Homemade yogurt without a yogurt maker

Finally!!! I have been wanting to make my own homemade yogurt for, I would say, more than a year? Phew. Yeah that long! I thought it was too difficult and that I needed a special yogurt maker and so on. The result was, I did not even try. The good news is, it is not difficult at all, quite the contrary, it is easy-peasy :)

I have noticed recently that I tend to cook at night. I am not exactly sure why. I can see several advantages though. First, I like the quiet all around. It is just me and sounds of cooking or baking. Secondly, I like the freshly baked cake or bread in the morning. Thirdly, with the winter coming slowly and days shortening day by day, I have more time to photograph my produce! And lastly, I do not know, I just like it. Well, it was about 10pm again, when I decided I would make a homemade yogurt.

I told my boyfriend: "I am going to make a homemade yogurt!". "Now?", he asked. "Yes, now. It is easy-peasy!".

I went to our kitchen and only a few minutes later my boyfriend appeared. "So, how do you do that? How do you make the yogurt?", he asked.

"Well, that is it", I pointed to a pot of hot milk. "I just heat the milk, add the yogurt, and in the morning, yogurt is ready!".

And that was it! I woke up in the morning and ran straight to a radiator where the yogurt was sleeping and maturing. I was excited like a child before Christmas! I still kind of did not believe that the milk, I just heated and mixed with a couple of spoons of yogurt, would turn into a yogurt overnight. It was a beautiful day. The sky was blue without a cloud which is very rare these days in London. I felt happy! :)

I put the yogurt in the refrigerator and let it get cold. After 3 hours, I could not wait any longer. The taste of the yogurt was delicious. Very smooth and not that sour as some yogurts might be. I ate it straight from the jar. Later that day I just mixed the yogurt with mango and shredded coconut to make a delicious snack.

Homemade yogurt

Ingredients

1000ml whole milk

5 tbsp plain yogurt with active cultures (I used greek yogurt)

1 In a saucepan, heat the milk over low heat. Remove the saucepan from heat just before it starts boiling (82-85ºC).

2 Let the milk cool down until you can keep your finger in there (42-43ºC).

3 Add the yogurt to the milk and stir well. Pour the milk into carefully washed jars and close with lids.

4 Set all jars in a warm place for about 8 hours or overnight until thickened. I placed jars on a warm radiator covered in kitchen towel to make sure they would keep warm. (The yogurt bacteria need temperature around 43ºC to grow.)

5 Refrigerate the yogurt for about 3-4 hours before eating.

Childhood memories and Cranberries Coconut rice pudding

I can't believe I have not had rice pudding for soooooo long! Well, I had a ready made rice pudding couple of times. I mean, the one you can buy in any grocery store, but it does not count. What I am talking about is the yummy, lovely smelling home made rice pudding. Yes, that one which my mum made for my brothers and me. It always took infinitely long to get it cooked, from my point of view. I just could not wait to taste it's marvellous creamy taste. I loved it still warm when the smell of freshly cooked rice was strong, and any fruit on top was slightly melting and releasing it's own aroma. My mum usually served rice pudding with fresh apricots during summer and with home made apricot compote during winter, when no fresh apricot were available.

When I am thinking about it, this was a first rice pudding I have made myself! And the best is, it was extremely easy to do. Yes, it is the kind of quick, easy, and very tasty dessert. I have mixed all leftover I found in a fridge, but the result was extraordinary! :) I guess, you can use just a coconut milk if you prefer more coconut flavour, or just a milk if you don't like coconut. As well, you can omit a double cream for a lighter dessert. I have chosen a cranberry sauce to finish the rice pudding, and I have to say, it was a good choice. I like the slightly sour taste of cranberries contrasting with sweet rice.

Cranberries Coconut rice pudding

Serves 4

Ingredients

1/2 cup rice

140ml double cream

160ml coconut milk

220ml milk

3 cardamon pods

2 tbsp palm sugar (jaggery)

cranberry sauce or cranberry jam (better option)

1 tsp shredded coconut, to serve

1 tbsp unsalted pistachios, chopped, to serve

fresh mint, to serve

1 Wash the rice and drain well.

1 In a small pan mix the double cream, coconut milk and milk with the cardamon pods. Bring the mixture to the boil.

2 Add the rice and stir well. Cover and simmer over very low heat, stirring occasionally, about 15-20 minutes, until the rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. If the rice is too dry, add a little milk and stir.

3 Discard the cardamon and add the palm sugar. Mix well.

4 To serve, pour 1 tsp of cranberry jam into each glass and divide the rice pudding between them. Top with another dollop of cranberry jam and sprinkle with coconut and pistachios. Finish with the fresh mint leaves. Serve warm or cold.