Ingredients
- 600 gthick natural yoghurt, well chilled
- 400 mlice-cold water
- ½ tspsalt, or to taste
- ice cubes
- a few sprigs of mint (optional)
- a pinch of dried mint (optional)
Directions
- Whisk the yoghurt in a jug until completely smooth before any water goes in. Lumps whisked into a thin liquid stay lumps.
- Add the cold water a little at a time, whisking, until it pours like single cream. How much you need depends entirely on the yoghurt — a thick strained one may take more than the 400 ml.
- Season with salt and taste. It should be clearly salty, not faintly so: the job of laban at a Bahraini table is to cut the fat and spice of machboos, and an under-salted one tastes like nothing.
- Chill until very cold, or pour over ice. Serve with mint if you like, fresh or rubbed dried between the fingers over the top.
Technique
- Cold matters more than any ingredient. Laban served at room temperature is unpleasant; it wants to be almost too cold to taste properly at the first sip.
- Whisk rather than blend. A blender aerates it into something frothy and closer to a lassi, which is a different drink.
Substitutions
- Full-fat yoghurt gives the best texture; low-fat needs less water and still tastes thin.
- Kefir or ayran can be seasoned and chilled the same way and needs no thinning.
Variations
- Turkish ayran and Iranian doogh are the same drink; doogh is often carbonated and carries dried mint as standard.
- Some Gulf households add a crushed clove of garlic or a squeeze of lime, though the plain salted version is what appears beside rice.
History
Poured at nearly every Bahraini meal, valued for cutting the fat and heat of rice dishes.
Frequently asked questions
What is Laban?
Laban is a drink from Bahrain: salted drinking yoghurt served ice cold with machboos and grilled fish. Poured at nearly every Bahraini meal, valued for cutting the fat and heat of rice dishes.
How long does Laban take to make?
Laban takes 5 min of preparation and none of cooking. The recipe makes serves 4. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Laban?
Yes, within limits. Full-fat yoghurt gives the best texture; low-fat needs less water and still tastes thin. Kefir or ayran can be seasoned and chilled the same way and needs no thinning.
What is the most important thing to get right in Laban?
Whisk rather than blend. A blender aerates it into something frothy and closer to a lassi, which is a different drink.
