What to use instead of yogurt
It depends entirely on what it's doing in the dish. Here's the job, what else does it, and what to skip.
Advertisement
Acid in a marinade
Its lactic acid is mild and buffered by the milk protein, so it can sit on chicken for eight hours without turning the surface chalky, and the protein clings and shields the meat under a grill.
ButtermilkRan out
1:1
Same tang, far thinner, so it runs off. Marinate in a bag rather than a bowl.
KefirRan out
1:1
Thinner and sourer, and it works faster, so cut the marinating time by about a third.
Sour creamRan out
1:1
Much more fat, so it browns and then burns faster under a grill or in a tandoor-hot oven. Wipe most of it off before cooking.
Coconut yogurtPlant-based
1:1
Far less protein, so much less clings to the meat and it slides off in the oven. Slightly sweet, and it tenderises less.
What doesn't work: Lemon juice for the same number of hours. It is far more acidic with no protein to buffer it, so after two hours the outside of the chicken has gone chalky and dry while the inside is untouched.
Creamy tang stirred into a sauce or spooned alongside
Fat and acid together cut heat and richness, and the protein gives it enough body to sit on the plate instead of running.
Sour creamRan out
1:1
Richer and less sour, and it holds its shape better on a hot plate.
Creme fraicheRan out
1:1
Far more stable in heat, so it can go into a simmering sauce without splitting. Richer and rounder.
Labneh thinned with waterRan out
1/2 cup labneh + 2 tbsp water per 3/4 cup yogurt
Thicker and saltier with a more concentrated tang. It needs no draining.
Coconut yogurt with lemonPlant-based
1:1, plus 1 tsp lemon juice per 1/2 cup
Sweeter and thinner, and the coconut is audible under mild food and invisible under curry spice.
What doesn't work: Low-fat yogurt stirred straight into a simmering curry. With little fat protecting the casein it clumps the moment the pan passes about 85C. Temper it with a ladle of hot sauce first, or stir 1 tsp cornstarch into each cup.
Acid and moisture in a batter or dough
It hydrates the flour, its acid reacts with baking soda for lift, and its fat keeps the crumb soft the next day.
ButtermilkRan out
1 cup per 1 cup yogurt, and cut the other liquid by 1/4 cup
Thinner, so the batter slackens and spreads more. Same acidity and the same lift.
Sour creamRan out
1:1
Richer and heavier, so the crumb is denser and moister and keeps longer.
Soured milkRan out
1 cup milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice, stand 10 min, plus 2 tbsp extra flour, per 1 cup yogurt
Same acidity with none of the body, which is what the extra flour is for. Slightly less tender.
Plant yogurtPlant-based
1:1
Less protein, so the crumb is a little weaker and browns paler. Check it is unsweetened.
What doesn't work: Greek yogurt where the recipe says plain. It has been strained of roughly half its water, so the dough comes out stiff and naan will not stretch. Thin it with 2 tbsp water per 1/2 cup first.