Making Qare Qoroot with Yogurt (Method 1)
Servings: 5 people (Kashk+Ghareh)
Ingredients
- 2 kg Traditional Yogurt
- 1 tsp Salt
- 2 liters Water (10 cups)
Instructions
- If your yogurt is sweet, let it sit at room temperature or in the fridge for a day to sour. The sourer it gets, the better your Qareh Qoroot will be. Don’t worry if it starts to bubble; that’s a good sign.
- Pour the yogurt into a pot and stir until smooth.
- Add water and stir well until fully mixed.
- Place the yogurt-water mixture over medium heat and bring it to a boil. Once it boils (this can take about 15-30 minutes), let it continue to cook for 15 minutes until it curdles.
- Do not stir it during this step, as stirring will prevent it from curdling. You’ll see the yogurt gradually separating from the edges of the pot.
- Turn off the heat and let it cool slightly.
- Place a strainer over a pot, put a clean cloth or bag over the strainer, and pour in the curdled yogurt mixture.
- Gather the cloth and tie it. Let it drain for 8-12 hours.
- You’ll find soft kashk inside the cloth, which you can taste and add salt if needed.
- Shape the kashk into small balls, place them in a basket, and let them air-dry for at least a day in the sun.
- Qareh-Making Step: Take the remaining water left in the pot and cook it on heat, gradually evaporating the water until the color turns cream to brown, which takes 20-30 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking or burning.
- Once it reaches your desired thickness, turn off the heat. I like it a bit thinner to avoid bitterness from overcooking. Once cooled, store in an airtight container in the fridge.
Notes
This Qare won’t be very dark; it’s more of a creamy color.
Important note: In step 3, don’t stir the yogurt and water. The yogurt needs to curdle, and stirring will make it smooth and prevent curdling.