I quickly realised I need to master the art of how to make curd at home because buying those Nestle curd cartons from the store was not working out very well for our wallets.
Also, there’s something special about homemade curd. Although you are not really doing anything special, it feels a bit magical to heat up some milk, add some curd in there, mix, set it aside, and magically have it harden up and taste awesome after a few hours. That’s really all there is to homemade curd or yogurt. Indian lassi like mango lassi or strawberry lassi drinkstaste way better when you use homemade yogurt to make them too.
However, there are a few things to keep in mind while making curd at home. I learnt most of it by trial and error and I finally feel ready to share it with you all.
Homemade Indian Curd Recipe
Preparation time: 6 hours
Makes 500 ml set curds
Ingredients for making curd:
500 ml of milk (see notes below)
1.5 tsp of curd
How to make Curd:
1. Bring the milk to boil and set aside to cool. The temperature to which it needs to cool is important. It should be warm – not lukewarm, not hot. A good test is to insert your (clean!) finger in the milk and see if you can hold it there for 10 seconds without needing to pull it out because it’s too hot or feeling too comfortable because it’s too cold.
2. Transfer the milk to the container you want to set the curds in.
3. Add the curds to the milk. Yes, to make curd you need curd as a starter. The bacteria in our starter then acts on the rest of the milk and turns it all to curd. How cool is that, eh?
4. Mix the curd and the milk well together. This step is important. The better they are mixed, the quicker and better the curd will set. Using a whisk is a great idea too.
5. Once mixed, keep loosely covered in a warm place. Once the milk has completely cooled down, you can close the lid tighter (even airtight) but this is not necessary.
6. After about 6-8 hours, tadaaa! 🙂
Although I have been making curd at home for more than 4 years now, I still feel great when I see a perfectly set batch of homemade curd.
One of my favourite “quick snack” as a kid was to eat freshly made dahi with some sugar.
Notes:
– The type of milk you use for making curd impacts the outcome largely. Amma buys directly from a local milkman so her curd turns sour in a matter of hours. She makes fresh curd every day.
– I use the UHT (ultra-heat treated) milk available in cartons in Singapore. I have tried pretty much every brand and find that the Fair Price full cream milk gives me the best results. You can see a picture of it in the ‘how to make paneer‘ post. Fresh milk works too but the more the fat content, the thicker your yogurt.
– The temperature and humidity of the place you live in plays a major part too. Since Singapore is warm through the year and quite humid, I can leave the curds to set pretty much anywhere and still turn up with great results. If you live in a cold place, I would recommend the oven light technique that we discussed in the idli batter recipe post. Just leave the curd to set in your oven with the light turned on for warmth.
– If your curd is stringy and gooey, that means the temperature of the milk was not right – either it was too hot or too cold. You will have to experiment a bit with this to get it right for the place you live in.
– If the curd hasn’t set even after 6-8 hours (or 10 hours!), it’s possible you used too little starter curd amount, the milk was not warm enough or the temperature is not warm enough.
– What type of vessel should you use to set curd? I am told stainless works out the best but have found out that it doesn’t matter that much. I use pyrex glass bowls and love the convenience. Having an airtight lid to close it once the milk has cooled down helps the setting process for curd.
– Try to use the starter curd at room temperature so it doesn’t bring down the temperature of the milk too much. This is not a make or break situation but no harm in being careful.
– To make curd without curd as a starter, try adding a couple of dry red chillies (with stalk if possible) into the heated milk. I haven’t tried this but a friend of mine said this works as did Sreelu who said it makes curd set faster and thicker in the US.
I think I’ve covered most of the things that could go wrong with making curd at home, but let me know if you have other questions.
Hi nags,
Thanks for sending me the link in instagram😀This is really helpful for me..I have seen my mother in law setting exactly in the same.. I do it always when we were in Chennai. It’s almost 3 years we came to Singapore, I have never tried setting curd😬. Now a days my lil girl started liking more and We started using a lot.. So jus today I tried with Farmhouse fresh milk and it’s doesn’t show any changes after 8 hours😜.I find it very interesting after reading through your post..Now I learnt it.. So I wil try with full cream milk next time👍
hope it came out successfully? 🙂
Hi…
I did try making the curd at home today using a pinch of sugar and the curd is set so well….in simply loving it..
my curd used to be gooey however today it’s not less than store bought.
Thank you so so much…
I am so happy with the outcome.
You have mentioned everything that can go wring with setting the curd..
That was very helpful…I always went wrong with temperature of milk…so I thought it right this time…
many thanks…
hi nagalakshi mam., i am newly married. i like curd very much. but after marriage i started avoiding it because of making it in a wrong way. now after reading this page, i am really very happy and also getting a new confidence in preparing it as u mentioned here and very eager to taste it.. thank you. it was very useful for me.
glad it helped!
Hi Nageshwari, So do you still continue to feel Fairprice full cream milk gives the best results? So far I have been using the Dutchlady brand. Wanted to give fairprice whole milk a try to check if that tastes better. Let me know if you have changed your choice of milk.
hi there, my name is nagalakshmi 🙂 i currently use farmhouse full cream milk from the fresh milk fridge in the supermarkets and get good results. I have stopped using UHT milk
Iyer mam..
Really worth reading your detailed version on curd.
Congrats.
I use to make yogurt every week and here are some tips that i learned from cheese makers:
– the best choice is fresh milk that hasn’t gone through any thermal treatment. Then you have to pasteurize it before you use it, to reduce bacteria. You don’t have to boil it, it would decimate bacteria and there’s no need for that. 72°C for 20 seconds is more than enough (you can buy a cooking thermometer, they’re cheap). When I do it at home I heat the milk on the kitchen stove until it reaches 72°C and then I put the pan in cold water to quickly reduce the temperature to 40°C
– Milk bought in stores is already pasteurized, so you don’t need to do the above. UHT milk is the worst choice if you want to make yogurt or cheese (because it is kind of “sterilsed”, but it will do 😉
– Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus, the bacteria present in yogurt, love the heat. The ideal temperature for them to multiply ranges from 30°C to 40°C. If you live in Simgapore, room temperature is probably fine, but in colder climates, keep your milk in the oven with the heat off and the light on (this should keep the milk just above 30°C).
– the time needed for the milk to become yogurt may vary a lot, depending on the milk and the temperature, from 2-3 to 10-12 hours… check it from time to time
I hope this will be helpful.
This is amazing! Thank you 🙂
Oh dear, my bete noire 🙁 I can NEVER predict how my yogurt will turn out so I always end up buying it from the store. But I know that the taste of homemade yogurt is far superior to the store bought one! I made your Kerala plum cake yesterday and it turned out great and the 6" size was perfect for my little family. Am making more over the weekend to give away. Thanks so for sharing the recipe 🙂
I have a cooking thermometre too: so a temp for the milk would be useful, if anyone knows!
Also, in Punjab in winter my Mom covers the curds to set with a sort of blanket: or newspapers + blanket to keep the heat in.
a very informatory post Nags…
Now I know, at times why would I be failing to set it right !!!!
My mom-in-laws sets a perfect curd…
Rashmi
You are really an inspirational factor to all the budding bloggers. You are able to make 'curd' to an awesome interesting post with perfect photos, which I haven't thought about this. Keep rocking Nags! waiting to see more 🙂 !!
Useful post…love the clicks too!
This should be a very very useful post to a lot of people, nicely explained 🙂
I am pretty bad at judging temperatures so I think I'm quite likely to screw up there. I do have a cooking thermometer though! Do you have any idea of what the actual temperature of the milk should be just before setting? (I am in Singapore too.)
At times when temperature of the milk is not optimum and the curd added to setting purpose may be of not good quality even may result in not perfectly set and well formed curd and that gives taste too improper. Health wise too well set and well formed curd only is good to consume and can give good food value too. Curd is considered as Amrut and is very good for women in any stages of life be it young,adult,grown ups,pregnant,lactating or feeding,sick,just becoming normal from sickness-convalescence stage,sick and aged and so on! It is easily digested, gives required calories helps build immunity and even helps get Vitamin B Complex naturally and every woman must consume an amount equal to about 100 mls of curds daily while in meals so that they never feel short of Calcium when they reach Menopause and keep comfortable against Osteoporosis also.
Nags Heard and seen from amma , She adds Green chilly by cutting the edge and add it in the milk to get the curd as soon as possible ! {roughly 2 to 3 hours}
When I make curd, I use spiral whipper and whip it unless observe foam on the surface and always get nice curd.
Btw, nice article with lovely pictures…I’m off to see your other post too
First time here and glad meeting you, hope to see you on my space.
Have a good day!
Ooh nice! I am having curd envy! I tried making curd once but nothing happened 🙁 I found out later that it was because you need to use curd with live cultures as starter and most brands don't contain live cultures here in the US.I am on the look out for a brand that does and will try again!
nice post…wonderful clicks..
Nags, Adding a dried red chili helps set yogurt, especially in the winter months when it gets really cold. my 2 cents 🙂
Hi just came across this old string looking for help on making yogurt with a chilli starter. Are you all adding the whole chilli (and is it whole, or split or chopped? is it a dried red indian chilli OR fresh red/green chilli ) or adding just the STEM of the chilli? and are the chillis used in replacement of yogurt starter, or in addition to it? Thanks so much!
Hi Anu, I haven’t tried this yet but it’s the whole red Indian dry chilli that is used. You can also add a couple of stems to make the process faster. This is added instead of the starter.
That is a very useful post 🙂 Just when I needed it..! Can I use the regular store bought Yoghurt to start out with?
Thanks!
I use plastic container and microwave Amul milk 1 ltr tetra pack for 2 mins and then mix the starter curd.
It comes out perfect.
Hi, thanks, just wanted to tell you, if you have mistaken me for the Sharmilee of Sharmi's passion, am not that Sharmilee :), anyway thanks for all your recipes and lovely photos, am regular reader of urs 🙂
🙂 When I saw the comment I thought you were her but then I remembered she puts a smiley at the end of her name. That comment was meant for you dear Sharmilee. (I guessed people must call you Sharmi no? Correct me if not ok? 🙂
Thanks so much for the support!
ohhh good, thanks for calling me Sharmi, it reminded me of my dearest friend who calls me Sharmi, and the only one to call so, now i have one more 😉
I was good at making curd in India but I cudnt get it right in Australia. Maybe its the milk type here. Ur article is encouraging me to give it a try again, so I m gonna do that this weekend. I just love wat all u cook. Thanks
when i make curd, after adding the starter curd to the milk, i pour it to another vessel and back to the main one, 2 – 3 times (like we do for "Kaappi/Tea aatharthu"), this really mixes the curd well with the milk, which is important for curd to tight set(may be whisk also does the same)
Sharmi, my mom does the same thing and I actually tried to explain it in the post while typing it but couldn't find the right words 😀 I think you did a better job than me… hehe 🙂
Sometimes when I set curd, a wheyish liquid forms atop of the set curd. Though the curd comes perfect, may I know what could be the reason behind it?
Thats the Wonderful Post 🙂 with lot of notes !
I know it could be difficult for you..but putting your milk in a clay container (not baked much which should be porou), ll remove extra water forming out of the process, ll get you good result..i have seen women in Gujarat, selling super tight curd which dont overflow even after turning the bowl upside down..
wow, didn't know about that. if i need hung curd, i make that separately by hanging curd in a muslin cloth tied over the sink
Yes. Setting in kulhads(earthen cups used to serve tea) yields great results! We do that in Gujarat. 🙂
I think the best container to set curds is either ceramic or terracota/man chatti that we get in India. The porous nature of these materials make the curds set well.
Nice article with tempting pics. One question – will curd set properly in plastic containers? I use only steel dabbas for that.
I have added this question to the post now 🙂 I use a glass container actually. Although it's said that steel works best, I have found it doesn't make much of a difference compared to the other variables in making curd. Plastic would be my last option though.
A very aesthetic story there..beautiful pictorial Nags…
Very useful post, perfect
me to using te same way t set curd while making at home.. but during winters i like to use casseroles and tight lid the container… and da.. here you will get a thick and yummy curd in winters too.. 🙂 🙂
I have a funny situation. I boil the milk and let it cool to the right temp and then put it into two separate bowls and using the same measuring spoon add curd for setting. One bowl turns out with perfectly set curds while the other one becomes gooey. Any idea why this hsppens? We live in Penang and I guess the weather is almost the same as Singapore. So it has always become a gamble while setting the curds. Oh and buying those curd cartons is super expensive when you think of the simplicity iof doing it at home
hah! now that's a unique issue alright. i think the milk in the second bowl cools down a bit by the time you get to it? Not sure.
I know its wierd. Anycase I dont mind as the gooey curd gets used up for my Rava Idlies 🙂
Eating gooey curd does not feel right, i know… But what i do is make raita with it… Adding salt an other spices breaks down the gooeness and it looks like simple whisked curd…
Nice tips Nags. I use the same pyrex container with the blue lid to set curd everytime. I actually microwave it for a few minutes and the curd turns out perfect!