Ingredients
Curd
- 2 litresthick plain yoghurt, or soured milk
- 2 tbspfine salt
Equipment
- muslin
- flat trays or a rack
- netting, to keep flies off
Directions
- Stir the salt through the yoghurt. Kurut is properly salty — it is a preserve, not a snack that happens to be salted.
- Line a sieve with a double layer of muslin, tip in the yoghurt, tie the corners and hang it over a bowl somewhere cool for 24 to 48 hours.
- Drain until the curd is very firm — firm enough to hold a shape with no slumping at all. This is much drier than labneh, and any softness left now is moisture that will spoil the balls later.
- Roll into balls the size of a walnut with wet hands, pressing them firm so there are no air pockets inside.
- Lay them on trays in a single layer, cover with netting, and dry in the sun or a warm airy place.
- Turn them daily. Over five to ten days they shrink and harden and go from white to pale cream. They are ready when they are rock hard and click against each other.
- A ball still yielding in the middle will mould in storage, so err on the side of longer.
- Store in a cloth bag or a jar somewhere dry. They keep for years. Suck them slowly, or dissolve one in hot water or soup.
Technique
- Dry them until they are genuinely hard. This decides whether the batch survives.
- Salt properly. Under-salted kurut does not keep.
- They dissolve in hot liquid, which is how herders actually use them.
Substitutions
- Sheep’s or goat’s yoghurt, both traditional and both drying harder.
- A dehydrator at 50°C (122°F) where the weather will not oblige.
Variations
- Kazakh kurt, Mongolian aaruul and Uzbek qurt are the same food.
- Some makers add chilli or crushed herbs before drying.
History
Dried salted curd balls that keep for years; herders dissolve them in soup or suck them while travelling.
Frequently asked questions
What is Kurut?
Kurut is a cheese & dairy from Kyrgyzstan: dried sour yoghurt balls, portable shepherd food. Dried salted curd balls that keep for years; herders dissolve them in soup or suck them while travelling.
How long does Kurut take to make?
Kurut takes 30 min plus 2 days draining and 5 to 10 days drying of preparation and no cooking at all. The recipe makes makes about 400 g. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Kurut?
Yes, within limits. Sheep’s or goat’s yoghurt, both traditional and both drying harder. A dehydrator at 50°C (122°F) where the weather will not oblige.
