How is coalhada used in Brazilian cuisine?
In Brazil, coalhada usually means a thick soured milk or yogurt-like curd, and coalhada seca is a strained version associated with Middle Eastern cooking, similar to labneh. It is eaten with pao arabe or toast, served alongside kibe and savory dishes, and seasoned with olive oil, herbs and garlic.
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How is coalhada used in Brazil?
Coalhada is a Portuguese word for curdled or soured milk, similar to yogurt. In Brazilian cooking the best-known form is coalhada seca, a thick strained yogurt associated with Middle Eastern (Arab) cooking and often compared to labneh.
Common uses
- With bread: served with pao arabe, pao sirio, pita or toast, drizzled with olive oil.
- With kibe and other dishes: offered as a side with kibe, kebabs and salads in Arab restaurants. Some kibe recipes use coalhada seca in the filling.
- As a spread or dip: mixed with garlic, onion, chives, parsley, oregano or za’atar.
- Simple fresh coalhada: eaten like yogurt, for example at breakfast.
How coalhada seca is made
Brazilian recipe sites describe the same steps: boil milk, cool it until warm, stir in plain yogurt, and keep it covered and undisturbed (one recipe says 8 hours) so it turns to yogurt. Then drain it in a cloth over a sieve; one recipe drains it about 8 hours in the fridge. Times differ by recipe. Finish with salt, olive oil and herbs.
Storage
One recipe site says to keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to seven days. Other versions give no storage time, so use cautious judgment and your senses.
Quick comparison
| Name | What it is |
|---|---|
| Coalhada | Soured milk or yogurt-like curd |
| Coalhada seca | Strained thick curd, like labneh |
People with lactose intolerance should be careful with dairy spreads and ask a health professional about what suits them.
People also ask
What is coalhada seca?
A thick strained yogurt associated with Middle Eastern cooking that Brazilians serve with bread, kibe and salads.
How do you make coalhada seca?
One Brazilian recipe: stir plain yogurt into warm boiled milk, leave it covered about 8 hours, then drain it in a cloth in the fridge about 8 hours and season. Times vary by recipe.
How long does coalhada seca keep?
One recipe site says up to seven days in an airtight container in the fridge.
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