Dessert

Aaruul – Dried Curd Cheese

Name: Aaruul – Dried Curd Cheese
Total time: 480 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 3 l Milk; 100 g Yogurt; 60 g Sugar; 1 pinch Salt; 2 tbsp (optional) Honey

Preparation time: 8 h
Servings: 4

Ingredients

Milk — to buy3 l
Yogurt — to buy100 g
Sugar — to buy60 g
Salt — to buy1 pinch
Honey — to buy2 tbsp (optional)

Preparation

Pour the milk into a large heavy-bottomed pot and bring it to a gentle boil, then let it cool to about 40°C (104°F): the ideal temperature for the culture to take hold without killing the good bacteria.
Stir in the yogurt gently, cover the pot with a cloth, and let it ferment for 24 to 48 hours somewhere warm: the milk will curdle and separate into thick curds (aarts) and whey, the base of every nomadic dairy product.
Pour the mixture into a muslin-lined colander set over a large bowl and let it drain for 3 to 4 hours in a cool spot to collect the whey; save it for cooking other dishes, nothing goes to waste for nomadic herders.
Transfer the drained curds to a large heavy skillet and heat very gently over low heat for 1 hour, stirring constantly: this slow cooking evaporates the remaining moisture and concentrates the milky flavor without scorching the milk's natural sugars.
Stir in the sugar and a pinch of salt if you like your aaruul lightly sweetened (the plain, unsweetened version is just as traditional), then remove from the heat.
Shape the still-warm mixture into small, irregular pieces, either by hand or by pressing it into a wooden mold, to get the rustic look typical of aaruul.
Lay the pieces on a rack or clean cloth in full sun and let them dry for several hours, turning them regularly: this slow drying, inherited from the steppes where summer milk was preserved for winter, gives aaruul its hard texture and long shelf life.
Drizzle with a little honey just before serving if you want to soften the tang of the fermented milk, or eat it plain in small bites, like a candy to be savored slowly.

Dessert

Aaruul – Dried Curd Cheese

Preparation time: 8 h
Servings: 4

Ingredients

Milk — to buy3 l
Yogurt — to buy100 g
Sugar — to buy60 g
Salt — to buy1 pinch
Honey — to buy2 tbsp (optional)

Preparation

Pour the milk into a large heavy-bottomed pot and bring it to a gentle boil, then let it cool to about 40°C (104°F): the ideal temperature for the culture to take hold without killing the good bacteria.
Stir in the yogurt gently, cover the pot with a cloth, and let it ferment for 24 to 48 hours somewhere warm: the milk will curdle and separate into thick curds (aarts) and whey, the base of every nomadic dairy product.
Pour the mixture into a muslin-lined colander set over a large bowl and let it drain for 3 to 4 hours in a cool spot to collect the whey; save it for cooking other dishes, nothing goes to waste for nomadic herders.
Transfer the drained curds to a large heavy skillet and heat very gently over low heat for 1 hour, stirring constantly: this slow cooking evaporates the remaining moisture and concentrates the milky flavor without scorching the milk's natural sugars.
Stir in the sugar and a pinch of salt if you like your aaruul lightly sweetened (the plain, unsweetened version is just as traditional), then remove from the heat.
Shape the still-warm mixture into small, irregular pieces, either by hand or by pressing it into a wooden mold, to get the rustic look typical of aaruul.
Lay the pieces on a rack or clean cloth in full sun and let them dry for several hours, turning them regularly: this slow drying, inherited from the steppes where summer milk was preserved for winter, gives aaruul its hard texture and long shelf life.
Drizzle with a little honey just before serving if you want to soften the tang of the fermented milk, or eat it plain in small bites, like a candy to be savored slowly.