Since ancient times, people from different countries and continents have used various types of starter cultures. The traditional Caucasian fermented milk drink called matsoni can honorably replace Greek yogurt or the more familiar kefir. It has many beneficial properties that have a beneficial effect on the human body. Matsoni is not difficult to make at home. Delicious and healthy dishes are prepared on its basis.
What is matsoni
Matsoni starter is a fermented milk drink made from the milk of cows, sheep, goats, buffaloes or a mixture thereof. You can often find another, Armenian name, then people wonder what matsun is? In Georgia, sourdough is called matsoni, and in Armenia – matsun. The name of the product is literally translated from Armenian as “sour milk”. Georgian matsoni and Armenian matsun are widespread in the Caucasus, the Middle East and Asia Minor.
Composition of fermented milk drink
The main microflora of the drink are heat-loving lactic acid streptococci and Bulgarian bacillus. In addition to lactic acid bacteria, Georgian yogurt contains the following nutrients:
- proteins and essential amino acids;
- ash;
- organic acids;
- mono- and disaccharides;
- micro- and macroelements: potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus;
- vitamins: A, C, D, PP, group B.
Calories and glycemic index
Caucasian yogurt is a low-calorie food product. Its energy value is only 63 kcal per 100 grams. The fermented milk drink also has a relatively low glycemic index, which is equal to 20. Thanks to these properties, Caucasian yogurt is classified as a dietary food and is easily digestible. By consuming it in its pure form or as a seasoning for dishes, you can improve your health and adjust your weight.
Useful properties
Due to its beneficial properties, matsoni has been dubbed the “drink of long-livers.” Moderate consumption of Caucasian yogurt has a rejuvenating effect and slows down the aging process of the body. The famous benefits of matsoni are manifested in the following:
- The drink gets rid of pathogenic intestinal microflora and improves the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. This has a qualitative effect on the condition of the skin, acne and irritation go away, tone increases and wrinkles smooth out.
- It has a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system, normalizes cholesterol levels, frees blood vessels from plaque, and improves blood circulation.
- Increases immunity due to the fact that it contains vitamins.
- Normalizes the functioning of the nervous system, helps cope with irritability, nervousness, and insomnia.
- Caucasian yogurt can be included in the diet of people who want to gain muscle mass, as it has anabolic properties. This feature will also help you lose excess weight due to the fact that muscle tissue will expend more energy (calories).
For dietary nutrition
Georgian yogurt, due to its dietary properties, can replace kefir, which is part of many diets and healthy eating programs. A glass of matsoni will be a complete snack; you can also drink it 2-3 hours before bedtime to satisfy your hunger. You can make protein shakes based on matsun. Chopped dried fruits (dried apricots, prunes) and nuts are often added to it. It is better not to abuse this drink; it has a mild laxative effect. You should consume matsoni while losing weight for the following reasons:
- satisfies hunger;
- destroys fat cells;
- calms the nerves;
- saturates the body with vitamins;
- cleanses the intestines;
- strengthens the immune system.
Matsoni in cooking
Yogurt of Caucasian origin is used in cooking for the following purposes:
- As a dressing for salads, cereals.
- Sauces for fish and meat dishes are prepared on its basis.
- Fermented milk product is added to the dough (including khachapuri), it serves as a natural leavening agent.
- It is the basis of cold soups, such as okroshka, or an essential component of the Azerbaijani dish “dovga”.
- Matsun with herbs and spices makes an excellent paste for sandwiches.
How to make Georgian yogurt at home
To prepare Georgian yogurt, milk is heated to 90°C, then cooled to 50°C and a special starter based on Bulgarian stick is added. After which the product is fermented at a constant temperature of 37°C for 3-4 hours. When the drink is ripe, it is moved to a cool place with a temperature range from +2 to +8°C. Thanks to this, the fermentation process stops and the drink becomes thick.
How is it different from kefir?
Caucasian yogurt is a fermented milk product for everyone. In terms of its taste characteristics, it differs from the usual kefir. Matsun has a more sour taste with a hint of spiciness. The consistency is more like sour Greek yogurt. This texture is achieved through the use of a Bulgarian stick, which is used to prepare many fermented milk products.
Matsoni recipe
Making Caucasian yogurt at home is not difficult. The main thing in this matter is to provide comfortable conditions for the proliferation of lactic acid bacteria. It is necessary to maintain a constantly warm temperature of the container in which the yogurt is prepared. Kitchen aids such as a multicooker and a yogurt maker can ideally handle this task. If your kitchen does not have such devices, then a regular saucepan and a warm blanket will do.
Classic recipe
- Time: 5 hours.
- Number of servings: 4 persons.
- Purpose: for a snack.
- Cuisine: Caucasian.
- Difficulty: easy.
You can prepare matsoni according to the classic recipe at home using the proven “old-fashioned” method. The heated milk with the starter must be tightly wrapped in a blanket or any other dense fabric that will not release heat, and placed in a secluded place. It is important that there are no drafts, otherwise sudden changes in temperature can negatively affect the proliferation of lactic acid bacteria.
Ingredients:
- milk – 1 l;
- sourdough matsoni – 2 tbsp. l. or a store-bought bag.
Cooking method:
- Heat the milk well, but do not boil, it should be approximately 90°C.
- Then cool to 40°C. If you don't have a food thermometer, dip your finger in the milk; if you can hold it there for a couple of seconds, the temperature is right.
- Add the starter and stir well.
- The vessel is placed in a warm place for 4-5 hours, while being wrapped in a warm blanket.
- If your oven allows you to set the temperature, then simmer the yogurt for the specified time at 50°C.
- When the drink is ripe, drain off the whey and cool the thick residue.
In a slow cooker
- Time: 8 hours.
- Number of servings: 4 persons.
- Calorie content of the dish: 63 kcal/100 grams.
- Purpose: for a snack.
- Cuisine: Caucasian.
- Difficulty: easy.
If you have a multicooker in your home, then preparing matsun will not be a problem. It maintains a constant temperature throughout the cooking time, which guarantees the correct structure of the yogurt - thick and tender. You don’t have to endure all 8 hours of the standard program, but get a fermented milk drink after 4-5 hours, as in the classic recipe.
Ingredients:
- milk – 1 l;
- matsoni – 150 g.
Cooking method:
- Pour the milk into the multicooker bowl.
- Close the lid, set the “Cooking” mode for 5-10 minutes.
- After the beep, open the lid and let the milk cool slightly.
- If a film has formed, remove it.
- In a separate container, mix a few tablespoons of warm milk with the prepared matsoni until smooth.
- Place the mixture in the bowl and stir again.
- On the display, set the standard “Yoghurt” or “Multi-cook” mode with a temperature of 40°C for 8 hours.
- After the sound signal, take out the bowl, drain the resulting whey (it can be useful for preparing other dishes), send the rest to cool directly in the bowl or pour it into a glass or clay container.
In the yogurt maker
- Time: 10 o'clock.
- Number of servings: 4 persons.
- Calorie content of the dish: 63 kcal/100 grams.
- Purpose: for a snack.
- Cuisine: Caucasian.
- Difficulty: easy.
The advantage of using a yoghurt maker for matsoni is that the drink is immediately prepared in portioned containers. If you couldn’t find a real Caucasian drink, then you can use natural yogurt without additives or sour cream for the starter. Matsun with sour cream starter will not work the first time; the Bulgarian stick will ripen only on the seventh re-fermentation.
Ingredients:
- milk – 1 l;
- matsoni – 2 tbsp. l.
Cooking method:
- Heat pasteurized milk, remove from heat a few seconds before boiling.
- Cool to 40°C.
- Add the starter, stir until smooth.
- Pour the mixture into containers and turn on the yogurt maker.
- Leave for 10 hours or better overnight.
- Place the Georgian yogurt in the refrigerator until it reaches a thick consistency.
What do you eat matsoni with?
Yogurt of Caucasian origin is used as a dressing for vegetable salads. Spicy snacks and sandwich paste are prepared on its basis. It is a basic ingredient in cold soups, such as okroshka or traditional Caucasian first courses. In addition, this type of yogurt is added to the dough from which bread, flatbreads and the famous Georgian pastry - khachapuri are baked.
Vegetable salad with fermented milk drink
- Time: 20 minutes.
- Number of servings: 6 persons.
- Calorie content of the dish: 34 kcal/100 grams.
- Purpose: for lunch, dinner, side dish.
- Cuisine: Caucasian.
- Difficulty: easy.
The fermented milk product matsun goes well with fresh vegetables, so it is often used as a salad dressing. This dish will be lower in calories compared to salads that are dressed with mayonnaise or sour cream. You can experiment with the composition of the recipe based on your taste preferences, add your favorite vegetables, herbs and spices. Matsun goes well with spicy flavors.
Ingredients:
- matsoni – 300 g;
- cucumbers – 6 pcs.;
- radishes – 6 pcs.;
- dill – 60 g;
- parsley – 60 g;
- green onions – 60 g;
- garlic – 3 cloves;
- salt - to taste.
Cooking method:
- Wash the vegetables well and dry with paper or kitchen towel.
- Cut medium-sized cucumbers and radishes into quarters.
- Finely chop the dill and parsley.
- Cut the green onions into thin rings.
- Peel the garlic and pass through a press.
- Add Georgian yogurt and salt to taste, mix well.
With herbs and nuts
- Time: 10 minutes.
- Number of servings: 6 persons.
- Purpose: for appetizer, side dish.
- Cuisine: Caucasian.
- Difficulty: easy.
To prepare this savory snack, you need to prepare the matsun in a special way. It needs to be squeezed out to form a granular product similar to cottage cheese. Matsun goes well with herbs and nuts. Walnuts are mainly used as a snack. The parsley stated in the recipe can be replaced with dill, basil, or a mixture of both. The appetizer is served on bread or used as a savory addition to main courses.
Ingredients:
- matsoni – 500 g;
- walnuts – 50 g;
- parsley – 50 g;
- salt - to taste.
Cooking method:
- For this snack, you need to squeeze out the fermented milk product to get rid of excess liquid. Use several layers of gauze or a canvas bag.
- Grind the nuts in a blender using a rolling pin or knife.
- Finely chop the parsley.
- Mix all ingredients, add salt to taste.
- Serve with rye bread or whole grain bread.
Cold soup
- Time: 20 minutes.
- Number of servings: 1 person.
- Calorie content of the dish: 107 kcal/100 grams.
- Cuisine: Caucasian.
- Difficulty: easy.
A simple cold soup based on matsoni is reminiscent of okroshka. It contains vegetables, herbs, eggs and fermented milk product. In industrial matsoni, slight gas formation is allowed. If you are using a store-bought product, the soup can be diluted with regular drinking water. It is better to add sparkling mineral water to homemade Georgian yogurt, this will add zest to the soup.
Ingredients:
- matsoni – 180 g;
- sparkling mineral water – 100 ml;
- radishes – 2 pcs.;
- cucumbers – 1 pc.;
- eggs – 1 pc.;
- dill – 5 g;
- green onions – 5 g;
- salt, ground black pepper, ice - optional.
Cooking method:
- Wash the vegetables, cut into thin strips, and place in a presentation plate.
- Boil the egg hard.
- Wash the greens, dry, chop finely, add to vegetables.
- Peel the boiled egg, separate the yolk from the white.
- Grate the whites on a coarse grater.
- Separately mix yogurt, mineral water, salt and pepper.
- Pour the dressing over the contents of the plate.
- Before serving, grate the egg yolk on a coarse grater and sprinkle on top.
Khachapuri on matsoni
- Time: 1 hour 30 minutes.
- Number of servings: 6 persons.
- Calorie content of the dish: 215 kcal/100 grams.
- Purpose: for lunch, dinner.
- Cuisine: Georgian.
- Difficulty: medium.
Georgian yogurt is the key to delicious Adjarian-style khachapuri. Adding this fermented milk product to the dough makes it fluffy and gives it a special taste. The recipe uses Imeretian cheese. If you were unable to find this variety, you can replace it with another salty type of cheese, for example, suluguni or mozzarella. Serve khachapuri with fresh vegetables and herbs.
Ingredients:
- matsoni – 500 g;
- wheat flour – 600 g;
- Imeretian cheese – 500 g;
- butter – 50 g;
- eggs – 9 pcs.;
- sugar – 5 g;
- salt – 5 g;
- soda – 5 g;
- vinegar - to taste.
Cooking method:
- Sift flour into a bowl, beat in 2 eggs, add sugar, salt, butter, pour in yogurt and soda slaked with vinegar. Reserve some butter and yoghurt for the filling.
- Knead a tight dough, cover it with a towel and place in a warm place for 45 minutes.
- After this time, knead the dough and leave for another 20 minutes.
- For the filling, grate the cheese, add the yolk of one egg, the remaining butter and matsun, stir, let sit for 15 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 6 parts.
- Roll out one part to a thickness of no more than 1 cm.
- Roll the edges on both sides into a tube.
- Clamp the ends so that the workpiece looks like a boat.
- Slightly straighten the center of the workpiece, lay out the filling, brush the dough with egg.
- Make 5 more khachapuri, place on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes at 220°C.
- Take out the baking sheet, pour 1 egg into each khachapuri, without damaging the yolk.
- Bake for another 5 minutes.
- Transfer hot khachapuri to serving plates and garnish with fresh herbs if desired.
Harm and contraindications
Despite all the benefits of matsoni, this fermented milk drink should not be consumed by people with stomach diseases and high acidity. If eating Caucasian yogurt causes discomfort, you should seek help from your doctor. Matsun can cause deterioration in such serious diseases as:
- pancreatitis;
- hepatitis;
- urolithiasis disease.
Video
Matsoni- This is a fermented milk product. His homeland is the Caucasus. Matsoni is prepared in Georgia and Armenia. But in Armenian cuisine it has a different name - matsun. In fact, this is an analogue of the yogurt that is well known to us, although there are significant differences both in the method of preparation and in taste.
Curdled milk is the result of ordinary, natural sour milk. If you don't put the milk in the refrigerator, it will certainly turn sour. Matsoni You can't get it this way.
The secret of making matsoni:
Matsoni obtained by fermenting milk under special temperature conditions.
Moreover, the basis for matsoni can be not only cow’s milk, but also sheep’s or goat’s milk.
First, the milk is heated to 90 degrees, cooled to 45-55? C and the starter is added.
From a microbiological point of view, matsoni starter is a combination of Bulgarian bacillus (a type of lactic acid bacterium discovered in Bulgaria) and lactic acid streptococci. Then the mixture of hot milk and starter is placed in a dark, warm place and left without movement for 3-4 hours. The milk sours and thickens. The resulting product is cooled.
As for the taste characteristics, matsoni, in comparison with yogurt or kefir, is slightly sour and has a spicy taste. It is more like a rather sour drinking yogurt. And the reason for this is the Bulgarian stick, which is precisely used for the production of yogurt.
Benefit Matsoni:
Matsoni is a very healthy drink. It is easily digestible, supplies the body with calcium, phosphorus, essential amino acids and protein, and contains vitamins A and D.
Like all fermented milk products, matsoni improves intestinal function and enriches its microflora with beneficial bacteria. The more there are, the fewer pathogenic bacteria in the intestines.
Useful properties of Matsoni
Biologist Ilya Mechnikov came to the conclusion that pathogenic intestinal flora leads to the development of putrefactive processes in it. Many toxins are formed, which then enter the blood. Constant poisoning of the body shortens a person's life. Lactic acid bacteria are the best way to cope with negative microflora, and therefore prolong life. That is why they can be called “bacteria of youth.”
Is it possible to prepare matsoni at home?
If you want to try cooking yourself matsoni, the recipe is like this.
1. Heat the milk to the boiling stage, but do not boil. Cool to a temperature that your finger can tolerate.
2. Add starter to hot milk.
For real Georgian matsoni, the recipe involves using matsoni itself as a starter. But if you don’t have it, then you can take sour sour cream or full-fat kefir: for half a liter of milk - a tablespoon of sour cream.
3. Mix thoroughly, cover with clean gauze, place in a dark place for 3-4 hours, wrapped in a blanket (you can use a thermos). Do not shake or touch. It is important to observe the fermentation time: if you reduce it, the matsoni will be watery, and if the milk with the ferment “overstays,” it will be too sour.
4. Place in the refrigerator for 8 hours.
Next time, you can use the matsoni you made yourself as a starter. Each time it will work out better and better.
People have been drinking drinks made from the milk of cows, goats and sheep since ancient times. A special place is given to fermented milk products in the Caucasus. It is not known whether their love for fermented milk products affects their life expectancy or not, but the fact remains a fact.
Matsoni is a traditional Caucasian fermented milk product, which is called the “nectar of long-livers.” In Armenian cuisine, matsoni is called matsun.
Matsoni tastes like yogurt, but there are some differences between these two products. Yogurt is ordinary sour milk, and matsoni is a more complex fermented milk product that requires a certain technique.
Matsoni at home: benefits
- Matsoni is a very healthy drink that residents of the Caucasus enjoy preparing and drinking. This fermented milk product is easily absorbed by the body, supplying it with phosphorus, calcium, vitamins A and D, as well as essential amino acids and protein.
- Matsoni, like all fermented milk products, stimulates the intestines, enriching it with beneficial vitamins and bifidobacteria.
- Matsoni is an indispensable product that reduces cholesterol levels, it prevents the development of dysbacteriosis, early aging of the body and lowers blood pressure.
The secret of making matsoni at home
Matsoni is obtained from milk fermented at a certain temperature. The basis for matsoni can be not only cow’s milk, but also goat’s or sheep’s. The milk is heated to a temperature of 90 degrees, then cooled to 50 degrees and the starter is added.
Sourdough for matsoni is a mixture of Bulgarian bacillus (a special type of lactic bacterium discovered in Bulgaria) and fermented milk streptococci. The resulting mixture of hot milk and starter is placed in a dark place and the product is not disturbed for 4 hours. During this time, the milk will sour and thicken, and the resulting product will cool. That's the whole secret of making matsoni.
Matsoni is a product for everyone, which differs from kefir and yogurt in its slightly sour and spicy taste. Matsoni is somewhat similar to sour drinking yoghurt, which is due to the Bulgarian stick, which is used to make yoghurts.
Homemade matsoni
Matsoni can be prepared at home, following the sequence of steps and the cooking process.
- Bring the milk (any kind) to the boiling stage (about 90 - 95 degrees), but do not boil - this is very important!
- Cool the milk to a temperature of 40 - 50 degrees.
- Add starter to hot milk. For real Georgian matsoni, matsoni itself is used for fermentation. If you don’t have it, you can take full-fat kefir or sour cream - 1 tbsp for 0.5 liters of milk. sour cream or kefir.
- Stir the prepared mixture, cover with gauze and place in a dark place for 4 hours. It is better if you first wrap the container with the mixture in a blanket or pour the matsoni mixture into a thermos. Do not shake or disturb the matsoni mixture.
- Important - strictly observe the fermentation time: if you reduce it, the matsoni will turn out too liquid, and if you increase it, the matsoni will turn out too sour.
- Then put the matsoni in the refrigerator for 8 hours.
- The next time you prepare matsoni at home, use previously prepared matsoni for the starter.
You can prepare different dishes from matsoni, each time surprising your guests with unusual recipes based on matsoni at home.
Vegetable salad with matsoni at home
Compound:
- Chicken fillet - 300 g
- Carrots - 1 pc.
- Potatoes - 2 pcs.
- Cucumber - 1 pc.
- Greenery
- Matsoni - for dressing
- Salt - to taste
Preparation:
- Boil chicken fillet, potatoes and carrots.
- Cut the boiled ingredients into small cubes.
- Cut the cucumber into strips, chop the greens.
- Place all the ingredients in a salad bowl, add salt and matsoni. Mix everything.
Matsoni salad is ready! It can be used by girls on a diet.
Homemade matsoni soup
Compound:
- Milk - 1 l
- Matsoni - 1 l
- Onions - 6 pcs.
- Butter - to taste
- Egg yolk - 3 pcs.
- Dill, cilantro, tarragon leaves - to taste
- Sea salt - to taste
Preparation:
- Finely chop the onion and fry it in butter until transparent.
- Mix matsoni with milk and shake well.
- Pour the matsoni and milk into a large saucepan, add the onion. Bring the onion and matsoni to a boil, stirring constantly. When the mixture comes to a boil, continue cooking for another 7 minutes.
- Remove the soup from the heat, cool it a little, pour the egg yolks into the soup. Add chopped herbs.
Matsoni soup at home is ready!
Homemade matsoni sauce
Compound:
- Matsoni - 400 g
- Goat cheese - 100 g
- Nadugi cheese - 100 g
- Greens (onion, cilantro, dill) - 50 g
- Salt - to taste
Preparation:
- Grate the goat cheese on a fine grater.
- Rub naduga cheese through a sieve.
- Finely chop the greens.
- Pour all the ingredients into a bowl, add salt and matsoni.
- Mix all ingredients thoroughly until smooth.
Matsoni is a very healthy Georgian drink that gives people strength and vigor. Drink matsoni and you will live happily ever after!
We all love and appreciate fermented milk products. Each of us has them in our diet. The recipe for matsoni and dishes based on it will be the topic of our story.
Some people consume fermented milk products fresh, others - as part of other dishes or various mixtures. Products made from sour milk have always occupied a 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 among our consumers.
They came to our native places from completely different cultures and have not yet managed to settle down and take their places in the food chain of our traditional cuisine. Nevertheless, these products deservedly take pride of place in their cultures, and it is only a matter of time before they spread into our cuisine. We will consider one of these dishes of traditional Caucasian cuisine today.
Residents of the Caucasus have been eating this product for a very long time. This is facilitated by a fairly simple recipe for making matsoni, which is very easy to recreate at home, as well as a small set of ingredients. These factors became by far the main advantages of this dish, which led to the incredible popularization of matsoni among the local population.
The taste and consistency of the finished dish are so original that there are many recipes based on it. Sauce, dressing, soup - all these dishes are only a small part of the whole variety of recipes based on matsoni.
In order to prepare matsoni at home, we will need the following set of ingredients:
- milk - 500 ml;
- sourdough - 50 ml.
The method of preparing traditional matsoni is quite simple. Any type of this product can be used as milk. Sheep, goat or cow's milk is perfect 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 that are formed during the life of the animal. It is these natural bacteria that allow milk to sour naturally.
Their removal makes milk a virgin-pure substance. As soon as it has heated up to the specified temperature, set it aside and let it cool to 40-50 degrees. Then we add sourdough 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 spoons of ordinary kefir, which also contains these specific elements.
After adding the starter, you need to wrap the entire mixture in a sheet or blanket to slow down the heat transfer process and keep the temperature within 40-50 degrees for as long as possible. This is necessary to speed up the reaction and all processes of milk souring.
The entire 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 thick sauce or sour cream. However, the finished matsoni has a completely different taste, different from the fermented milk products we are used to. Traditional matsoni is ready.
You can eat it as a sauce, filling, or use it as the basis for many extravagant dishes for which the Caucasus and all of Asia are famous.
Recipes with matsoni as a base are as popular in our native lands, as is this fermented milk dish itself. A striking example is the preparation of various 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, let's grate our cucumbers on a fine grater. In addition, this procedure can be performed using a blender, which will finely chop our cucumbers just as well.
Now we take our matsoni, previously cooled in the refrigerator to a temperature of 5-10 degrees, and add grated cucumbers to it. Mix all ingredients thoroughly until a homogeneous mass is created that will form the future sauce. Peel 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 cutting methods.
It will add a special aroma to the dish, which, together with the cucumbers, will form the entire bouquet of smells that makes up the sauce. Mix the whole mass again and add cayenne pepper and salt to it. This step will complete the formation of the finished dish and create its final consistency and taste, and we will see a completely finished sauce, which, in its piquancy and palette of flavors, will be the best decoration for any table.
Spicy chicken appetizer
Let's look at another great sauce that can also serve as an appetizer and simply spread on bread. It is based on a combination of the flavors of smoked chicken fillet and creamy matsoni base, creating an unforgettable taste and piquancy of the finished dish.
To recreate it, we will 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 cooled matsoni. Its smoked part will give the dish an unforgettable aroma, and in combination with the creamy component of matsoni, the finished sauce will be simply magnificent.
Mix the whole mass thoroughly until smooth. Now take the basil and grind it into small fractions with a blender. Its spicy aroma will complete the formation of the flavor palette, and in addition will give the appearance of the sauce a special flavor.
Add the basil to the mixture and mix all the ingredients thoroughly. It's garlic's turn. Using a garlic press, we turn it into a pulp, which will contribute to a more detailed 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. Combine it with salt and pepper and put it in a container and mix it with the rest of the ingredients. The result is a wonderful thick sauce that can be used as a filling for sandwiches or a seasoning for meat.
Step 1: prepare the milk.
First, pour whole pasteurized or fresh cow's milk into a small saucepan, place it over high heat and heat until 90–95 degrees Celsius. Important: we do not boil this product and periodically check the temperature with a special kitchen thermometer! As soon as the snow-white liquid heats up, use a towel to remove the saucepan from the stove, place it on the countertop and cool its contents until 45–50 degrees.Step 2: prepare matsoni.
When the milk has cooled to the desired temperature, add a couple of tablespoons of matsoni starter; if this is not available, then use full-fat kefir or sour cream. Gently mix everything to a homogeneous consistency, pour it into a sterilized liter or two-liter jar, cover it with a piece of sterile gauze, having previously folded the fabric in 2-3 layers, and set it to ferment in a dark, warm place on 4 hours. If you are preparing a drink in winter, infuse it near a warm radiator, and if in summer, on a glazed balcony, and the mixture should not be shaken or stirred.
We will observe the fermentation time strictly according to the rules; if you reduce it, the matsoni will turn out too liquid, and if you overdo it, it will become cloyingly sour. That's why after 4 hours close the jar with a clean plastic or metal tight-fitting lid, put it in the refrigerator for 8 ocloc'k and only after this can a sample be taken from the drink.
Step 3: serve matsoni at home.
At home, matsoni is served chilled as a drink or used in the preparation of many dishes, for example, as a base for sauces, pastries, jellies, puff desserts, and casseroles. This sour milk product is also used to marinate meat, poultry, stew lamb, veal, pork, beef, chicken or duck, and to dress salads. This drink is very healthy, quenches thirst in summer and strengthens the immune system in winter. Enjoy!
Bon appetit!
To ferment the next portion of the drink, you can use previously prepared matsoni;
Sometimes a mixture of milk and leaven (kefir, sour cream) is left to sit warm all night;
Matsoni is stored in the refrigerator for no more than 5–7 days, after which you need to prepare the next portion of the drink.
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