Curd, also known as dahi in Hindi, is a fermented milk product made by adding a small amount of yogurt starter to warm milk and allowing it to ferment. It has been prepared traditionally in Indian homes for thousands of years.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 420 minutes
  • Cook time: 10 minutes
  • Total time: 430 minutes
  • Yield: 1 · 1 medium size bowl of curd
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • ½ litre whole milk
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons curd ((dahi or yogurt) to be used as a starter)

Method

Boil Milk

  1. Rinse a thick bottomed pan or saucepan with clean water.
  2. Pour milk into it and heat it on the stovetop on a medium-low to medium heat.
  3. Stir a couple of times when the milk is getting heated so that the milk does not get burnt from the bottom.
  4. When the milk comes to a boil, it will start rising. Before it spills out of the pan, switch off the heat. Set the pan aside on the kitchen countertop.
  5. Let the milk become warm at room temperature.
  6. To check if the milk has become warm dip your little finger (touch method) into the milk and you should feel warm and not hot. Second way is to touch the sides of the pan and it should feel warm and not hot.
  7. The third way is to check with a food thermometer and it should have a temperature between 39 to 44 degrees Celsius or 102 to 111 degree Fahrenheit.
  8. Once the milk has become warm, you can use the same pan for setting curd or transfer the warm milk in another bowl.

Make Curd

  1. Add 1 teaspoon of curd starter to the milk and mix thoroughly with a small wired whisk.
  2. Cover with lid and allow the milk to ferment for 5 to 6 hours or until the curd is set
  3. Depending on the temperature it may take more hours. You can also use Instant pot yogurt function to set the curd.
  4. On fermentation the curd will have a pleasant fermented aroma and with a slight tangy taste and it will also have a wobbly thick texture.
  5. Once the curd is made, refrigerate it so that it does not get overfermented.
  6. If you need sour curd for any recipe then keep the curd for a couple of hours at room temperature. This will lead to more fermentation and the curd will become sour or very sour.
  7. You can eat this curd with your meals. You can also add it to variety of recipes like curd rice, buttermilk, lassi, kadhi, mor kuzhambu, dahi kabab, dahi vada, dahi bhalla, biryani, paneer tikka or make raita with it.

Storage

  1. As soon as the curd is set and fermented well, place it in the refrigerator covered with a lid. Use a clean dry spoon to remove the curd and place the bowl or container back in the fridge.
  2. Homemade yogurt or dahi keeps well in the fridge for about 4 to 5 days.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.