Natural yoghurt is a perfect addition to grilled meat and fish, writes Hugo Arnold.
The heat was almost unbearable. As the temperature headed toward the early 40s, I thought I was going to expire. We were in Cochin in southern India in the state of Kerela. Later we were to climb into the foothills; but until then, I had to contend with oven-like temperatures.
Then somebody handed me a lassi - a tall, well-chilled glass with clinking ice-cubes, the contents a creamy mass of beaten yoghurt. I looked around, and saw the whole area was peppered with people drinking the same thing.
I sipped my drink. It was good, it was very good. My temperature seemed to fall with every sip. My version was seasoned with nothing other than salt, the rich buffalo milk beaten to a frothy finish so bubbles sat like the head on a pint of Guinness. Others were indulging in more exotic flavours. A few were drinking mango lassi, the golden yellow colour diluted by the yoghurt, but still distinctive; others were braving a masala, a "cooling" blend of cumin, chilli and curry leaves.
Yoghurt's power to calm and restore makes it an ideal sauce for summer cooking. And I'm not talking about low-fat. Good thick, creamy yoghurt, Greek-style for example, can deliver something in the way of taste and texture.
Yoghurt lends itself to spicy food, but this is by no means its only use. A dressing for salad - leaves or mixed vegetables - can be quickly fashioned from a mashed garlic clove and yoghurt. A piece of grilled fish served on some lightly-toasted couscous salad needs little more than a dollop of yoghurt and a squeeze of lemon juice. Barbecued lamb chops are perfect with a scoop of yoghurt which has been dusted with some lightly roasted and ground cumin seeds.
Blended with cucumber and mint, it makes a refreshing summer starter, and served with fresh fruit - strawberries, raspberries and now peaches and nectarines as the summer gets into full swing - it makes for a refreshing finish. Or you could just add honey as the Greeks do, provided your honey is of sufficient quality.
We are more familiar with cows' milk yoghurt than any other, but sheep's milk has a higher fat content, so tastes richer. Despite this, yoghurt is a useful way of avoiding too much fat. Whisked into a mayonnaise for example, it lessens the reliance on oil. You can whisk yoghurt into sauces to finish them off, but take care that the sauce is not too hot or it will curdle. You can stabilise it with a little flour, but this seems too fussy. Better to let the sauce cool down.
Strained yoghurt - leave it in a sieve lined with muslin for the watery whey to drain off - makes a refreshing end to a meal, either dusted with freshly chopped herbs, or just-ground spices and a drizzle of olive oil. Alternatively, consider chopped nuts and honey, rum-soaked raisins or some whisked-in vanilla seeds.
All recipes serve four
BRAISED LAMB WITH SOURED YOGHURT RELISH
8 lamb chump chops
2 onions, peeled and finely diced
3 tbsp olive oil
2 carrots, peeled and cut into half-centimetre slices
2 sticks celery, cleaned and cut into half-centimetre slices
sprig fresh rosemary
small bunch parsley
2 garlic cloves
600ml water
1 chicken stock cube
100g full fat yoghurt
2 tbsp tamarind paste
dash of Tabasco
1 tbsp roughly chopped fresh coriander
1 clove garlic, smashed, peeled and minced with a little salt
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees, gas four. Gently colour the chops in the oil, in a casserole dish large enough to take all the ingredients, until lightly coloured. Remove the lamb and set aside. Meanwhile chop the onions and sauté in the same oil for 10 minutes.
While the onions are cooking, chop the carrots and celery and add to the cooked onions. Finely chop the rosemary, parsley and garlic. Add to the vegetables, colour them in the oil, pour in the water and add the stock cube.
Return the lamb to the casserole and season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and place in the oven, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
Combine the yoghurt, tamarind, Tabasco, coriander and garlic. Season with salt and serve with the lamb.
BARBECUED CHICKEN, LENTIL PILAF, CUCUMBER AND YOGHURT
1 cucumber
150g basmati rice
75g brown lentils
3cm cinnamon stick
3 cardamom pods
3 cloves
3 star anise
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 chicken, jointed
100ml yoghurt
2 garlic cloves
1 lemon, trimmed and quartered
Grate the cucumber on the largest setting and combine in a sieve with a tablespoon of salt. Leave to drain over the sink for five minutes. Wash thoroughly with cold water and leave to drain again.
Wash the rice and lentils together in plenty of cold water for five minutes and then drain. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and when hot add all the spices. Cook over a moderate heat for 30 seconds and then add the drained rice and lentils. Sauté gently for two minutes and add 500ml of water and season with salt. Bring to the boil, lower the heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until the rice is almost cooked. Remove from the heat and allow it to rest for a further five minutes.
Lightly brush the chicken with oil, season with salt and pepper and barbecue for eight minutes each side for boneless breast pieces, 15 minutes for bone-in legs and thighs, or until cooked. Allow the chicken to rest, wrapped loosely in tin foil.
Squeeze out the excess moisture from the cucumber - you'll never get all the water out, but squeeze as much as you can. Combine with the yoghurt and the garlic, which should be grated on the smallest setting of your grater.
Serve the chicken with the pilaf and the yoghurt mixture and a lemon wedge.
SPICED LENTILS, MINTED YOGHURT, FLAT BREAD AND PICKLES
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp finely chopped shallots
1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp mustard seeds
half tsp turmeric
1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
1 400g tin lentils, well rinsed and drained
100ml chicken stock
200ml full-fat yoghurt
2 tbsp finely chopped mint
1 sheet Middle Eastern flat bread cut into four triangles
4 tbsp pickles (eg cornichons, caper berries, chillies, cucumbers)
1 lemon, trimmed and quartered
Heat the vegetable oil and gently sauté the shallots for five minutes without colouring. Add the garlic and continue cooking for one minute. Add the mustard seeds, turmeric, parsley and lentils, coat well in the oil, cook gently for two minutes and add the chicken stock. Simmer gently for 10 minutes, season and set aside.
Combine the yoghurt and mint, mix well and season with salt and pepper. To serve, divide the lentils - which should be warm rather than hot - on to four plates, ditto with the yoghurt and pickles and serve with the flat bread and a quarter of lemon.