Ayran - Turkish Yogurt Drink Recipe

What is Ayran?

Ayran drink is refreshing salty Turkish drink traditionally made with only 3 ingredients: Yogurt, salt, and ice-cold water. The combination creates a flavor similar to buttermilk or kefir, with a pleasantly tangy taste.

While it is a simple recipe, this cold beverage provides relief from the heat during the summer and replaces essential sodium after sweating. It's also delightfully refreshing to serve with spicy meals all year long to help cut the heat!

The drink is loved throughout the Middle East (where it is also known as laban) and Mediterranean regions, but people enjoy ayran around the world. Sometimes it's made with a few ingredient changes, like adding dried mint (like I do in my ayran recipe here) or swapping still water for carbonated sparkling water. Additionally, the name of the beverage is different depending on where you are... The names ayran and laban are Arabic; here are a few other popular names for the drink:

• Persian - Doogh
• Greek - Ariani
• Dhallë - Albania
• Pakistan - Namkeen lassi
• India - Lassi (a name used for both salty and sweet versions)

Why I love this Ayran drink?

Along with being delicious and refreshing, this beverage could not be easier to make in 2 minutes. I simply whisk together the ingredients, and done! A glass of ayran is the perfect quick and easy drink we love to enjoy with a simple simit bread (a popular Turkish sesame bread) as an anytime snack.

I always plan to make a batch of this Turkish yogurt drink whenever we have something spicy planned for dinner! I genuinely feel, ayran is one of the best drink to sip on as it is great to quench your thirst, it's nourishing, hydrating and healthy option when you want to cut back on sugar loaded beverages.

The milky creaminess of the drink goes great with spicy Middle Eastern meat dishes like kababs, shawarma, moussaka. It lightly coats your tongue so you get plenty of bold flavor from the food, but with the spiciness cut back a bit.

Whether you choose a frothy yogurt drink made with whole milk plain or Greek yogurt, there are a few ways to change up the recipe with extra add-ins and swaps. Keep reading for some of my favorite ways to customize your salty yogurt drink recipe!

*For more easy drink recipes, be sure to also try these recipes:

• Almond Rose Lassi
• Mango Lassi
• Banana Breakfast Smoothie
• Badam Milk
• Mixed Berry Smoothie

Ingredients you'll need

Yogurt: Use plain unsweetened whole milk yogurt for the best rich texture and taste.

Water: It needs to be ice-cold to make the Turkish drink super refreshing.

Salt: Start with a small amount and adjust to taste.

Mint: This is optional, but I recommend whisking dried crushed mint leaves into the beverage AND serving with fresh mint leaves. The bright, fresh flavor of mint is delicious with the cold blended yogurt!

Ice Cubes: Serve ayran over ice for the tastiest chilled drink.

How to make ayran drink?

1. To begin with, place 1 cup whole milk plain yogurt in a deep bowl or wide mouth pitcher (jug).

2. Whisk the yogurt until smooth until there are no lumps.

3. Now add water, salt, dried mint (if using) and whisk until well combined and frothy. Taste and adjust the salt , if desired. Refrigerate ayran until ready to serve.

Expert Tips

• Use full fat yogurt for the best flavor. Low fat yogurt is less creamy, and may be a bit too tangy.
• Don't whisk in the water all at once. Instead, add water a little at a time and whisk to get the right consistency.
• This recipe is easy to customize! Make the drink thinner or thicker by adding more water or yogurt. Use more or less salt to get the perfect consistency and taste you want.
• If the ayran is a tad too salty you can whisk in a bit more yogurt and/or ice water.
• Make a more frothy ayran drink by combining the ingredients in a blender.
• You can use Greek Yogurt for a tangier tasting ayran! Start with the original amount of water, but you may need to add more water as greek yogurt is thicker.
• If it is too thin, add a bit more yogurt and whisk again. If it is too thick, whisk in more water little by litte.

Optional Add-ins & Substitutions

Fresh Herbs: I recommend sticking to dry herbs for the drink itself. But you can top the aryan drink with any fresh herbs you like! Mint, basil or thyme add bright, earthy flavor to the creamy ayran.

Cucumber: Use a blender to combine shredded cucumber with yogurt, water, and salt. It makes the drink even more fresh and rejuvinating.

Dried Rose Petals: A little goes a long way, so just give a nice sprinkle of the petals on top of the beverage. They have a floral, perfume-y flavor that is sophisticated, but not overwhelming.

Kefir: This fermented grain is great for gut-health, as it includes cultured bacteria and yeast that act as probiotics. Feel free to add the grains to the beverage as you whisk everything together.

Yogurt: You can make this recipe with your choice of plain unsweetened yogurt or plain Greek yogurt. As noted above, for the best taste I do recommend using full fat yogurt.

Water: Here I'm using regular "still" water, as I prefer the smoothness of the drink. However, you can swap with carbonated water for a fun bubbly drink! Keep in mind that club soda and tonic water have sodium added and ayran already has plenty of salt. So I suggest using seltzer if you want a drink with bubbles.

Serving Suggestion

The salty cold drink is delicious on warm days! Enjoy a glass with similarly refreshing dishes like cucumber mint sandwiches, watermelon feta salad, or kale mango salad.

It's delightful for an afternoon pick-me-up, either by itself or alongside a light snack. Try my creamy cool homemade tzatziki sauce with pita chips, fruit salad, or pair with something sweet!

And you definitely want to serve chilled ayran with spicy dishes! Pair glasses with spicy pulao, crispy spicy fried chicken, and whenever these spicy masala baby potatoes are being served as a side dish.

Storage

I like my drink freshly made and frothy.

However, it does keep well and is still very refreshing when served over ice later. Store the yogurt drink in a container with a lid and store in the fridge for up to a week.

If you made and loved this recipe, please be sure to rate and review it below! I always love hearing from my readers and take your suggestions into account.

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