Still Doogh

About this preparation

Doogh is Iran’s yogurt drink: tangy, lightly salted, scented with dried mint and served ice-cold alongside kebab. It is one of the oldest drinks of the region. The nomads of the Zagros, the Bakhtiari, Lur and Qashqai, have lived on yogurt and doogh for generations, churning it in goatskin bags and flavoring it with wild mountain herbs such as pooneh (wild mint) and kakuti.

Shop-bought doogh is often fizzy. Cocktails need still doogh, because carbonated liquids must never be shaken. Making it at home takes five minutes and lets you control the salt.

How to make it

1. Whisk the yogurt until smooth.
2. Gradually whisk in the cold water until fully combined (or blend for 10 seconds).
3. Add the salt and crumble in the dried mint, rubbing it between your palms.
4. Chill well before using. Stir before measuring, as it can separate.

Yield and storage

• Makes about 500 ml.
• Refrigerate and use within 2 days (provisional).

Tips and troubleshooting

• Too salty for cocktails: halve the salt; the drink’s other ingredients add savoriness too.
• Too thick: add more water; it should pour like milk.
• Separates: normal. Stir or shake the jug before use.
• Store-bought: choose a still (non-carbonated) doogh, or let a fizzy one go flat completely before using.

Different concepts of this preparation

1. Still doogh with dried mint

The recipe above. The house standard.

2. Mountain doogh — Zagros

Use dried pooneh and a pinch of dried kakuti. The wild-herb doogh of the nomads.

3. Cucumber doogh

Blend in 50 g peeled Persian cucumber. Greener and more refreshing.

4. Sparkling doogh (not for shaking)

Top still doogh with soda water in the glass for an Abali-style fizzy doogh. Only for building, never for the shaker.

Allergen note

Contains milk.

Development notes

• Status: draft, not yet taste-tested.
• Test a half-size Zagros Meadow first; record yogurt brand and salt level.