Yogurt is a very versatile food item, don’t you think? From adding it into breakfast bowls, into smoothies, into our favourite delicacies or even making desserts out of it, yogurt comes in handy! But, some recipes as for “Greek yogurt”! Well, is there actually a big difference between Greek yogurt and regular yogurt?
Can Greek yogurt be made at home similar to how we make regular yogurt? Guess we’ll have to find out! Here’s everything you need to know about Greek yogurt and how to make it at home!
What is Greek yogurt and how is it different from regular yogurt?
Greek yogurt is nothing but thickened or strained yogurt. It is made when the liquid are drained out from the yogurt, thus reducing the total volume of the yogurt.
Therefore, you will notice that Greek yogurt has a different texture as compared to traditional regular yogurt.
Also, the consistency of Greek yogurt is thicker and thus, you’ll find that Greek yogurt is much more tangier than regular traditional yogurt.
watch the video below for detailed process –
How to make Greek yogurt at home?
Ingredients:
750 ml milk
1 tbsp regular yogurt or use green chilly ( watch the video mentioned above to make how to make yogurt with green chilly)
Method:
Step 1: Boiling the milk
Into a heating pot, pour in 500 ml of the milk and set it on high heat until it comes to a boil. Once it is boiled, then lower the heat and let it simmer for a couple of minutes before removing it off the heat.
Step 2: Cooling down the boiled milk
You can either set the milk aside for 30 minutes to become lukewarm and then place it in the refrigerator for a few hours until completely cool or you can set the pot of boiled milk in a tub of iced water until it cools down completely.
Step 3: Adding in live bacteria for fermentation
Into a small container (that has a lid), add in the regular yogurt along with 250 ml of milk, screw on the lid and give it a good shake until well combined.
The regular yogurt already contains live bacteria that will help in the fermentation process of the Greek yogurt.
Step 4: Mixing the milk and live bacteria
Then, into a big bowl, pour in the boiled milk along with the milk containing the live bacteria and give it a stir. Then, cover the pot with a cloth and place in a warm place (under direct sunlight or in the oven where the light is kept on – without turning on the oven), for some hours until you notice that the milk mixture has fermented and curdled.
Step 5: Straining the whey from the curdled milk/yogurt
Into a bowl, place a muslin cloth and pour in the curdled milk/yogurt mixture and then leave it to strain well until all the whey drains out and the yogurt thickens completely.
Step 6: Obtaining the Greek yogurt
Lastly, once all the whey has drained out completely. What remains is nothing but the Greek yogurt. Then, using a spoon, you can scoop out all the Greek yogurt into a bowl and it is ready to use/consume.
You can store this homemade Greek yogurt in the refrigerator for up to a couple of days.