Marinated with yogurt: the technique that is trending to marinate meats

As you may know, marinating is an excellent technique to enhance the flavor of meats. Different ingredients can be used to make the marinade, which offers us great versatility in the kitchen. Here we show you how to make marinades with yogurt, an ideal option for chicken and lamb meat that is commonly used in Asian cuisine, mainly in India. Read on and be amazed by the ease of this technique! Why is yogurt marinade a good idea? The key to a good marinade is the combination of a slightly acidic component with the fat. In Western cuisine, we generally turn to lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. But in the East, marinades with yogurt are used very frequently to marinate meats. In practice and contrary to what many believe, marinating is not an effective technique for tenderizing meats. This is so because the molecules of the elements that we use to prepare a marinade are too large to penetrate the muscle fibers. What we do achieve when making a good marinade is to modify the proteins on the surface, which helps us add aroma and flavor to our meals and improve the juiciness of the meats. The question is, why make marinades with yogurt? In addition to having a creamier texture than lemon juice and vinegar, yogurt contains lactic acid, which is also present in meats. Therefore, it is a less aggressive ingredient that gives us a smoother, juicier and more palatable result. How to make marinades with yogurt?Natural or neutral yogurt can be combined with a huge variety of ingredients when making a marinade. In this way, you will find different recipes for marinades with yogurt that you can use to marinate chicken, lamb, fish and even vegetables. Here’s an easy recipe for inspiration – take a look! Ingredients: Natural yogurt: 250 gr. Garlic: 3 cloves, finely chopped Onion: 1, finely chopped Cinnamon: ½ tablespoon Ground cumin: ½ tablespoon Black pepper: ½ tablespoon crushed or ground grains Grated or powdered ginger: ½ teaspoon Nutmeg: ½ teaspoon Cardamom: 2 pods without shell Salt: 1 tablespoon Preparation: The technique to prepare yogurt marinades is very simple: you just have to mix all the ingredients well until they are incorporated. Use a large bowl or container, where you can later add the meat. Next, we add the meat to the bowl and mix with the marinade, making sure to spread it well so that all the pieces of meat are well spread. Finally, the most fundamental step of a good marinade: rest! For the technique to have an optimal effect, it is necessary to leave the meat in contact with the marinade for a few hours. Therefore, the best option is to put the bowl in the fridge with its lid or covered with plastic wrap. Likewise, the marinating time may vary depending on the type of meat you are preparing. If you want to marinate beef or lamb, you can leave it marinating in the fridge overnight, or even for 48 hours. If you are preparing chicken meat, you can estimate a maximum of 12 hours of marinating in the fridge (and a minimum of 2 hours). Finally, if you want to use your yogurt marinades to marinate fish or vegetables, you can leave them in the fridge for 30 minutes to 2 hours. Let’s do it!