What Can I Substitute for Natural Yoghurt?

You're making a cake, muffins or scones where the yoghurt goes in with bicarb soda to make the batter rise.

• sour cream — 250 g for every 250 g natural yoghurt
• Greek yoghurt — 250 g for every 250 g natural yoghurt
• buttermilk — 250 ml for every 250 g natural yoghurt, with 60 ml less of the recipe's other liquid

All three are acidic enough to react with the bicarb soda and lift the batter. Sour cream also adds fat for a softer crumb. Greek yoghurt only needs a splash of milk if the batter looks stiff. Buttermilk gives a light crumb as long as you cut back the other liquid.

You're mixing pancakes or a simple quick bread and have no yoghurt, sour cream or buttermilk in the fridge.

• milk soured with lemon juice — 185 ml milk plus 15 ml lemon juice for every 250 g natural yoghurt

Milk and lemon juice are almost always on hand, and the juice supplies the acidity the bicarb soda needs. The mix has no body, so it suits thin batters better than thick cake batters. Measure the juice as 15 ml, not a full Australian 20 ml tablespoon.

You're coating chicken or lamb in a spiced yoghurt marinade, such as for tandoori-style chicken, to tenderise it before cooking.

• Greek yoghurt — 250 g for every 250 g natural yoghurt
• buttermilk — 250 ml for every 250 g natural yoghurt

The lactic acid does the tenderising, and both picks have it. Greek yoghurt clings to the meat and helps the spices char. Buttermilk tenderises just as well but runs off, so it suits a soak-and-drain marinade rather than a thick coating. There is no need to adjust any other liquid in a marinade.

You're making raita, tzatziki, a dip or a creamy dressing where the yoghurt is served cold and needs to be thick and tangy.

• Greek yoghurt — 250 g for every 250 g natural yoghurt
• sour cream — 250 g for every 250 g natural yoghurt

Here the tang and body are what count. Greek yoghurt has both, though it is thicker, so thin it with a little milk or water for a dressing. Sour cream holds the body but is milder, so a squeeze of lemon juice brings the sourness back.

You're stirring yoghurt into a hot curry, stroganoff or pan sauce to make it creamy.

• crème fraîche — 250 g for every 250 g natural yoghurt
• Greek yoghurt — 250 g for every 250 g natural yoghurt

Crème fraîche has enough fat to survive simmering without splitting, so it is the safest choice for heat, at the cost of less tang. Full-fat Greek yoghurt keeps the sour edge but can still curdle, so stir it in off the heat and do not let the sauce boil afterwards.

You're cooking for someone who can't have dairy and need a yoghurt for a curry, dip or smoothie.

• coconut yoghurt — 250 g for every 250 g natural yoghurt

Coconut yoghurt gives the body and moisture without dairy, but it lacks yoghurt's acidity and tastes of coconut. That suits curries and smoothies. For savoury dips, add lemon juice to taste to put back the sourness. It is not a reliable partner for bicarb soda in baking.

The curry or sauce has gone grainy, with little white curds floating in thin liquid.

Why: Yoghurt, especially low-fat yoghurt, splits when it is boiled or added straight into a very hot, acidic sauce.

Can't be fixed — next time: Blitzing the sauce with a stick blender can improve the look, but the grainy texture usually stays. Next time, use full-fat yoghurt or crème fraîche, whisk a spoonful of the hot sauce into the yoghurt first, then stir it in off the heat and don't let it boil again.

The batter is much runnier than the recipe describes after swapping in buttermilk or soured milk.

Why: Both are pourable, so they bring more liquid than the same amount of spoonable yoghurt, and the recipe's other liquid was not reduced.

Fix: Stir in extra plain or self-raising flour a little at a time until the batter thickens. Australian tablespoons hold 20 ml, so go a level spoonful at a time and check after each addition.

The cake or scones came out flat and dense, and taste faintly soapy or metallic.

Why: The swap had too little acid, as with cream or vanilla yoghurt, so the bicarb soda did not react fully and some was left in the bake.

Can't be fixed — next time: A finished bake cannot be re-risen. Next time, use an acidic swap such as sour cream, buttermilk or soured milk, and add a squeeze of lemon juice if you use a milder dairy.

The dip or dressing made with Greek yoghurt is stiff and gluey rather than smooth and spoonable.

Why: Greek yoghurt has had some whey strained off, so it holds less water than natural yoghurt.

Fix: Whisk in milk or cold water a teaspoon at a time until it loosens to the texture you want, then check the seasoning and add lemon juice if it needs more tang.

Is natural yoghurt the same as plain yoghurt?

Yes, they are the same thing. 'Natural yoghurt' is the usual Australian, UK and New Zealand name, and 'plain yogurt' is the US and Canadian name for unflavoured, unsweetened yoghurt.

Is natural yoghurt the same as Greek yoghurt?

No, Greek yoghurt is natural yoghurt that has had some of its whey strained off. That makes it thicker and higher in protein, so it can stand in one for one in most recipes, though you may need a splash of milk to loosen a batter or dressing.

How many grams is a cup of natural yoghurt?

One level Australian 250 ml cup of natural yoghurt weighs about 260 g. A US 240 ml cup weighs about 245 g, and Greek yoghurt weighs slightly more per cup because it is denser.

How many grams is a tablespoon of yoghurt?

An Australian 20 ml tablespoon of yoghurt weighs about 20 g, and a 15 ml UK, NZ, US or Canadian tablespoon weighs about 15 g. If a recipe is written outside Australia, using an Australian tablespoon adds about a third more each time, which matters most when the yoghurt is working with bicarb soda.

Can I leave yoghurt out of a cake or muffin recipe?

Not without replacing it, because the yoghurt supplies both liquid and the acid that makes bicarb soda rise. Leaving it out gives a dry, dense bake, so swap in sour cream, buttermilk or milk soured with lemon juice instead.

Can I use natural yoghurt instead of sour cream?

Yes, in most dips, dressings and baking it swaps one for one. The result is tangier and a little less rich, and yoghurt is more likely to split than sour cream if it is boiled in a hot sauce.