HOW TO MAKE CURD/YOGURT - HOMEMADE CURD/YOGURT

     Making Curd/Yogurt is an easy process for most of us.  But many don't find themselves lucky in this process.  So, they buy Curd/Yogurt instead of making it at home. It’s just a simple task if done properly and like anything else, practice makes things perfect. It is a day to day process in most of the Indian households. Curd/Yogurt is used as such, mixed & eaten along with Rice or added into innumerable recipes, converted into tasty & rich dishes, curries, chutneys, desserts, snacks etc.,
     Curd or yogurt is an excellent probiotic and it is great for your digestive system. Curd/Yogurt is a  product of the lactic fermentation of milk. Curd has a smooth texture and refreshing taste.  It is loaded with Probiotics and is an excellent source of Vitamins and Minerals like Calcium, Phosphorus and Riboflavin.  However, preparing it at home is healthier, we know what goes into our stomach and above all, you get fresh & tasty Curd/Yogurt.
     We have always got fresh farm milk in India.  The Milkman with his big milk cans and his bicycle bell have always been our morning alarms. The first thing in the morning is to collect the Milk, boil it and then make Filter Coffee with fresh milk.  Good old days! When I was relocated to Malaysia.  I couldn't find fresh milk, only the processed ones were available in the supermarkets.  Some didn't suit our tastes.  Then tried using milk powders. By the time I found a suitable alternative, I had a lot of mishaps in making curd, least to mention even making Coffees & Teas turned out to be a disaster which was a simple task back in India. Learning to live in a new place took some time.
    But finally, I started making Curd/Yogurt with milk powders, Coffee & Teas with Sweetened Creamers. After quite a lot of trial & errors with most of the Milk Powders/homogenized Milk available in the market.  I finally got a brand which suited our taste and which yielded perfectly textured curd for our preference.  All through these years of our stay in Malaysia, I have been making Curd with Milk Powder/Homogenized Milk until 3 years back.  Since then, I started to get fresh cow milk from a nearby farm.  You may not know how much relieved and happy I was to get fresh Milk.  From then on, no looking back, I make my own homemade Curd, Paneer, Fresh Cream, Buttermilk, Butter, and Ghee(Clarified Butter), Khoya etc., at home.
     Here in Malaysia, many have asked me how I make Curd/Yogurt at home?  And one of my husband's colleagues asks this question, every time she comes home.  She says, she just couldn't get it right.  This post is for those who have trouble making curd and for the beginners.
     Curd/Yogurt has an esteemed place in Indian cuisine. No Indian meal is complete without curd and is one of the basic essentials in Indian Kitchen. Curd/Yogurt is such a versatile ingredient, there are innumerable recipes which incorporates Curd/Yogurt in Indian cuisine. Not a day goes without eating Curd at home.  Finishing off the meal with Curd Rice is a must for me and my husband. But it is for a year I am refrained from eating Curd due to my Ayurvedic treatment, which is one of the favourite food I miss a lot - Curd Rice. But of course, I have it as Buttermilk, which I am allowed to.
         There are various ways to make homemade Curd/Yogurt to ensure fresh, healthy and better consumption. Here are a few ways in which you can make homemade curd.

MAKING A STARTER FOR HOMEMADE CURD/YOGURT

     This is an age-old method followed in rural areas of South India. They make their own culture to use as a starter.  As an experimental method, I tried making in this manner just once to check if it really works. And yes it does, but the curd made using this method turned out to be slightly watery.  But this starter curd can be used to make thick and creamy curd.  The reason behind curdling of Milk is that the Calyx in Dry Red Chillies contains live Bacterium that aids the fermentation process. This method can be used when you have no Curd/Stale Curd to induce fermentation process.

INGREDIENTS :

Warm Milk - 1/2 Cup
Dry Red Chillies - 8-10 Stalks

METHOD :

• Bring Milk to a boil.
• Leave it aside to cool down.
• Let the Milk be lukewarm.
• Add 8 to 10 stalks of Dry Red Chillies for every 1/2 - 3/4 cup of the Milk.
• Leave this aside undisturbed in a warm place to set.

NOTES :

• It took 5 hours for the Curd to set. I live in a Tropical Climate.
• The time totally depends on the climate.
• Keep the bowl in a warm area without disturbing it.
• Leave it aside for at least five to six hours or overnight.
• The Curd made out of this method turns out to be watery.
• Can use as a Starter for making Curd, when you do not have any supply of Curd/Yogurt to make a whole batch of fresh homemade Curd.

 HOW TO MAKE CURD/YOGURT - HOMEMADE CURD/YOGURT

HOW TO MAKE CURD/YOGURT - HOMEMADE CURD/YOGURT

THE TRADITIONAL METHOD - WITH STARTER OR STALE CURD 

     The key ingredient to make Curd/Yogurt is to have a starter or Yogurt culture available. This can be easily acquired by purchasing Curd/Yogurt from the store. Once you make your own Curd/Yogurt from the instructions below, you can continue to make it by saving a little off from the previous batch, continuing this process for as long as you’d like to have homemade Curd/Yogurt.

INGREDIENTS:

Milk - 1/2 Ltr
Stale Curd - 1- 2 Tbspns

 

METHOD :

• Boil the Milk and allow it to cool.
• When the milk turns lukewarm, add 2 Tbspns of Stale Curd and stir it well with a spoon or a spatula.
• Cover the bowl and leave it aside in a warm place.
• I usually leave it in the kitchen counter next to the gas stove for the required warmth.
• Leave it overnight for the curd to set or at least five to six hours undisturbed.
• The time totally depends on the climate.
• Once the curd is set you can refrigerate it and use it for up to 3-4 days.

NOTES :

• Add the Stale Curd to the Milk when it is lukewarm or at room temperature.
• If you add the stale curd while the milk is hot, the milk would get curdled and turn watery.
• The Curd/Yogurt will not yield a perfectly smooth texture.

 

HOW TO MAKE CURD/YOGURT IN A MICROWAVE OVEN

METHOD :

• For a quicker setting of Curd, the microwave method proves to be quite handy.
• Boil half a litre of milk and cool it down until it is lukewarm.
• In a microwave-safe bowl, beat two spoons of curd.
• Pour the lukewarm milk to the beaten Curd and stir well.
• Microwave on high for two minutes and switch it off.
• Leave the bowl inside the microwave for three to four hours, for the Curd to set.

NOTES :

• The setting time depends on the quantity of milk.
• Can also boil the milk in the microwave and cool it before making the curd.   
• Use Microwave safe bowl for the purpose. 
• This method is useful when you are in short of time and also turns out to be helpful if you are living in a colder region.

 

HOW TO MAKE CURD/YOGURT WITH MILK POWDER

INGREDIENTS :

Milk Powder - 1 Cup
Water - 2 Cups
Stale Curd - 1- 2 Tbspns

 

METHOD :

• Thoroughly mix Milk Powder and Water.  There should be no lumps in the Milk.
• Boil the Milk and allow it to cool.
• When the milk turns lukewarm, add 2 Tbspns of Stale Curd and stir it well with a spoon or a spatula.
• Cover the bowl and leave it aside in a warm place.
• I usually leave it in the kitchen counter next to the gas stove for the required warmth.
• Leave it overnight for the curd to set or at least five to six hours undisturbed.
• The time totally depends on the climate.
• Once the curd is set you can refrigerate it and use it for up to 3-4 days.

NOTES :

• For thicker Curd/Yogurt add more Milk Powder.
• Mix Milk Powder with a little amount of water to make a paste without lumps.
• Then pour the rest of the Water and mix it thoroughly.
• Alternatively can pour boiling water to the Milk Powder and mix it.
• Add the Stale Curd to the Milk when it is luke warm or at room temperature.
• If you add the stale curd while the milk is hot, the milk would get curdled and turn watery.
• The Curd/Yogurt will not yield a perfectly smooth texture.

 

 

FOR PERFECT HOMEMADE CURD/YOGURT

For Thick Curd: Always use whole milk for the purpose. Diluted milk or low-fat milk will make the curd watery & would not yield thick & creamy Curd/Yogurt.

Sticky Curd: Some milk yields a sticky curd and using starters like Greek Yogurt might also result in the same.  If so try a different brand of milk or starter. I had this kind of problem for a long time while I was in India.  It was due to the Milk, the milkman was supplying then and hopelessly using the Stale Curd from the Sticky Curd resulted in repetitive Sticky Curd.  Tried a different batch of Curd, cultured afresh from Stale Curd(from my Mom) helped me solve the problem.

Amount of Starter :

     The amount of starter/stale curd required to make Curd/Yogurt depends upon the type of Milk used - Homogenized or Non-homogenized.

• Homogenized Milk requires more starter, (can use 2-3 Tbspns of stale curd) as the milk is processed and the particles in it are broken down to keep them apart which increases the shelf life.
• Non-Homogenized Milk needs less starter as they tend to set well faster, adding more starter to it will make the curd sour.
• Adjust the amount of starter accordingly.

Climate :

• During cold climates or winters - use more starter and keep it for a longer time to set.
• Whereas on warm and hot days use less amount of starters and adjust the time to set the curd, checking on it periodically.
• Longer setting time can make the curd sour in summer.
• Adjust the time and starter accordingly.

To keep the Curd Bowl Warm during winters or in Colder regions:

• Keep the bowl of milk in a Casserole or in a Polystyrene/Thermocol box.
• Wrap a Warm Towel/Blanket to the bowl and keep it in a warm place.
• Can place the bowl inside a big rice storage container.
• Alternatively, you can place the bowl in your Wheat Flour Jar/Rice Jar.  Keep the Jar covered.
• Place the Curd bowl carefully while keeping it inside the Wheat Flour Jar/Rice Jar.  If it spills the whole batch of Rice/Wheat would be spoiled.

FOR THICK & CREAMY HOMEMADE CURD/YOGURT

• Use a good quality of Milk - full cream milk yields thick, creamy Curd/Yogurt.
• Boil the Milk before making the Curd/Yogurt.  This is to ensure that the milk is not spoilt.
• When you add Stale Curd to activate the culture process, the Milk should not be hot.
• If the Milk is very hot the milk will immediately curdle and gets coagulated.  The Curd would turn out be watery and grainy textured.
• There will also be a lot of Whey in the Curd/Yogurt
• If the milk is very cold, it may take a long time to get set.
• The perfect way is to add Stale Curd to lukewarm milk.
• Thoroughly mix the Stale Curd uniformly into the Milk with a Spoon/Whisker.
• Adjust the setting time if you are living in a hot region or during summers.
• I usually use about 1-2 Tbspn of Stale Curd for 1/2 a litre of Milk.
• Adjust according to the quantity of homemade Curd/Yogurt you need to make.

 

STORAGE TIPS

• Once the curd is set, refrigerate the Curd/Yogurt.
• Stays good in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
• Do not leave unused Curd/Yogurt at room temperature for a longer time, this can make the Curd sour.

 

 HOMEMADE DAIRY PRODUCTS 

Curd - Converting the Milk into Curd.
Paneer - Curdle the Milk with an Acidic substance to make fresh Homemade Paneer.
Butter - Boil the Milk, cool it down, collect the Cream & Store it in Freezer until a whole lot is collected to make homemade Butter.
Fresh Cream - The Collected Cream from fresh milk can be whisked to make fresh Cream.

Buttermilk - I get a good supply of Buttermilk as a byproduct while making Butter at home.                
Ghee/Clarified Butter - Can use the homemade Butter, heat it, melt it & convert it into Ghee/Clarified Butter.

HOMEMADE CURD/YOGURT

HOMEMADE PANEER

HOMEMADE BUTTER

BUTTERMILK

HOMEMADE GHEE