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Suzme is a tangy, creamy cheese made by straining the water out of plain yoghurt. The name suzme comes from the verb süzmək, meaning to filter.
For shuyudlu suzme (şüyüdlü süzmə), the yoghurt cheese is mixed with dill and garlic. Shuyudlu suzme is usually served as one of several appetisers, alongside herbs, tomatoes and cucumbers and white cheese.
Preparation time: 2.5 hours
Cooking time: 0
Serves: 3-4
Ingredients
- 800 g/2 lb of full-fat plain yoghurt
- 1 tspn of salt
- bunch of dill
- 4-5 cloves of garlic
Preparation
- Add a teaspoon of salt to the yoghurt and mix in. This will help to filter out the water.
- Place a double layer of cheesecloth or muslin over a sieve. Put the yoghurt in the centre of the cloth and gently pull up the edges, tying them at the top to make a ball.
- Hang the ball of yoghurt over a bowl in the fridge or a cool place.
- After a few hours, gently squeeze the ball of yoghurt/suzme to expel excess water.
- Don’t leave the yoghurt ball for too long (e.g. overnight), or the suzme will be drier and more like a cheese than is required for this dish.
- Take the suzme and place in a bowl. Add the finely chopped dill, crushed garlic and salt to taste and mix well.
- Leave the suzme for an hour or two in the fridge for the flavours to mingle.
- Serve with fresh bread, herbs and white cheese.
