Homemade Yoghurt from goats milk and chickpeas.

Both of our nannies are in milk now and we’re averaging 2.5 litres per day. So, in addition to the million other things I’m working on, I decided to try and make my own yoghurt. 

Most often when you make yoghurt at home you purchase the starter culture (the bacteria) online or from a health food store and mix that into your milk product. That would be too easy for me, it’s not like I’m busy or anything, so I’ve decided to try and make my own “Turkish” yoghurt from scratch based on something I heard. Simple! 

One of my inspirations for this DIY yoghurt method comes from a YouTuber called Peer Jan Rind. He is a tribesman from rural Pakistan who makes short videos about his life and how he does things. My favourite video of him is this one where he hikes up into the hills and demonstrates how to make “desi yoghurt”. What a cool guy! 

Here’s how I made my “Turkish” chickpea yoghurt.

Ingredients

1 litre of raw goats milk.

6 dried chickpeas.

Instructions.

1. Simmer milk gently. If you have a thermometer you should aim for around 165°f.
2. Pour milk into thick (for warmth) ceramic storage container.
3. Add six dried chickpeas.
4. Put on a non-airtight lid and store in a warm place for 24hours. 

This yoghurt can be eaten straight away or used as a starter culture to make more yoghurt. 

Here’s some of the yoghurt I made from the first batch. The rest of which I saved to see how it works as a starter culture. 

As a starter culture, I did exactly the same process as before but replaced the chickpeas with the yoghurt I already made. The result was not as thick but it’s definitely yoghurt and the taste is tangy and refreshing. 

I’ll keep this in the fridge for eating and I’ll use it to make yoghurt next time we need some. I’ll let you know how it goes!