Vietnamese Yogurt (Da Ua) Instant Pot Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is making yogurt in the Instant Pot worth it? ›

It's so much easier than I expected! It's also much cheaper, and in my opinion, more delicious than any store bought yogurt you can get. Making this Easy Instant Pot Yogurt has quickly become one of my favourite weekly rituals.

“Cook” on the yogurt setting for 6 to 10 hours.

Lock the lid in place but leave the pressure valve open again. Hit the yogurt button once more until it reads 8:00, then press start. This will begin a count up clock on the incubation period. After about 3 hours the yogurt will begin to thicken.

INGREDIENTS FOR SỮA CHUA

The ratio of condensed milk to regular milk is 1:3. To save money or reduce dairy consumption, some people will also use water instead of milk. If you use water, change the the ratio to 1:2.5 to prevent the yogurt from being too runny.

Instant Pot Yogurt Troubleshooting:

Usually, yogurt doesn't set if the temperatures are off. A well-functioning thermometer will be your best friend when making homemade yogurt. It's critical to get the milk to 180 F. and let it cool to 100-115 F.

Plain yogurt

Whether homemade or from the store, yogurt itself makes a great yogurt starter. If you're using store-bought yogurt, check the label to make sure it contains live, active cultures—and doesn't have any additives like sweeteners, flavours or thickeners.

Make your own. Even the more expensive brands are usually cost-effective when compared to the price of a tub of store-bought yogurt.

Check the yogurt after 5 to 6 hours. If you are incubating overnight, stop the process as soon as you get up in the morning. Yogurt is ready when it is thick and firm, with a custard-like appearance that separates from the edge of the container. If longer incubation is needed, check every 30 minutes.

Pasteurized milk is an excellent choice for making yogurt at home. HTST (High-Temperature Short Time) or Flash Pasteurized milk is heated to 161ºF and held there for 15 seconds. If your bottle of milk is labeled “pasteurized,” it has most likely been treated in this way.

Yogurt was first introduced to Vietnam in the 1800s when it was colonized by the French. Because of the lack of fresh dairy in Vietnam at the time, the Vietnamese swapped fresh milk for cans of shelf-stable sweetened condensed milk. This gave their yogurt a sweeter, more caramelized taste.

Incubated at 115°F/46°C, yogurt will coagulate within about three hours, but if left too long it can easily curdle. I prefer to ferment it a bit more slowly at a slightly lower temperature, four to eight hours at a more forgiving 110°F/43°C.

How do you thicken homemade yogurt after it's made? ›

The Takeaway. If your yogurt doesn't set up properly the first time, try treating the failed “yogurt” like milk, and starting over. (Reheat it, add new starter, and incubate again.) The texture may suffer some, but it can save you having to throw the whole thing away.

The temperature is too low. If the temp is below 68 degrees Fahrenheit, the cultures will not ferment properly and the milk will stay runny. The temperature is too high. If the temperature is above 80 degrees Fahrenheit, the yogurt will ferment too fast and will also render the yogurt runny.

Making your own yogurt guarantees you more control over the ingredients you use, including the base of your choice and amount of sugar. It can be easily adjusted to your diet preference by leaving out sugar completely or using a vegan base (i.e. soy milk).

Heating yogurt to higher than 120 degrees will destroy the beneficial bacteria, although the major nutrients (protein and calcium) will be left untouched. To keep the cultures intact, stir the yogurt into a hot mixture toward the end of the cooking time, and again, just heat it until it is warmed through.

The nutritional benefits of yogurt used in cooking will be similar to when it's eaten raw, although some vitamins may be destroyed by heating.