How to Make Moroccan Yogurt-Like ‘Rayeb’ From Scratch

Rabat – Believe it or not, the weather controls our appetite signals. With high temperatures outside, Ramadan upon us, and a lockdown in place, Moroccans now tend to spend more time in the kitchen than usual.

Let us be honest: Food is one of our primary concerns during Ramadan–in addition to, of course, religious rituals for the holy month.

Fifteen or sixteen hours of fasting is long enough to allow families quite a bit of time to think of different meals to balance their menus throughout the month, and to plan on responding to those heated appetite signals.

While the summer awaits around the corner, the month of May is already marking some very high temperatures. Cooked food is of course necessary, but desserts should definitely be part of your respite after an exhausting, hot day.

I will share the recipe for one of the beyond-perfect desserts that my mother used to buy for me along with a piece of “harcha” (semolina pan-fried flatbread) from the “mahlaba,” or dairy shop, after a traditional hammam day. As a kid, offering treats was the only way to convince me to join in for a trip to the bathhouse.

Today’s recipe is for Moroccan “rayeb,” or traditional home-made yogurt.

If interested in Moroccan harcha, you will need to hold your breath for a forthcoming recipe. In the meantime, you can try out this simple recipe for a healthy and delicious treat.

You will need several low-cost ingredients to prepare and enjoy a cool Moroccan homemade yogurt during iftar or suhoor.

Ingredients:

– 1 liter of milk

– 1 serving of vanilla yogurt

– 1 packet of vanilla powder

– 2 heaping spoonfuls of powdered milk

– 4 tablespoons of granulated sugar

Cooking steps:

It is very easy to transform these ingredients into your own traditional yogurt similar to that sold at Moroccan mahlabas.

You will have to start preparations in the morning to achieve a perfect consistency and texture.

First, use a mixer to combine the vanilla yogurt and the vanilla powder together in a mixture, along with the sugar and one cup (one-fourth of a liter) of milk.

When the ingredients are thoroughly combined, set them aside and grab a pot. Pour the remaining milk into the pot and add the dried milk powder before putting it on the stove over medium heat.

When the milk starts boiling, remove it from the stove and allow it to cool for a few minutes before adding the other ingredients you already mixed together–your milk, sugar, and vanilla combination–to the pot.

When all ingredients are together, make sure you have some plastic cups or small bowls ready so you can pour the mixture.

After pouring all of the liquid in the plastic cups or bowls, you will need to put them in a place with a high temperature for six or even 12 hours. You can also use a clean cover on the top to maintain the heat.

When the texture gets to be more like yogurt, you can put your dishes in a refrigerator for approximately 30 minutes. Then you can serve a cool and tasty Moroccan rayeb as a dessert or to break your fast, instead of drinking milk.