Strained yogurt, also known as Greek yogurt or thick yogurt, is incredibly easy to make and doesn’t require a ton of labor. It makes a lusciously thick yogurt that is creamy and delicious. You can use it as-is, or incorporate it into dishes, and even use it as a substitute for cream on top of desserts.
You can use homemade yogurt or store-bought yogurt to make a thick strained yogurt like this. You will be proud of yourself after straining yogurt and you will be amazed at how delicious it tastes. It is so good that you will want to use it in any way you can. And it is super easy to make!
We love our homemade Greek yogurt with a drizzle of olive oil and some chili flakes on it. One of the best mezzes! You can spread it on a slice of bread and enjoy. Everything you make with strained yogurt goes up to the next level. One of our all time favorite meze is made with strained yogurt and feta cheese called Turkish haydari.
And you can use it in all the recipes with yogurt including ayran drink. You end up with a unique taste that is addictive!
So strained yogurt in Turkish cuisine is known as the advanced or concentrated form of regular yoghurt. It is more special and the dishes taste even better when they are made with it. Turkish eggs would be a great example for these dishes.
Strained Yogurt (Thick Yogurt)
Description
It's very easy to make your strained yogurt at home using a simple strainer, a bowl and a muslin.
INGREDIENTS
Instructions
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Put the strainer over a large bowl. The bottom of the strainer shouldn’t be touching the bottom of the bowl.
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Place the nut bag in the strainer. Pour yogurt into it. (Alternatively, line the strainer with two layers of cheesecloth or muslin, pour yogurt over them and bring the sides of the layers together and make a bundle.)
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Place a weight like a mortar on the bag or bundle. This will help the straining process.
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Put them together in the refrigerator and let them sit there overnight. Yogurt will drip its excessive liquid into the bowl. To make a creamy strained yogurt, also known as Greek yogurt, let it sit in the refrigerator. for 8-10 hours. To make super thick yogurt, also known as labneh or yogurt cheese, let it sit for 24-48 hours.
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Store it in a jar or another container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
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Nutrition Facts
Servings 2
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 299kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 16g25%
- Saturated Fat 10g50%
- Cholesterol 64mg22%
- Sodium 516mg22%
- Potassium 760mg22%
- Total Carbohydrate 23g8%
- Sugars 23g
- Protein 17g34%
- Vitamin A 485 IU
- Vitamin C 2 mg
- Calcium 593 mg
- Iron 0.2 mg
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Note
- Don’t try to squeeze the bag or bundle in which you put the yogurt. It has to drip the excessive liquid, so it needs time.
- The bag or bundle doesn’t have to be tied.
- If you don't have a muslin or cheesecloth, you can use a few pieces of thick paper towel. Choose the thickest type of paper towel you can find to ensure it doesn’t fall apart from being soaked in liquid for hours. We would recommend maybe using two layers if your paper towel isn’t as thick.
- Also, you can use a basket-style coffee filter – it will fit better into the strainer. You only need one layer, but you may need multiple filters depending on the size of your batch. Cover the top of yogurt either with plastic wrap or paper towel before putting it in the fridge.
- Strain it overnight if you are planning to use it in smoothies.
- The longer you strain, the thicker it gets. So you can check and stop straining when you are happy with the thickness.
- If you are planning to use store-bought yogurt, read its label and make sure it doesn’t have modified corn starch as a thickener. It is hard to strain it because the liquid won’t separate.
- You get about 1 cup of thick yogurt from 4 cups of regular yogurt but this might change depending on the brand and how runny the regular yogurt you are using is.
