Tsagaan Idee Platter
The Quirky Foodster Team
Ingredients
- Fresh milk — 2 cups (480 ml / 16 fl oz)
- Plain yoghurt — 2 cups (480 g / 17 oz)
- Dried curds (aaruul), store-bought or homemade — 1 cup
- Clotted cream (öröm), skimmed from boiled milk — 1/2 cup
- Sugar — 2 tbsp (optional, for serving with cream)
Method
- If making clotted cream at home, gently simmer the milk in a saucepan without boiling hard, then let it cool slowly, undisturbed, until a thick layer of cream forms on top; skim this off carefully.
- Arrange the yoghurt, dried curds and clotted cream attractively on a serving platter.
- Offer a small dish of sugar alongside for sweetening the cream or yoghurt to taste.
- Serve at room temperature, traditionally as the first course offered to guests.
Introduction: An assorted platter of Mongolia’s traditional white dairy foods — including dried curds, clotted cream and yoghurt — reflecting the deep importance of dairy in the herding diet.
Cultural Background: ‘Tsagaan idee’ (white foods) refers to the range of dairy products central to Mongolian nomadic life, traditionally offered first at any meal or celebration as a mark of purity and hospitality, made from the milk of cows, sheep, goats, yaks or horses.
Tips: If clotted cream isn’t available, a good-quality thick cream or crème fraîche can approximate the richness. Serve dried curds (aaruul) as a chewy accompaniment rather than a soft component — their firm texture is characteristic.
Variations: Add a small bowl of fresh butter to the platter for a fuller traditional spread. Offer airag (fermented mare’s milk) alongside, where available, for the most complete presentation.
Storage: Store components separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator; yoghurt and cream keep for up to 5 days, dried curds for several weeks.
Reheating: This is a cold platter and is not reheated.
Nutrition: Per serving (approx.): 260 kcal, 10 g protein, 16 g fat, 18 g carbohydrate.
FAQs:
Q: What is aaruul?
A: Dried curds made from strained soured milk, pressed and dried until firm and
Q: Why are dairy foods offered first at Mongolian meals?
A: White dairy foods symbolise purity and
- Fresh milk — 2 cups (480 ml / 16 fl oz)
- Plain yoghurt — 2 cups (480 g / 17 oz)
- Dried curds (aaruul), store-bought or homemade — 1 cup
- Clotted cream (öröm), skimmed from boiled milk — 1/2 cup
- Sugar — 2 tbsp (optional, for serving with cream)
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