How to make yogurt at home
(Dahi / Curd)
Yogurt is a natural fermentation of pasteurization of milk. It is, in fact, fairly simple to make your own homemade yogurt, even without a yogurt maker.
Commercially available yogurts are usually heavily sweetened. Making your own yogurt is a good way to avoid this excess sugar. Homemade yogurt certainly taste better then store bought, it is not only easy to make but is also free of any preservatives found in store bought yogurt.
You may want to learn to make yogurt at home. You can make yogurt with any kind of milk such as whole milk, 2%, 1% and even fat free milk. Indians consume lot of yogurt. It is eaten with every meal. Yogurt is also acts as a tenderizer in marinades. It is cooked with curries and added to gravies to make them thick and add a little savor taste. Yogurt is also used to make different kinds of lassi (shakes).
Yogurt making has been a common practice throughout India over the centuries. It used to be a tradition to use terra cotta pots to set the yogurt, not only the yogurt taste better but it is believed that yogurt from terra cotta container have a cooling effect on the body.
Commercially available yogurts are usually heavily sweetened. Making your own yogurt is a good way to avoid this excess sugar. Homemade yogurt certainly taste better then store bought, it is not only easy to make but is also free of any preservatives found in store bought yogurt.
You may want to learn to make yogurt at home. You can make yogurt with any kind of milk such as whole milk, 2%, 1% and even fat free milk. Indians consume lot of yogurt. It is eaten with every meal. Yogurt is also acts as a tenderizer in marinades. It is cooked with curries and added to gravies to make them thick and add a little savor taste. Yogurt is also used to make different kinds of lassi (shakes).
Yogurt making has been a common practice throughout India over the centuries. It used to be a tradition to use terra cotta pots to set the yogurt, not only the yogurt taste better but it is believed that yogurt from terra cotta container have a cooling effect on the body.
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Ingredients:
1 Quart of milk-Whole milk or 2% Milk 4 Tablespoons of existing plain yogurt (store bought or previously made yogurt) Large sauce pan – For 4 cups of milk use 6 cups sauce pan. Cooking measurement conversion Measurement converter |
Plain yogurt
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Directions:
1. In a heavy bottom stainless steel pan pour the milk and bring it to boil. Keep
the heat on low heat. Be patient when boiling the milk and do not raise the heat
because milk tends to burn quickly. You could also boil the milk in microwave
in a large plastic container.
2. In about 30 to 35 minutes milk will start to boil turn the stove off and remove
the pan from the stove and let the milk cool down to 110 degree or until it
become luke warm. It takes about 1 hour to 1½ for milk to cool down.
1. In a heavy bottom stainless steel pan pour the milk and bring it to boil. Keep
the heat on low heat. Be patient when boiling the milk and do not raise the heat
because milk tends to burn quickly. You could also boil the milk in microwave
in a large plastic container.
2. In about 30 to 35 minutes milk will start to boil turn the stove off and remove
the pan from the stove and let the milk cool down to 110 degree or until it
become luke warm. It takes about 1 hour to 1½ for milk to cool down.
Boil the milk in a pan
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Milk came to boil
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3. With the thermometer check the milk temperature. If you do not have the
thermometer then check it by dipping a clean finger in the milk for a count of
10 before it becomes uncomfortably hot or if the milik feel warm then it is the
right temperature.
4. Pour the milk into glass bowl or the container you are going to make yogurt.
Now add existing plain yogurt in the warm milk and mix it well.
5. Cover the bowl and let the milk mixture sit undisturbed to incubate in a dark,
warm place overnight or at least for 6 to 7 hours or until yogurt cultured. If you
do not have a warm place in the kitchen then you have two options.
· First the oven is the best place, turn on your oven briefly to the lowest heat setting, and turn it off and open the oven door for few minutes, because you do not want very hot oven. If you have an oven thermometer, wait until the oven temperature reaches 95 to 100 degree if you do not have thermometer then use your best judgment, oven should not be too hot, it should be just warm place, then place the milk bowl in the oven and close the oven door. If your oven does not maintain the temperature for long period of time then turn the oven light on and leave it on to maintain the temperature.
· The second option is the closet. Place the container in the closet and close the door. If the closet is not warm then wrap the container in the blanket then place the container.
6. When a thin film of whey, or yellowish liquid, rises to the top, you will know the yogurt has cultured. If you wish you can simply drain the liquid off or leave it in the yogurt.
7. Refrigerate the yogurt. It will continue to firm up as it gets cold. Yogurt will stay fresh for almost a week then it becomes savor.
thermometer then check it by dipping a clean finger in the milk for a count of
10 before it becomes uncomfortably hot or if the milik feel warm then it is the
right temperature.
4. Pour the milk into glass bowl or the container you are going to make yogurt.
Now add existing plain yogurt in the warm milk and mix it well.
5. Cover the bowl and let the milk mixture sit undisturbed to incubate in a dark,
warm place overnight or at least for 6 to 7 hours or until yogurt cultured. If you
do not have a warm place in the kitchen then you have two options.
· First the oven is the best place, turn on your oven briefly to the lowest heat setting, and turn it off and open the oven door for few minutes, because you do not want very hot oven. If you have an oven thermometer, wait until the oven temperature reaches 95 to 100 degree if you do not have thermometer then use your best judgment, oven should not be too hot, it should be just warm place, then place the milk bowl in the oven and close the oven door. If your oven does not maintain the temperature for long period of time then turn the oven light on and leave it on to maintain the temperature.
· The second option is the closet. Place the container in the closet and close the door. If the closet is not warm then wrap the container in the blanket then place the container.
6. When a thin film of whey, or yellowish liquid, rises to the top, you will know the yogurt has cultured. If you wish you can simply drain the liquid off or leave it in the yogurt.
7. Refrigerate the yogurt. It will continue to firm up as it gets cold. Yogurt will stay fresh for almost a week then it becomes savor.
Tips:
1. Use only plain yogurt for culture.
2. Whole milk makes the thickest yogurt but you can use 2% milk. You can use any type of milk in any fat concentration, but the less fat the milk has, the consisting of yogurt will be thinner.
3. If you wish to use 1%, low fat or skim milk for making yogurt then you cannot
boil it on the stove, because the milk will burn. But you can boil the milk in
microwave or you can boil it in double boiler. Create a double boiler by using
two pots that are different sizes and one fit inside another. Place the large pot on
the stove and fill the pot about one-third with water then place the smaller pot
with the milk inside the larger one and let the milk boil.
4. Boil the milk in large pan because when milk boils it rises and it may spill out of the pan and it will be a mess to clean the stove.
5. It takes a while for milk temperature to go down. if you want to lower the milk
temperature quickly then the best way is to fill the kitchen sink with some water
and then drop some ice cubes then place the milk bowl on the ice cubes, milk
temperature will drop quickly.
6. Add existing culture to luke warm milk, if milk is too hot or too cold it would
not turn into yogurt.
7. If you want to make yogurt sour, then after milk become yogurt leave it few
hours longer in a warm place.
8. Save some of your yogurt for your next homemade batch.
9. Electric yogurt makers are convenient for incubating the yogurt, but not
necessary and you need to boil milk on the stove any way.
1. Use only plain yogurt for culture.
2. Whole milk makes the thickest yogurt but you can use 2% milk. You can use any type of milk in any fat concentration, but the less fat the milk has, the consisting of yogurt will be thinner.
3. If you wish to use 1%, low fat or skim milk for making yogurt then you cannot
boil it on the stove, because the milk will burn. But you can boil the milk in
microwave or you can boil it in double boiler. Create a double boiler by using
two pots that are different sizes and one fit inside another. Place the large pot on
the stove and fill the pot about one-third with water then place the smaller pot
with the milk inside the larger one and let the milk boil.
4. Boil the milk in large pan because when milk boils it rises and it may spill out of the pan and it will be a mess to clean the stove.
5. It takes a while for milk temperature to go down. if you want to lower the milk
temperature quickly then the best way is to fill the kitchen sink with some water
and then drop some ice cubes then place the milk bowl on the ice cubes, milk
temperature will drop quickly.
6. Add existing culture to luke warm milk, if milk is too hot or too cold it would
not turn into yogurt.
7. If you want to make yogurt sour, then after milk become yogurt leave it few
hours longer in a warm place.
8. Save some of your yogurt for your next homemade batch.
9. Electric yogurt makers are convenient for incubating the yogurt, but not
necessary and you need to boil milk on the stove any way.
Please take the time to let me know what you think about my recipes. Your comments would be helpful to me to improve the recipe.
Thank you
Geeta Seth
Thank you
Geeta Seth
Other recipes:
Pudina ka raita Boondi ka raita
(Yogurt with mint leaves) (Yogurt with gram flour boondi)
Aloo ka raita Gajar ka raita
(Potatoes with yogurt) (Yogurt with carrots)
kheera ka raita Palak ka raita
(Yogurt with cucumber) (Spinach with yogurt)
Pudina ka raita Boondi ka raita
(Yogurt with mint leaves) (Yogurt with gram flour boondi)
Aloo ka raita Gajar ka raita
(Potatoes with yogurt) (Yogurt with carrots)
kheera ka raita Palak ka raita
(Yogurt with cucumber) (Spinach with yogurt)
