How to Substitute Coconut Milk for Yogurt in Yogurt Sauce

Coconut milk makes a dairy-free yogurt sauce

Yogurt sauce is common in Greek and Middle Eastern cuisine, often as a no-cook cold sauce such as the tzatziki that dresses gyro and falafel sandwiches. The thick yogurt base can be substituted with thickened coconut milk -- a "milk" made from the flesh of the coconut, not the watery liquid inside ripe coconuts -- for those who don't eat dairy. Bear in mind that coconut milk is not a low-fat substitute for yogurt; it is high in saturated fat.

Things You'll Need

• 2 cups thick coconut milk or unsweetened coconut cream
• Rice flour
• Lemon juice
• Coffee filter
• Sieve
• Bowl
• 1 pureed cucumber, seeded and skinned
• 1 garlic clove
• Seasonings

Instructions

1. Pour the coconut milk or cream into a bowl. Stir in rice flour, one teaspoon at a time, until it thickens to the consistency of yogurt. Add one to two tablespoons of lemon juice for tartness.

2. Line a sieve with a coffee filter and place it over a bowl. Pour the thickened coconut milk into the lined sieve and let it sit for about two hours in the refrigerator until very firm, like Greek yogurt.

3. Drain the seeded, skinned and pureed cucumber in another filter-lined sieve for two hours while the coconut drains.

4. Combine the drained coconut yogurt and cucumber in a bowl. Stir in chopped garlic, kosher salt, and pepper and mint, dill or oregano to taste.

Tips & Warnings

• You may not need to drain the coconut milk for all recipes; skip the step in recipes calling for regular, as opposed to Greek, yogurt.

• Any time you substitute a central ingredient, the finished product will differ from the original in taste and consistency.

References

• Lost Angeles Times; Got Coconut Milk?; Elena Conis; March 2010
• Gourmet Sleuth: Thai Condiments and Flavorings
• Kalyn's Kitchen; World's Best Tzatziki Sauce Recipe; August 2009