Yoghurt Recipes
76 recipes with yoghurt, including Lamb-Stuffed Vine Leaves (Sarmi), Banitsa and Mekitsi. 37 are vegetarian and 15 take less than 30 minutes.
Chicken Korma
A mild, rich curry from the royal kitchens of northern India: chicken braised gently in yoghurt and a smooth sauce of slow-cooked onions, cashews and almonds, scented with cardamom and cinnamon rather than heat.
Naan
The soft, blistered flatbread of North Indian tandoors, made at home in a very hot pan: a yeasted dough enriched with yoghurt and milk, cooked until it puffs and chars in spots, then brushed with garlic butter.
Tandoori Chicken
Punjabi chicken from the clay tandoor: bone-in legs slashed to the bone and marinated twice, first in lemon and chilli, then in spiced yoghurt, and roasted fiercely hot until charred outside and juicy within.
Mango Lassi
The Punjabi yoghurt drink — ripe mango blended with cold yoghurt, milk and a pinch of cardamom into a thick, chilled glass that tames a hot curry or stands in for breakfast.
Courgette Moussaka
A summer Bulgarian moussaka in which fried courgette slices take the place of potatoes, layered with minced meat cooked with tomato and baked under the classic set topping of yoghurt and eggs.
Overnight Oats
The no-cook breakfast that makes itself — rolled oats soaked overnight in milk and yoghurt with chia seeds until they soften into a creamy, spoonable pudding, then topped with berries, nuts and honey.
Kuku Sabzi (Persian Herb Frittata)
The green Persian frittata of Nowruz, the spring New Year — eggs binding a mass of chopped herbs with walnuts and barberries, cooked slowly until set and far more herb than egg.
Fish Kyufteta
Bulgarian fish patties of minced white fish, onion, dill and milk-soaked bread, fried until golden and served with a garlicky yoghurt and dill sauce — a good use for hake or any firm, mild fish.
Lamb Rogan Josh
The Kashmiri lamb curry of Persian descent: lamb shoulder braised slowly in yoghurt with whole spices, fennel, ginger and Kashmiri chilli, which gives the sauce its deep red colour without fierce heat.
Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani)
The Delhi original, invented in the 1950s to use up tandoori chicken: yoghurt-marinated chicken charred under the grill, then simmered in a smooth tomato and cashew sauce enriched with plenty of butter and double cream.
Portokalopita
Greek orange cake made with dried, crumbled filo instead of flour — the pastry soaks up a yoghurt and orange-zest batter, bakes into a moist, open crumb and is drowned in orange syrup. Drying the filo first is the whole trick.
Courgette Banitsa
Filo layered with grated courgettes, sirene, eggs and dill and baked until crisp — the summer banitsa Bulgarian cooks make when the courgettes come in faster than they can be eaten.
Whipped Feta Dip
Greek feta whipped with thick yoghurt, lemon and olive oil into a light, salty cream, swirled into a bowl under chilli-warmed honey — the modern mezze dip, done in ten minutes.
Labneh
The Levantine strained-yoghurt cheese — salted yoghurt hung in muslin overnight until thick enough to spread, then finished with olive oil, zaatar and dried mint for breakfast or the mezze table.
Yoghurt Cake
The simplest Bulgarian cake — eggs, sugar, oil and a whole tub of yoghurt foamed up with bicarbonate of soda, which raises a tall, tender, slightly tangy loaf. At home the empty yoghurt pot often serves as the measuring cup.
Tahdig (Persian Crispy Rice)
The treasured golden crust from the bottom of the Persian rice pot — parboiled basmati steamed over a layer of saffron and yoghurt rice in butter and oil until it sets into a crackling disc, turned out whole.
Bosnian Burek (Spiral Meat Pie)
In Bosnia only the meat pie is called burek — thin pastry sheets rolled around minced beef and onion into long tubes, coiled into a round tin and baked crisp, with yoghurt alongside.
Lazy Banitsa
Lazy banitsa skips the filo: a batter of eggs, yoghurt and flour with plenty of crumbled sirene, poured into a tin and baked until puffed — the Bulgarian breakfast pie for mornings with no time to layer sheets.
Homemade Bulgarian Yoghurt
Thick, tangy Bulgarian yoghurt set at home from whole milk and a couple of spoons of live yoghurt, kept warm under a blanket overnight. Save two spoonfuls from every batch to start the next.
Solenki
Solenki are Bulgarian savoury sticks of short butter-and-yoghurt dough with sirene, brushed with egg and scattered with sesame and salt — the crunchy nibble set out with drinks at name days and parties.
Ayran
Ayran is salted yoghurt whisked with cold water until frothy — the Bulgarian summer drink served with banitsa and anything off the grill. Full-fat yoghurt and very cold water give it the creamy head.
Leek Banitsa
A coiled filo banitsa filled with leeks softened in butter, sirene and eggs — the winter variation on the Bulgarian classic, sweeter and softer than the plain cheese version.
Breaded Mushrooms
Whole button mushrooms coated in flour, egg and breadcrumbs and fried until crisp, with a garlic-and-dill yoghurt dip — a staple of Bulgarian tavern menus beside sirene pane and kashkaval pane.
Shish Tawook (Lebanese Chicken Skewers)
Lebanon's grill-house chicken skewers — chicken marinated in yoghurt, lemon, garlic and tomato paste until tender, grilled over high heat and served with toum, pickles and warm flatbread.
Frequently asked questions
How many recipes with yoghurt are on svcs.bg?
76: 67 cooking recipes, 3 salads and 6 sauces.
What is the quickest recipe with yoghurt?
Mango Lassi, in about 5 minutes. Ayran (5 min) and Sugar-Free Chia Pudding (5 min) are quick too.
Are there vegetarian recipes with yoghurt?
Yes, 37 of the 76 are vegetarian, for example Naan, Mango Lassi and Overnight Oats.
What goes with yoghurt in these recipes?
Most often feta (16), rice (13) and lamb (12) (the number of recipes is in brackets).
How is a recipe with yoghurt chosen?
From its ingredient list, not its name: a recipe is here when its ingredients include yoghurt. Stocks, seasonings and lines like "water for the rice" don't count. The list updates itself with every new recipe.