DIY : Making of thick Curd/ Yogurt

Anything homemade is just perfect. So is the homemade curd. Not only is it healthy because you know what goes into it. Also, it is much cheaper when made at home. If you ever make it at home, you won't go back to the store bought ones EVER. Because why would you, when you could make it at home so easily. You cannot go wrong with this method.

Ingredients

1. 3 cups of whole milk
2. 1 1/2 tbsp of starter/ curd/ yogurt at room temperature

For making of starter

1. 1/2 cup of milk
2. 1 tsp of vinegar/lemon juice

Method

Making of starter

• Take 1/2 cup of milk. Heat it untill just warm to touch. Add 1 tsp of vinegar or lemon juice. Mix it well.
• Keep it in a warm place undisturbed for about 12 hours. 
• The starter is used usually for just making of curd and not consumed as is, as it would be sour.
• Rather than going for making the starter every time you make the curd, its recommended to just use the yogurt or curd as the starter, for better results.

Making of curd

• Pour the milk in a pan. Bring it to a boil. Lower the heat and let it simmer from about 5 minutes. Keep stirring it to prevent the milk from getting burnt. Turn off the heat. 
• Remove it from the fire and let it cool down, untill the milk is just warm to touch.
• In the container that you plan to set the curd in, add the curd that is set aside as starter. Give it a whisk. Now strain about 3/4 cup of the boiled and cooled milk to this container. Whisk it well so that there are no lumps. Now add the remaining milk and give it a whisk to spread the starter.
• Keep it in a warm place(not very hot, else the bacterial would get killed and the curd will not be set) undisturbed for about 6-8 hours. You can either switch on the lights of the oven and place the container in the oven.

Tips

1. Using whole milk is highly recommended to get a thick yogurt. In case, you use fat free milk , just don't skip the step of simmering of the milk after it has come to a boil. It would help to get a thick curd.
2. Straining the milk is optional. I strain it to remove the cream that is formed on the milk once it cools down. This helps in forming smooth curd.
3. During winters, place the curd in the oven, to set. Turn on the oven just to warm up. Turn off the oven and then place the container in it over night or about 6-8 hours to obtain thick curd.
4. If you do not happen to have an oven, just keep it near a pot of hot water or near by the stove while you cook or just wrap it in a blanket to keep it warm.
5. In summer, the curd setting would happen faster. So you may want to check back on it after 5-6 hours to prevent the curd from going sour. 

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