Used to eating fresh homemade curd in India, it gets a little unsettling when you can’t do the same in US! Curd is nothing but Yogurt, and pretty much every woman in India makes her own yogurt at home. After years of frustration, I think I finally have a winning Curd recipe – yeah, it does sound funny, but I’m sure all those who’ve tried and failed making curd at home will sympathize with me! It’s not about saving money; its about the taste. and though something as simple as Yogurt should not need a recipe – its just the lactobacilli multiplying over time to curdle the milk, right – unfortunately, it isn’t that simple after all. So for all the Indian folks who have tried in vain to make curd at home, give this recipe a hot, and tell me if it works for you or not.
Homemade Curd Recipe
Ingredients
1 gallon whole milk
1 and 1/2 tbsp curd or active culture
** The success of curd-making really depends on the type of active culture; try using the sour (Indian) variety if possible, and you’ll get the best results! I generally borrow the yogurt culture from an Indian friend; even the sour one bought from Indian grocery stores works fine.Method
First, bring the milk to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer it for few minutes till a layer of cream forms on top of the milk. Turn off the heat and let the milk cool down to lukewarm level. Now add one tablespoon of live active culture of yogurt to this milk. Stir it once and cover the vessel with a lid.Keep the container in an oven or in a microwave (they act like incubators) undisturbed for about 8 to 12 hours. After this period, the milk should have curdled enough, giving you a lovely homemade curd that is fresh and flavorful!
A few tips shared by Indira helped me quite a bit. here are a few things to keep in mind for a successful curd recipe:
1.After boiling the milk and before adding the culture, don’t transfer the milk to other container. Use the same container for both boiling milk and making yogurt.
2.Add culture when milk is still warm, say 2 mins after you take it off the stove.
3. Add at least one tablespoon of culture, and probably more if you are up in the north with a colder climate!
4. After adding the culture, keep the milk in a warm place like an oven or microwave with the light switch on. It really helps, particularly during cold winter months.
I am no longer frustrated that I can’t make curd at home. These tips have helped me master the technique, and I hope they help you too!
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I have the same problem of trying to get my homemade yoghurt to taste like Indian curds. i will have to take your suggestion and seek an indian friend or restaurant to get the live culture from.
I live in Vancouver, BC, Canada and this is how I make it at home: http://cookeveryday.wordpress.com/2010/06/19/homemade-yoghurt/
This is always a challenge for me, Now I use an thermometer to check the liquid temp.it is working better.
Hi mala – I totally know what you mean! I used to have the same burner problem on my electric stove. What I suggest is this – stir continuously till the milk starts boiling. After the initial boil, place a “tavi” (like we use to make rotis) underneath the milk vessel, then reduce the ehat to medium-low, and let it simmer for some time. This will prevent the milk from sticking at the bottom and giving out a “burnt” smell:)
Hey Mansi,
Good post that would hit home with every Indian in the US 🙂
My problem is that I have an electric stove top and everytime I boil milk the bottom sticks.. even when I stay at the home ALL THE WHILE and keep stirring and so I always have to use to different containers for the curd. It comes out pretty decent but not like I could make in India 🙂 Any ideas ?
Mala
sonu – I generally use the indian-store bought yogurt to use as my culture. But as I use whole milk at home to make curd, I love the taste and texture of homemade curd; its not artificially smooth like the outside one:) homemade curd is also more nutritious and fresh!
also, it stays in the fridge for about 10 days; might stay longer, but I always make a new batch every 10 days:)
I know how frustrating a simple thing as making curds can be when you can’t the perfect curds. Even i had hard time and was frustrated many a times. Thanks for all the tips.
Yes Mansi, it’s somewht difficult to make a yogurt at home so I always end up with (Indian) store bought Yogurt packaging of 2kg and it stays fresh upto 20-22 days. But can u tell me whr can I find that Yogurt culture in market? and what’s shelf life of home-made yogurt?
Thank you.
Sonu:)