Soak the chickpeas in at least 1l of water overnight.

The next day, drain them and add to a blender along with the 700ml of water. Blend for around 20 seconds until almost smooth. It’s fine if it’s a little grainy.

Give the liquid a whisk to loosen any of the starches and proteins that might have sunk to the bottom of the pan. Then bring it to a gentle boil, whisking often. Turn the heat to low and keep simmering until the mixture has thickened into a creamy pudding (3-4 minutes). Then simmer for another 4-5 minutes while whisking every now and then. Don’t be tempted to cook it for less, since heating the raw chickpeas properly will make them digestible. Turn off the heat and transfer the thickened liquid to a fermentation-safe bowl (glass, stone or approved stainless steel), before letting it cool down to room temperature (around 2 hours).

Remove any skin that might have formed on top, then stir in the organic yogurt of your choice. Cover the bowl with a plate and leave it to ferment for another 8 - 16 hours in a warm place until it tastes slightly tangy. If the ambient temperature is quite cold, you can keep it in the oven with just the light setting switched on for some of that time.

Once it tastes tangy, your yogurt is ready. You can blend it in a food processor for a smoother texture and store it in the fridge until using. The tangy flavour will continue to develop over the next day and it’ll set again, even after blending. Just give it a good stir before using. If you’re making another batch within the storage time, you can now add a tablespoon of the fermented yogurt to kickstart it again.

To make the sweet yogurt, simply stir in the maple syrup and vanilla extract.

For a savoury dip, coarsely grate the cucumber into a bowl and mix with the salt. Leave to sit for 10 minutes to let the salt draw out some of the water. In the meantime, peel and finely grate the garlic. Pick the mint leaves and finely chop them. After 10 minutes, use your hands to squeeze out as much water from the cucumber as you can, then add it to the yogurt along with the grated garlic, chopped mint and lemon juice. Stir together and serve.