Home-made Yogurt with Mango

Mango season is here once again. These are from Ben's garden, probably the last because they moved and sold the house along with the mango tree (that got to be one of the hardest thing to part with). As these mangoes are super sweet, I love to eat it with yogurt. 

For this yogurt I used a low-fat milk powder but you can use any fresh, UHT or even soy milk (I've never tried it, a friend did and it worked fine but with a soy milk taste of course). The yogourtmet is used as a starter for the yogurt. If unavailable, substitute with a tablespoon of any unadulterated fresh yogurt. 

If possible, get it from an Indian restaurant that serves yogurt, as most of those sold in supermarkets are processed with sugar, preservatives and thickening agents.

Prepare the milk powder as per instruction on the package. 

Here I used 3 cups of water with 1 cup milk powder. 

With milk powder, the thicker (more fat content) the milk solution the thicker consistency yogurt will turn out. 

The milk should be warm and not hot to the touch (about the same temp as the milk for feeding babies).

Stir in the starter.

Pour into sterilized glass containers. 

Keep them covered but not airtight.

Place them on a baking tray with about 1/2 inch of water.

Preheat oven to slightly below 50C. 

Switch off the oven and put the tray in.

Leave for 3-6 hours. 

By 3 hours the milk should be firming up and set like custard. 

The longer it is left in the oven the more acidic (sour) it gets.

So, if you don't like the yogurt too sour put it into the fridge as soon as it set.

If the milk do not set by 6 hours it means the bacteria (culture) in the starter is dead and no yogurt is produced. Get another new batch of starter and start all over again. 

Keep a tablespoon of the newly formed yogurt aside in a small clean container in the fridge as starter for the next round of yogurt making (it should be used within a month). I was told some Indian restaurants have yogurt starter that originated more than 40 years ago! 

Great for cooking curry dishes (lighter than coconut milk and love the tangy taste it gives to the dish), as salad dressing and cooling drinks (just mix 2-3 tablespoon of yogurt + a teaspoon of honey + 1/2 a glass of drinking water with a handful of ice-cubes... so refreshing).

For breakfast or dessert, serve it with any fresh or dried fruits, add some nuts or muesli for crunch and honey for sweetness. Prefect for these hot and humid weather we are experiencing now.

Jo