Yoghurt is popular throughout the Middle Eastern region, dolloped onto rice, stirred through vegetables for a tangy dip, and often blended into refreshing drinks. In Iran, it’s used to make doogh (also written dugh), a slightly salty, minty, fizzy drink that’s most typically enjoyed with kabob koobideh (minced lamb kebabs). It was traditionally made by shaking milk in a dried sheep’s stomach, the enzymes in which would have started the fermentation, then left at room temperature for a couple of days to develop a gentle fizz. Using yoghurt and soda or mineral water is a much quicker way to make doogh (and saves the search for a dried sheep stomach) – I use creamy buffalo milk yoghurt from Vannella Cheese. Add fresh mint as well as the dried mint if you like, and a squeeze of lime juice if you prefer a more sour flavour. See video below to learn more about Persian cuisine.
Serves 2
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