Soy Milk and Yogurt

There has been a consistent and worrying drop in the Albumin levels for my father since we started him on a Naturopathy diet - more on that for later.  The accepted minimum norm might be irrelevant for someone like my father who isn't mobile or active like most people.  Thats what I tell myself to avoid panic attacks over the seemly alarming dip.

Almonds and peanuts were given to get his levels up.  They turned out too hard for him to digest and he developed constipation and lost weight.   The next hope was on Ragi (finger millets).  We had to soak, sprout, grind, boil and reduce it to half, & finally mix it with a banana.  Will elaborate on this drink in a different post, it was delicious. Everything was followed religiously.  He developed violent diarrhea and lost weight.  Meanwhile the albumin levels kept going down.

Dr. Arun Sharma, our natural hygiene doctor / Naturopath then suggested soy milk.  Online resources like the Instructables and Sharan were highly helpful along with friends who practice organic farming.

Steps for Soymilk - 

I soak 100gms of soybean and get around 600ml of soymilk.  The following recipe can be for any size of 1 cup.  Keep the quantity small for the first time. 

Things you need - 

• 1 cup soybeans 
• 13 cups of water 
• Blender 
• Strainer 
• Thick bottom pan 
• Container 

Making Soymilk - 

  

1. Wash and soak 1 cup of soy beans in a pot that has enough room for the beans to expand. Change the water after the first hour.  I was recommended this as a step to further clean the beans.  Add 3 of the 13 cups of water when soaking next.  Let it soak for atleast 8 hours.   
2. Finely grind the beans in a blender using the soaked water. Add more if necessary. 
3. Strain the milk using a cloth (which is what I use) or a strainer into a thick bottom pan. 
4. Blend the pulp again with some water and strain.  
5. Repeat the previous step after exacting the milk for the second time
6. You would have blended the bean and its pulp 3 times in total. 
7. Divide the 10 cups of water (minus the 3 cups used for soaking) equally while blending each time. 
8. The milk is raw now.  Heat it in the think bottom pan for around 20 -30 mins.  Keep in low to medium heat and keep stirring. 
9. Let it cool and strain the milk into your storage container.  

Making Soy yogurt - 

Its the same procedure as making yogurt from cow's milk.  Through some trial and error I've figured that the soy milk can be (not should be) slightly warmer than cow's milk for fermenting.   I use cow milk yogurt as culture for my soy milk.  No fancy starter.  Maybe this is cheating, but it works.  Also unlike the regular practice of just a tiny bit of yogurt for culture, I use a full table spoon, have found this to give a thicker yogurt. 

Some Dos and Don'ts - 

• Was strictly instructed to procure only organic soy beans.  I read an article that India doesn't have much of GM (Genetically Modified) soy bean.  However to be cautious I get only certified organic soy bean. 
• Thinner the Soy milk the easier on the stomach to digest.  If I use store purchased soy milk, I ensure its organic and thin it considerably. 
• Fermented Soy milk much better than non-fermented for digestion.  Although non-fermented soy milk did not cause any digestion issues with my father, I stick with the fermented - soy yogurt.
• Homemade soymilk stays good for atleast 3-5 days.  If one wants to store for longer, heat it and refrigerate once it cools down. 

The smoothie- 

Blend one banana, add the yogurt and blend again.  Adjust thickness with water if necessary. 

I am starting to drink this with my father.  Happy soy drinks.