Recipe: How to Use Yogurt in Cooking

Cooking with Yogurt
Source: Cooking With Yogurt: The Complete Cookbook for Indulging With the World's Healthiest Food
by Judith Choate

There arc certain simple rules to follow when cooking with yogurt.
Following them should ensure a nutritious and appetizing result.

1. The fresher the yogurt the better the result.

2. Never add cold yogurt to a hot mixture as it will separate into curds and whey. To prevent separation. before whisking into a hot (but not boiling) mixture, either bring yogurt to room temperature or mix yogurt with cornstarch (1/3 cup yogurt blended with 1 teaspoon cornstarch which has been dissolved in 1 tablespoon cold water).

3. Never boil a mixture to which yogurt has been added as the high heat will cause separation and kill the beneficial bacteria in the yogurt.

4. The more incense the heat, the less intense the healthy bacteria count. For example, baking kills all bacteria. Therefore, when possible, it is best to add the yogurt near the end of the cooking process.

5. Yogurt incorporates best when gently folded or whisked into mixtures.

6. If, after the addition of yogurt, your mixture is too thin. allow t to chill for at least an hour and it will, generally, thicken.

7. Whole milk, Iow-fat, and nonfat yogurt can be used interchangeably but the consistency and/or texture will vary, with whole milk being the thickest and most moist.