Homemade Curd Dahi Yogurt
Making yogurt at home is easy and simple. It is a lot cheaper too, compared to buying ready yogurt. You will need some with live/ active culture. Yogurt needs “good, living” bacteria. The easiest way to add this is to use existing yogurt.
Equipment
- 1 pot for heating milk
- 1 Bowl for setting curd
Ingredients
How to make yogurt at home
Ingredients for making 1/2 litre - 500 ml plain homemade yogurt- curds – Dahi
- Milk – 500 ml
- Plain starter yogurt with active culture – 1 tbsp
Instructions
Homemade curd dahi plain yogurt
Step by step instructions for making curd yogurt at home
- Bring milk to boil in a pot. Take off the flame and Cool it till it is just warm.
- Add 1 tbsp plain yogurt with live culture. Stir well.
- Pour it in the bowl in which you want to set curds.
- Keep aside till it sets.
- Depending on the weather in your place, the time will vary. With experience, you will know how long it takes in different seasons.
- Once the curd is set, keep it in the fridge and use it within a week in your recipes.
How to make perfect yogurt - To make thicker yogurt:
- Method 1: Boil milk for some time to thicken milk. Cool and then set yogurt.
- Method 2: Add some milk powder to the milk. Make sure there are no lumps. Boil milk and then set yogurt after milk has cooled down a little.
Yogurt setting temperature tips:
- Keep the yogurt warm to encourage bacteria growth. Between 100F and 120F (40C and 45C).
- If you live in a warm place like India, you can put the container at the room temperature. It will set in 3-4 hours. In winter it may take a bit longer.
- If you live in a colder place or during winters, keep the containers in oven(not on) or crock pot set to the desired temperature.
- Or in cold places or cold weather, you may wrap the container in warm clothes. Use an old blanket or a sweater to wrap around the container. You will be conserving energy too with this method.
- Do not move the yogurt till it is set. It can take anywhere from 8-10 hours to set depending on the temperature of the place where you live and where you set your container.
Notes
Tips for Care after yogurt has set:
- Refrigerate the yogurt once it is set. Leaving it outside in warm or hot weather will make it sour.
- You can keep it refrigerated for a week or so.
- If you are going to use some of it as starter, use it within a week, so that the bacteria is still active.
- You may store the yogurt in the freezer section of your fridge if you are not planning to use it immediately. The consistency of after defrosting will be different but the taste will not change. After defrosting, the curd would be a bit more liquid.