Ingredients
Curd
- 3 litressoured milk, or thick yoghurt
- 1 tspsalt, optional
Equipment
- muslin
- flat boards or trays
- netting, to keep flies off
Directions
- Warm the soured milk gently to about 45°C (113°F) without stirring, until the curd separates from the whey.
- Ladle it into a muslin-lined sieve and hang it to drain for a day, then press under a weight for a second day until it is genuinely firm and dry.
- Salt lightly if you want a savoury khuruud; many households leave it plain.
- Press the curd out flat, about 1 cm thick, and cut it into rounds with a cup or a mould. The flat round shape is what distinguishes khuruud from the cut lozenges of aaruul, and it dries more evenly.
- Lay the rounds on boards in a single layer, cover with netting, and dry them in the sun — on the steppe they go on the roof of the ger.
- Turn them daily. Over one to three weeks they shrink, harden and pale. They are ready when rock hard and clicking against each other.
- A round still yielding in the middle will mould in storage, so err on the side of longer.
- Store in a cloth bag somewhere dry. They keep for years. Nibble slowly with milk tea, or soften a round in hot tea.
Technique
- Thin rounds, dried through. This is the whole discipline.
- Turn them daily or the underside stays damp.
- They are meant to be extremely hard, and are sucked rather than chewed.
Substitutions
- Yoghurt in place of soured milk.
- A dehydrator at 50°C (122°F) where the weather will not oblige.
Variations
- Aaruul is the same food cut into strips or lozenges rather than rounds.
- Some households press a pattern into each round with a carved mould.
History
Air-dried on ger roofs through the short summer so that herding families have protein through the long winter.
Frequently asked questions
What is Khuruud?
Khuruud is a cheese & dairy from Mongolia: flat dried curd rounds, hard and tangy; nibbled with milk tea. Air-dried on ger roofs through the short summer so that herding families have protein through the long winter.
How long does Khuruud take to make?
Khuruud takes 40 min plus 2 days draining and 1 to 3 weeks drying of preparation and 30 min of cooking. The recipe makes makes about 500 g. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Khuruud?
Yes, within limits. Yoghurt in place of soured milk. A dehydrator at 50°C (122°F) where the weather will not oblige.
What is the most important thing to get right in Khuruud?
They are meant to be extremely hard, and are sucked rather than chewed.
