Almond Yogurt Recipe How To Make Vegan Yogurt Swasthi S Recipes

It can be enjoyed in so many ways. Serve it straight away or simply make lassi, chaas or yogurt smoothie. It can also be used in recipes that call for yogurt like raita, korma, curries or kadhi. Most of the times we use it for making raita & curry that don’t require heating yogurt, so the cultures are still alive. Almond yogurt also tastes great in your salads, sandwiches, wraps, burgers and dips. Whether you are a vegan or not, this almond yogurt is a great way to include nuts in your diet. Almonds are believed to be one of the best superfoods for the body and mind as they are nutrient rich. This yogurt is made with soaked almonds so the nutrients are better absorbed by the body. Plus since it is cultured, this homemade almond yogurt is simply the best choice if you are keen to include almonds in your diet in a healthier way. Most vegan yogurt have additives or starch added to them to thicken the yogurt. But this recipe uses nothing of that kind so it is low in carbs. Many years ago I started to make this for my year old boy as he had troubles with homogenized dairy milk. Non homogenized milk was impossible to get in the country where I live. So I switched over to almond milk and almond yogurt. This homemade almond yogurt is something he really loves. Since he is not into vegan diet, I use the regular dairy yogurt as a starter. If you are a vegan you may use any starter of your choice & follow the instructions mentioned on the pack.

About this recipe

This recipe is simple and pretty straight forward. To begin with soak almonds well in fresh water. Blend to a very smooth paste that resembles cream. Then warm it up slightly. Add a starter to make the almond yogurt. So there is no making almond milk or straining the pulp in this recipe. The ground pulp acts as a thickener here. I won’t say it is easy to make this almond yogurt as it requires peeling the almonds. However over the years I have found out few easier ways to peel the almonds which I have shared below. What’s new in my updated recipe? As per my old recipe, I would rinse and soak the almonds. Then peel them before blending. Lately I started to feel blanching is easier than to peel the skins from soaked almonds. So blanch them first and then soak. Alternately, freeze the almonds and then add them to warm water. Rest for 15 to 20 mins. You will see the skins loosen on their own. It is easy to peel them at this stage. But if you leave them too long it won’t work the same way. More almond recipesBadam burfiAlmond milkIndian Badam milkBadam halwa

How to make almond yogurt

Heat 2 cups water in a pot. Add almonds and leave them for a minute or two.
Drain them to a colander and rinse under running water.
Then spread them on a clean cloth. You will see the skins loosen.
You can easily peel them.
Then add these peeled almonds to the pot and cover them with clean water. Soak for 6 hours. do not cover the bowl or pot. If you want cover with a thin cloth so air circulates. These are the almonds after soaking.
Rinse the soaked almonds and then transfer to a grinder. Pour water little by little and begin to grind until you get a smooth paste. Keep adding water as you grind the mixture.
The puree has to be smooth. You won’t get a very smooth consistency like flour mixture though. If it is not smooth you will feel the grits in your yogurt. Transfer this to a steel bowl.
Heat 1 cup water in a small pot. Turn off the heat. Then place the bowl in the water and keep stirring till the mixture becomes warm. Do not let the mixture become hot as this alters the flavor completely. When it is warm, transfer this to a clean glass or ceramic jar. Add your yogurt starter. If using powdered starter, you may dissolve it in 1 tbsp water and pour it here. I used 1 teaspoon regular homemade yogurt here.
Cover this and keep in a warm place for 3 to 8 hours depending on the temperature. When the almond yogurt is ready you will get a faint smell of yogurt. However if it is the first time you are making this then you need to be careful and keep checking after 3 hours. If you leave it too long it will ferment and rise which we don’t want. Serve almond yogurt as is or use it to make lassi, chaas, smoothie, raita or curry.

Tips

Use only clean jars to make the yogurt. I usually rinse them well with vinegar and hot water a day before and dry them completely.If you do not intend to finish the yogurt in 2 days, make it in separate smaller containers to make individual servings. I found this keeps the almond yogurt fresher.Use dechlorinated water to soak and grind the almonds.