Submitted By Yalda Shahram, MD, Asst. Professor, Division of Hospital Medicine, UCSF Health
My Story
Māst is Farsi for yogurt. It is the character on the table spread who is always present and delicious, but never the main attraction. Māst is the side-kick to all the super hero Persian dishes, like Kabāb, like Tahdig Tahcheen, like Sabzee Polo Mahi, Baghali Polo Mahicheh, Fesenjoon, Ghormeh Sabzi, Gheymeh, Aab goosht, and so many others. Persian cuisine is less known than others, due to a multitude of reasons including anti-Iranian politics, but definitely not due to the food itself. So when I was deciding what recipe to share, I wondered about highlighting the use of fresh herbs with a KuKu recipe or Ghormeh Sabzi, or sharing the secrets to the perfect rice and tahdig. Tahdig is the crispy bottom of the rice pot and the favorite dish of many Iranians, including me: https://tinyurl.com/yy3r88q7. Choosing māst over tahdig was my declaration to support the underdog dish, the side kick, the staple to the sofré (Farsi for table spread). Making māst is also a demonstration for the similarities we have across varied regions of the world with very different cuisines, but somehow all acquiring a taste for māst. If the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us anything - borders are invisible and we are all human beings, and health disparities exist because of generations of trauma, dehumanization, exploitation, discrimination and racism by the powers preserving their own self interest. As you are making your māst, imagine yourself instead in a kitchen in Yemen, Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, or the Gaza Strip. Or imagine yourself instead in a kitchen in a different community of the same city you inhabit. "Peace is not the absence of war, it is the presence of justice." So from our kitchen to yours, wherever you may physically and emotionally be, I wish you luck in preparing your māst.
Recipe
This is a homemade yogurt recipe. It can be served plain or fancy, as a side dish compliment to just about anything. Fancy versions include māst with diced Persian cucumbers and dried herbs (Māst-o-khiar) or with steamed spinach and garlic (Borani) or many other variations. Making māst will save you trips to the grocery store, especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic. Māst is an excellent option for babies as well! I’ve had my share of disappointments when the fermentation process fails. Do not lose hope. There is nothing better than the joy of opening the lid of the pot to find you have successfully made māst!
Preparation time: 1 hour cook time plus 12-24 hours fermentation
Ingredients:
2 gallons of organic whole milk
1 pint of plain organic whole milk yogurt with live and active cultures
Steps:
1. In a large non-stick pot bring 2 gallons of milk almost to a boil. You want to see small bubbles forming but not to the point of foaming. Depending on your stove, use medium or medium-high and constantly stir the milk with a wooden spoon. You will notice the height of the milk decrease by about ½ inch if you look at the wall of the pot.
2. Turn off the heat and let the milk sit undisturbed until it is cool enough for you to stick your pinky finger in it without it being scalding hot. Wait at least 10 minutes before attempting to test the temperature. You want the milk very warm but not too hot for the next step.
3. Using your wooden spoon, distribute the yogurt into the pot without stirring. *
4. Close the lid of the pot then wrap the pot in a fleece blanket and place somewhere where it will not be disturbed for 12-24 hours.
5. Remove lid and refrigerate all the wonderful māst you just made.
Tip:
*Spoon the yogurt and drop it into the pot at 6 different locations
Comments