Yayik Ayrani (Diluted and churned yoghurt)

Everyone loves ayran around here. You can drink it with meals and as a refreshment on its own. It is actually very easy to make. Stir a few tablespoons of yoghurt in a bowl and add some water to dilute it and voila! You have ayran. You can change the amount of water as you like. I myself prefer it thick, some like it runny with a lot of water. You can also add a pinch of salt. Try it as you like. This is the simple version of ayran, but here I would like to give you a more old fashioned bubbly and creamy recipe, as you can see in the picture. This recipe is a modern version of the old fashion churning method. Since it's hard to find and use churns, here we have a modern recipe by Ayhan Demiral where we can get the same taste.

Ingredients

• 1 kg. of yoghurt. If possible use home-made yoghurt (you will soon get the recipe on this site).
• 1 cup of milk
• 2 teaspoons of white cheese. We use tulum (cheese made in a leather bag) which is a popular local cheese around here. Any other white cheese with a subtle sour aroma will do.
• 1 lt. water
• If possible use a lined copper pot, otherwise a steele pot will do.

Directions:

1. Stir the yoghurt in the copper pot with the help of a mixer for 5 minutes. Add the cheese and stir for 2 more minutes.
2. Put the pot on the stove on a low heat let it warm up for a few minutes.
3. Put your little finger in the warm mixture. If you can keep your finger in it for 7 seconds it's ready. This is a local method for checking is milk is warm enough and ready to become yoghurt, as will see again later in making yoghurt.
4. Take the pot off of the stove and add the milk and stir for 5 more minutes.
5. If you feel like it add come more water. Put the pot in the fridge with its lid on and let it stay there for 2 hours.
6. Take the pot out of the fridge and stir witha mixer for 10 minutes.
7. If the milk is fatty you will find some butter on the surface of your mixture. Remove this butter onto a dish with the help of a small strainer. The butter will be great for breakfast.
8. Your ayran is ready. Bon apetite!