ice cubes

Method:

1. Gradually combine yogurt and water. Mix well using a hand mixer, blender, or whisk.
2. Add salt to taste, dried mint, crushed rose petals, and ice cubes, stir well.

Serve chilled.

Dried Herbs For Doogh is a wonderful and aromatic combination of the following herbs:
Dried mint, dried wild mint, dried rose petals, dried wild mountain celery, thyme, and a herb called "tigh daroogh" in Persian/Farsi which is native to the Alvand mountain of Hamadan, Iran.

Homemade yogurt is refreshing and healthy. Yogurt is so versatile and is used in many Persian recipes and is usually served as a side dish for lunch and dinner. Making homemade ماست yogurt is easy and while the whole process does take some time it is usually ready by the next day. You can use any whole milk, 2% milk, 1% milk, or skim milk if you like. You can use a few tablespoons of store-bought plain yogurt if this is the first time you're making your own yogurt. Save and put aside some of this yogurt for the next batch of yogurt you make. Also, it's helpful to have a thermometer. Since I bought a candy thermometer a while back, I no longer use the old-fashioned method of using the tip of my finger to tell if the milk is at the right temperature before adding the yogurt.

Homemade Yogurt - Mast-e Khanegi 

Ingredients:

1 gallon of milk (whole milk)
1/4 cup whole-milk plain yogurt with active cultures

Method:

1. Pour the milk into a heavy saucepan and place over medium heat.
2. Place a thermometer on the side of the pot.
3. Heat the milk until it reaches 180-185 degrees Fahrenheit. Stir the milk occasionally.
4. Remove from heat and let it cool to 110-112°F.
5. Place the yogurt (with active culture) in a small bowl, add a cup of warm milk to the yogurt, stir well. 
6. Add the yogurt and milk mixture to the pot, gently stir.
7. Put the lid on, wrap it with a large towel or a light blanket, and place it in a warm place. It should be left untouched for 10 hours. 
8. Refrigerate the yogurt overnight or for at least 10-12 hours. 

 Enjoy!