Coconut + Vanilla Bean Drinking Yoghurt

Better late than never, huh? Well, here's a quick recipe I can't live without as a sugar free vegan. It's kefir, a Turkish style drinking yoghurt, made with coconut milk, coconut cream and vanilla bean paste. It's got that creamy, yoghurty taste you'll be missing. It's also smooth and drinkable and full of great live cultures that are amazing for your digestive system. It's so easy, it's just the fermentation time (about 36 hours) that requires planning, and the first time you sit down to watch a DVD with a fermenting jar of kefir next to you, you might feel weird. But it's worth it. Better still, try using it to make your own lassis... yum!

Coconut & Vanilla Bean Drinking Yoghurt

500ml coconut juice or milk (Dr. Antonio Martin's Coco Milk is the best!)

500mls coconut cream

7.5g (1 sachet) of yoghurt pro-biotic (ask for Nature's Goodness Kefir Turkish Yoghurt Pro-biotic)

1/2 vanilla bean pod

Method

Combine coconut milk and cream in a tall jug or bottle with a lid. Shake well. Stir contents of the kefir sachet into the coconut milk/cream mixture. Rest for 24-36 hours at approximately 20oC or until kefir starts to settle, then place in fridge for 6 hours.

Scrape the vanilla bean paste from inside the pod, into the kefir and shake vigorously. Return to the fridge for another 6 hours. The kefir is ready to drink when it has a smooth consistency, similar to thin yoghurt.

You can transfer the drinking yoghurt to smaller containers and refrigerate until the cream at the top sets – you can eat this part with a spoon, like thick yoghurt. Or, to make lassis, simply blend kefir with your favorite low-fructose fruit (papaya or berries are good) and some ice. So good!