Irimshik is a Kazakh winter food made by curdling milk with sour ayran, then simmering the curds for hours with the whey until it evaporates. Milk sugar remains with the curds and caramelizes during the long cooking, giving irimshik its sweet flavor and brown color. The dried pieces are eaten as a snack with tea.
Heat the milk over medium heat in a wide, heavy-bottomed pot, stirring occasionally so it does not scorch. When the surface begins to quiver and the first bubbles appear around the edges, lower the heat just before it boils over.
Pour in the sour ayran in a thin stream while stirring gently with a spoon. Within 2–3 minutes, the milk should separate into white curds and clear yellow-green whey. If it does not separate, add the lemon juice.
Keep cooking uncovered over low heat without pouring off the whey. For the first 2 hours, stir every 10 minutes, then stir more often as the liquid reduces. The curds will turn cream-colored, then light brown, and form a dark, sticky mass that pulls away from the pot. Stir constantly during the final half hour.
When the mass has cooled until warm, break it into 1–2 cm pieces by hand or shape it into walnut-sized balls. The pieces should not stick to your hands and should be dry on the outside but slightly moist inside.
Arrange the pieces in a single layer, without touching, on a buttered tray or clean cloth. Cover with tulle netting and place in a shady, well-ventilated spot.
Stay by the pot during the final half hour: once the whey is gone and the sugar begins to caramelize, the curds can go from brown to burnt in 1 minute. Dry the pieces in the shade for 2–3 days, until the inside looks dry when broken open. Allergens: contains milk and dairy products. Check packaged ingredient labels for other allergens.
Sütü keserken ekşi ayranı azar azar katmak gerekiyor, hepsini birden dökünce pıhtı iri ve sert oldu. Tepside kızartırken de sürekli karıştırmak lazım, dibi tutuyor. Tepsiyi tereyağıyla iyice yağlamak da gerekiyor, yağsız tepside lor dibe yapışıp kazımak zorunda kaldım.
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