Doogh is a cool, salty yoghurt drink, thinned with cold water and seasoned with mint, often with chopped cucumber stirred through. Unlike sweet lassi it is savoury, and in Afghanistan it is above all a summer drink, served at lunchtime with rice or meat dishes, or after a meal on a hot day. In Pashto it is known as shlombay.
An old Persian word
Doogh is shared by Afghanistan, Iran and neighbouring lands. Its name is linked to the Persian verb dooshidan, to milk; a related word appears in the ancient Avestan scriptures, and doogh is found in Persian writing from the medieval period onward. The physician Avicenna used the word in his Canon of Medicine. Today it is generally made by diluting yoghurt with water, and in Iran it traditionally accompanies kebab and rice.
Customs and variations
Afghan households have their own etiquette around the drink. Humaira Ghilzai notes that it is not served with dishes already rich in yoghurt, such as ashak, aush or lawang, and that its reputation for making people drowsy often ends in an afternoon nap; popular belief in Iran likewise credits it with a calming effect. Recipes vary: some cooks use dried mint, others fresh leaves; cucumber is common but optional; and the drink is always served very cold, often over ice.
Ingredients
- 750 g (3 cups) full-fat plain yoghurt
- About 600 ml cold water
- 1½ tsp salt, or to taste
- 2 small cucumbers, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 tsp dried mint, or 1 tbsp chopped fresh mint
- Ice cubes
A home-style way to make it
- Whisk the yoghurt in a large jug until smooth.
- Gradually whisk in the cold water, then the salt.
- Stir in the cucumber and mint, and taste for salt.
- Chill well, or pour straight over ice.
- Stir before pouring so that every glass gets some cucumber, and serve with lunch.
