Turkish · drink

Foamy Turkish Ayran (Salted Yoghurt Drink)

Foamy Turkish Ayran (Salted Yoghurt Drink) — from Refika's Kitchen's cooking video Watch how it’s made · 9:36

Video by Refika's Kitchen on YouTube · Open on YouTube

5 minMakes 3 × 1 glass (190 ml)38 kcal a portion
  • Carnivore
  • Low carb (3.2 g net carbs) but not keto: 44% of the energy is from fat, and keto meals get about 60% or more
  • Vegetarian
  • Gluten-free ingredients
  • Nut-free

Contains: Milk. Check labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes.

A light, refreshing yoghurt drink with no added sugar, at only about 40 kcal a glass. The basic ayran is just yoghurt, water and salt; the milk makes it creamier.

Printable PDFA4

The printable card is ink-friendly, fits on one page and has a QR code back to this recipe.

Ingredients 6

Method

Tap a time to watch that step in the video.

  1. Whip 8 tbsp full-fat yoghurt in a blender (or with a whisk) until smooth. 1:47
  2. Add 1 cup cold water, ½ cup sparkling water, ⅓ cup milk and 3–4 pinches of salt. 1:53
  3. Blend for at least 2 minutes, until a thick layer of foam forms on top. 2:06
  4. Pour into glasses and sprinkle a little dried mint over the foam. Drink cold, ideally with grilled meat or a spicy meal. 2:11

Tip. For the everyday version, skip the milk and sparkling water and whisk the yoghurt with plain cold water and salt. Refika also blends in a cucumber and 10 mint leaves for a cucumber-mint ayran.

The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.

One portion, 1 glass (190 ml), gives you 1 of 3

Energy38 kcal160 kJ
Protein2.3 g5% of a day
Fibre0 g0% of a day
Carbohydrate3.3 g3.2 g net · 3.2 g sugars1% of a day
Fat1.9 g1.2 g saturated2% of a day
Sodium190 mg8% of a day

Where the energy comes from one serve

  • Net carbs 33%
  • Protein 24%
  • Fat 43%

For comparison, low-carb eating usually gets under 26% of its energy from carbs, and ketogenic eating under 10%. Why this is here

Vitamins & minerals % of a day, one serve · tap for more

Vitamin B12 Source12%

0.3 µg a serve, mostly from full-fat plain yoghurt (53%). Keeps nerves and blood cells healthy. Found almost only in animal foods and fortified foods (some plant milks, nutritional yeast), so vegans need a reliable source.

Show the other 14
Calcium6%

82 mg a serve, mostly from full-fat plain yoghurt (59%). Builds bones and teeth and helps muscles and nerves work. Dairy, calcium-set tofu, sardines with their bones and some greens supply it.

Zinc3%

0.3 mg a serve, mostly from full-fat plain yoghurt (69%). Needed for immunity, wound healing, taste and growth. Meat, seafood, legumes, seeds and whole grains supply it.

Vitamin A3%

27 µg a serve, mostly from milk (59%). Keeps eyes, skin and the immune system healthy. Orange vegetables and dark greens give beta-carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A.

Selenium3%

1.6 µg a serve, mostly from full-fat plain yoghurt (57%). Part of the body's antioxidant enzymes and needed for thyroid hormones. Seafood, eggs, meat and Brazil nuts are rich sources.

Potassium2%

100 mg a serve, mostly from full-fat plain yoghurt (60%). Balances sodium to help control blood pressure and keeps muscles and nerves working. Beans, potatoes, leafy greens and fruit are rich sources.

Magnesium2%

8 mg a serve, mostly from full-fat plain yoghurt (60%). Takes part in hundreds of reactions — energy, muscles, nerves, blood sugar and bones. Nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains are good sources.

Vitamin D2%

0.3 µg a serve, mostly from milk (100%). Helps you absorb calcium for bones and supports muscles. Few foods have much — oily fish, eggs, UV-exposed mushrooms, fortified milks. Sunlight is the main source.

Vitamin K1%

0.8 µg a serve, mostly from dried mint (82%). Needed for blood clotting and bones. Leafy greens and herbs are very rich in it. If you take warfarin, keep your intake steady and talk to your doctor.

Folate1%

4.4 µg a serve, mostly from full-fat plain yoghurt (64%). Needed to make DNA and new cells — especially important before and in early pregnancy. Legumes and leafy greens are rich sources.

Vitamin B61%

0 mg a serve, mostly from full-fat plain yoghurt (51%). Helps turn food into energy and make brain messengers. Chickpeas, fish, poultry, potatoes and bananas are good sources.

Omega-31%

0 g a serve, mostly from full-fat plain yoghurt (54%). Omega-3 fats support the heart and brain. Oily fish give EPA and DHA; walnuts, flax, chia and canola give ALA, which the body converts only a little.

Iron0%

0.1 mg a serve, mostly from full-fat plain yoghurt (51%). Carries oxygen in your blood. Iron from plants absorbs better with vitamin C in the same meal — lemon, tomato or capsicum.

Vitamin C0%

0.3 mg a serve, mostly from full-fat plain yoghurt (78%). An antioxidant needed for collagen, immunity and iron absorption. Long cooking destroys some, so raw herbs, citrus and capsicum help.

Vitamin E0%

0.1 mg a serve, mostly from full-fat plain yoghurt (48%). An antioxidant that protects cell membranes. Nuts, seeds and plant oils such as olive oil are the main sources.

Estimated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central values; % of a day uses the food-label daily values. How this works

You might also like

Browse all 953 recipes

Recipe and video by Refika's Kitchen; the method summary, nutrition estimate and diet notes are Notbroken’s. General information about food, not dietary advice.