How to Make Doogh at Home: The Simple Persian Yogurt Drink

What is doogh?

Doogh (Persian «دوغ») is a cold, savoury yogurt drink that has been poured alongside Iranian meals for centuries. It is also one of the simplest things to make at home, and this guide walks you through how to make doogh at home in about five minutes. It is nothing like a sweet lassi or a smoothie — doogh is salted, tangy and herby, made from just yogurt, cold water, a little salt and dried mint. Some people drink it still and flat; others love it fizzy, with a splash of soda water on top. Across Iran it is the default partner to grilled kababs, rice dishes and, above all, to rich cooked meats like kalle pache. If you have ever wondered what to drink with an intensely fatty, collagen-heavy bowl of broth, the honest answer is a tall, cold glass of doogh.

Is doogh hard to make at home?

Not at all — this is one of the easiest drinks you will ever make. There is no cooking, no special skill and no rare equipment. If you own a whisk, a jar with a lid, or a blender, you already have everything you need. The whole thing takes about five minutes plus a little chilling time. The only two things that really matter are using a good plain, unsweetened yogurt and tasting as you go, so the salt and mint land where you like them. Be honest with yourself about the yogurt: cheap, watery or sweetened yogurt makes disappointing doogh, while a proper full-fat plain yogurt makes it creamy and satisfying.

What ingredients do you need for doogh?

This makes about one litre, enough for four glasses.

• 2 cups (about 500 g) plain full-fat yogurt, well chilled
• 2 cups (500 ml) very cold water — or chilled soda water for a fizzy version
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1 tablespoon dried mint, crushed between your fingers (or 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint)
• Optional: a pinch of dried oregano or savory, and a few dried rose petals
• Optional: ice cubes, to serve
• Optional garnish: a sprig of fresh mint or a few thin cucumber slices

How do you make doogh step by step?

Give yourself five minutes and a large jug or bowl.

1. Spoon the chilled yogurt into a large jug and whisk it until completely smooth, with no lumps.
2. Add the salt and the crushed dried mint, and stir them through.
3. Pour in the cold water a little at a time, whisking as you go, until the drink is as thick or as thin as you like it.
4. Taste and adjust: a touch more salt for savouriness, a little more mint for freshness.
5. Whisk hard for a minute to bring up a light foam, then chill for at least 30 minutes — or pour straight over ice if you are in a hurry.
6. For a sparkling doogh, top each glass with chilled soda water just before serving and stir once, gently, so you keep the fizz.
7. Garnish with fresh mint or cucumber and serve very cold.

How do you get doogh frothy?

That signature layer of foam is easy to create. The simplest way is to pour the finished doogh into a bottle or jar with a tight lid and shake it hard for ten to fifteen seconds — this is the classic home method and gives a lovely head of froth. A stick blender or countertop blender does the same in a couple of seconds; just don't over-blend or it turns watery. If you want the fizz to do the work, adding chilled soda water at the last moment lifts a natural foam to the top of the glass. Whichever method you use, serve straight away, because the froth settles as it stands.

Still or sparkling doogh — which should you make?

Still doogh is made only with plain water. It tastes creamier and rounder, and it is the version most home cooks in Iran pour with dinner. Sparkling doogh swaps some or all of the water for soda water, giving a bright, refreshing fizz that many of the bottled Iranian brands are known for. Neither is more authentic than the other — both are traditional. If you are drinking it alongside something very rich, the sparkling version can feel especially cleansing; if you just want a calm, cooling glass, still doogh is perfect.

A quick guide to the yogurt-to-water ratio

Why does doogh go so well with kalle pache?

Kalle pache is deliberately rich — a long-simmered broth of lamb head and trotters, thick with collagen and fat. A hot or sweet drink would fight it, but cold, salty, slightly sour doogh does the opposite: the acidity and the coolness cut straight through the richness and reset your palate between spoonfuls. The dried mint adds a herbal lift, and a cold glass of doogh has long been part of the Iranian ritual around a heavy meal — a matter of tradition and taste, not medical advice. This is why, at dawn tables across Tehran, a bowl of kalle pache almost always arrives with sangak bread, a little torshi, and a cold glass of doogh beside it.

Can you just order doogh instead?

Absolutely. Making doogh at home is quick and rewarding, but if you are already ordering kalle pache from us there is no reason to whisk your own. We serve doogh as a side drink you can add to any order, right next to the sangak, the mixed torshi and the seven-year garlic pickle. At Shaun the Sheep — one kitchen at 64 Jumeira Street, Jumeirah 1 — we cook Tehran-style kalle pache around the clock and deliver across Dubai, with delivery free over AED 300. Add a doogh to your bowl on the menu and order page, or reserve a table if you would rather sit down with the full spread. Either way, the drink that was made for kalle pache is only a tap away.