Doogh (Dough, دوغ or Persian yogurt drink) is a milk-based drink made out of goat or sheep milk. It is similar to Ayran, which is popular in Turkey and Azerbaijan. Doogh is a Persian word extracted from “Dooshidan,” which means milking in Farsi. It has a very long history in Iran and Turkey, about 1300 years BC. The Dough is the remained juice of the butter, Persian tribes made out of water.
However, it is not clear that they mixed water and yogurt to make this beverage on purpose. Or accidentally, they used the butter’s juice, and it was delicious enough to use it again as a beverage. Iranians have elevated the kinds of Dough during years. In the previous century, the number of Dough making factories has increased, and industrial type of it is available in Iran’s market. However, homemade Dough is the most delicious one still. It is welcomed next to almost every Persian dish, and some Persian dishes have something missing without it. Moreover, some people use it as an ingredient for other dishes such as Abdoogh.
Different types of Dough:
According to the garnishes (mainly some herbs) and the type of milk you are using to make Dough, different types of this beverage can be created. For example, you can either use sheep milk or goat milk. Nowadays, camel Dough is typical in Iran’s market. Moreover, the amount of fat, soda, or water can make a difference in the final taste. In Iran, while choosing, you’d mostly be asked about whether you want a soda one, a local one (دوغ محلی) which is made chiefly in-country and has a higher fat. Homemade Doughs have two limited flavors of mint and Ziziphora(کاکوتی). Industries have developed a vast type of flavors, including mint, Ziziphora, basil, and a mix of herbs.
Kefir:
If you are studying about Doogh, you have likely heard about Kefir. Kefir is a fermentation type beverage, which is made out of kefir seeds and milk. Kefir Dough is a kind of drink that they make out of milk and these seeds by covering the mixture and keeping it in the dark place. Because of Kefir’s numerous benefits for the body, industries add it to beverages. To name some of its advantages, we can mention, immune support and better digestion in the body. You can make Kefir Dough at home, using Kefir seeds and milk. The notable point about Kefir is that it is a bacterial fermentation, and it increases in amount per every use.
Important Nutrition Facts of Doogh:
Doogh is one of the low-calorie beverages; you can enjoy it along with your food. Every low-fat Dough has about 55 kcal per serving (one glass of it). Every high-fat type of them has about 75 kcal per serving. It contains a notable amount of calcium and it is good for people with bone diseases, 447 mg per 100 gr calcium, 575 mg potassium, and 43 mg magnesium. Doogh is an excellent replacement for sweet soda drinks since it has the soda and lacks sweet. It is recommended for children in the growth period since it helps bones.
Vegetarian tips:
The ingredients of Doogh are limited to yogurt, milk, and water. Some other auxiliary components are herbs and salt. If you are a vegetarian, you can use this beverage confidentially. However, if you are a vegan, you can replace the yogurt abs the milk with the vegan type. But you should not expect an original taste in that case. Uniqop suggests using soymilk for vegans more than Almond milk or any other kind.
Serving style of Doogh:
Iranians serve Doogh in a jug and bring homemade and local ones like that. However, in restaurants, they mostly serve industrial ones in plastic bottles like sodas. They also have made it in plastic glasses that are easy to serve per person. Usually, in a restaurant or at home, serving it in a jug is a symbol of homemade or country made organic Dough. However, plastic containers show that they are industrialized and not natural. You can put leaves of fresh mint and rose on top of the jug to make it look more beautiful and eye-catching.
What are the ingredients?
The main ingredient is yogurt. The more fat your yogurt has, the more delicious your Doogh becomes. If you are inside Iran, I recommend you to use country-made organic yogurts. If you are outside Iran, I urge you to use greek yogurt. Other ingredients are milk and water. You may find recipes that use only yogurt and water, but for a delicious Dough, milk is critical.
You need a notable amount of salt and a pinch of sugar, too. For further tastes, you can add a mint grind or basil grind. If you are going to make a Kefir type, you need Kefir seeds, too. All you have to do is to add seeds to the regular combination and leave it in a dark place for some days.
Preparation process of Doogh:
Making Doogh is very easy. All you have to do is to mix water and milk. Then separate glass of the mixture and heat the remained. You should heat them until they become warmer, but they don’t boil. Then you add yogurt, salt, and sugar and one glass of cold liquid you separated in the first step. You have to keep it in a warm place for 2 or 3 days. If you are in a hurry, you can keep it over sunlight for one day. You can add some mint grind after refreshing.
Recipe:
This recipe is adequate for four people. You can make about 1-litre Doogh out of this recipe. The preparation time is about 10 minutes, and the process of cooking takes 20 minutes. You need to wait for at least 24 hours for a delightful taste.
Doogh
Ingredients
- 1 Litre milk (4 cups)
- 2 cup of water
- 5 tablespoon yogurt
- 1 tablespoon salt
- ¼ tablespoon sugar
- Ground mint to your taste
Instructions
- Mix water and milk
- Keep one glass of the mixture
- Heat the mixture until it gets warm, but it doesn’t boil
- Add salt, sugar, and yogurt
- Add the glass of cold water and milk
- Pour it into a jug and cover it
- Keep it in the dark, warm place for 2-3 days
- Add mint while serving
Notes
Uniqop’s advice
- Adding mint while preparing can create a bitter taste while serving
- For a delicious Doogh, use fat milk and yogurt
- If you have blood pressure problems, be cautious about drinking Doogh
- If you are vegan, never mind drinking Doogh!