Recipe - Laban - Yoghurt (K D)

1 qt Milk
1 tablespoon Laban starter

Laban (yoghurt) is essential to the Middle Eastern diet. It goes under many
names but whatever it is called, it is ever present. Its acidity makes it a
diet regulator. The laban culture is kept going in the Lebanese kitchen at
all times. Family members who emigrate usually take a laban culture along
with them to their new country. To preserve the culture they soak a clean
handkerchief in fresh laban, let it dry carefully, wrap it in clean paper
and put it in a safe pocket.

When preparing laban, temperature conditions must be exactly right and the
culture must not be disturbed while it is working.

Scald milk and cool to almost lukewarm. Stir the starter, which has been
saved from a previous batch, until smooth. Thin with several tablespoons of
warm milk. Stir starter into rest of milk. Mix well. Cover bowl with a
china plate and wrap in a heavy wool cloth or blanket. Leave undisturbed in
a warm, but not hot, place. In summer laban usually clabbers in about three
hours; in winter it requires an hour more. When completely clabbered place
in refrigerator. Do not jar the laban and thereby disturb the curd. Serve
cold.

(From Food from the Arab World Marie Karam Khayat and Margaret Clark
Keatinge, Khayat's, Beirut 1959)

Posted to JEWISHFOOD digest V97 #004

From: Daniella De Picciotto daniela@dialdata.com.br

Date: Sun, 5 Jan 1997 08:47:21 0200 (EDT)