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 tastes 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,
whole milk is the best in terms of flavor and texture
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 tastes 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,
whole milk is the best in terms of flavor and texture
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.
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
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
Milk
|
Plain yogurt
|
Directions:
1. In a heavy bottom stainless steel pan pour 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. This low-and-slow method helps prevent
the milk from burning on the bottom of the pan. You could also boil the milk in
microwave in a large plastic container.
1. In a heavy bottom stainless steel pan pour 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. This low-and-slow method helps prevent
the milk from burning on the bottom of the pan. You could also boil the milk in
microwave in a large plastic container.
In a pan add milk
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.
the pan from the stove and let the milk cool down.
Milk start boiling
Milk boiled at 200°F
3. Allow the milk in the pot cool down to 110°F or until it become luke warm. It
takes about 1 hour to 1½ for milk to cool down
takes about 1 hour to 1½ for milk to cool down
Milk cool dawn
4. With a 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 without pulling it out from the heat, you’re there.
thermometer then check it by dipping a clean finger in the milk for a count of
10 without pulling it out from the heat, you’re there.
Milk cool dawn at 110 °F
Check with finger if milk is cool dawn
5. If the milk forms a skin while cooling, make sure to remove it—unless you like
lumpy yogurt. You can skim it off with a spoon or a fork.
lumpy yogurt. You can skim it off with a spoon or a fork.
Take the skin out of the Milk
6. Pour the milk into a bowl or the container you are going to make yogurt.
Pour Milk into a bowl
7. Add a little warmed milk into the starter yogurt just before adding it to the
Milk.
Milk.
Add Milk in starter yogurt
Mix starter yogurt well with milk
8. Before adding the starter in the Milk check the temperature . If the milk cools
below, 110°F gently warm it up to 110 degrees. If in this process
of reheating, the temperature goes above 110 degrees, wait again until it comes
back down to 110°F You could also test milk by your finger)
9. Do not add the starter if Milk is hot.
below, 110°F gently warm it up to 110 degrees. If in this process
of reheating, the temperature goes above 110 degrees, wait again until it comes
back down to 110°F You could also test milk by your finger)
9. Do not add the starter if Milk is hot.
Check the temperature of Milk
11. Add the starter yogurt in the milk and stir into the milk.
Add starter yogurt in the milk
Mix starter yogurt with milk
12. Cover the bowl with the lid.
Cover the bowl with the lid
13. An ideal incubator for making yogurt is the oven, place the bowl in the oven
close the door and turn the light on of the oven. Oven light keeps the oven warm.
* If you do not have oven then cover the bowl with a lid and lay a kitchen towel
over that to promote warmth. Let the milk mixture sit undisturbed to incubate in
warm place overnight or at least for 7 to 8 hours or until yogurt cultured.
* Avoid disturbing or moving the bowl before yogurt is set.
*You could check the yogurt in about 6-8 hours, and your yogurt is done.
close the door and turn the light on of the oven. Oven light keeps the oven warm.
* If you do not have oven then cover the bowl with a lid and lay a kitchen towel
over that to promote warmth. Let the milk mixture sit undisturbed to incubate in
warm place overnight or at least for 7 to 8 hours or until yogurt cultured.
* Avoid disturbing or moving the bowl before yogurt is set.
*You could check the yogurt in about 6-8 hours, and your yogurt is done.
Place the bowl in an oven
14. 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.
15. 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.
the yogurt has cultured. If you wish you can simply drain the liquid off or
leave it in the yogurt.
15. 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.
Yogurt is ready
Yogurt
Tips:
1. Use only plain yogurt for culture. You could also use store bought plain
yogurt.
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. You could also use store bought plain
yogurt.
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)
