HOW TO MAKE YOGURT
MAKING YOGURT AT HOME IS A GAMECHANGER. LEARN HOW.
Homemade yogurt or fresh curd is light, and so much more delicious than store bought. Our yogurt recipe is also surprisingly easy to make at home. We have all the top tips for making fresh yogurt, and some equally great advice for how to turn your fresh yogurt into fresh cheese if things go wrong. Which they won’t! We promise.
Find out the best tips to making yogurt or fresh curd at home >
RECIPE DETAILS
Makes: 1 medium-sized bowl of yogurt.
Cooking time: 10 minutes to heat milk, plus at least four hours to set.
Dietary Style: Gluten Free. Vegetarian.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tbsp of yogurt mother
- 2 cups of milk
- 1 whole chilli. Fresh or dried.
METHOD
How to make our homemade yogurt or fresh curd.
STEP 1
Spread your yogurt mother in the bottom of the vessel in which you’ll be making the yogurt. In India, the yogurt mother can commonly be bought from sweet shops. In other places, it is possible to make yogurt from a starter taken from pot-set yogurt. If you have a friend or neighbour that you know makes their own yogurt, they will be able to provide the mother also.
As Shivani says in the recipe video, it’s best if you use a bowl with a cover so that the yogurt can be sealed while it sets. The seal helps to keep a stable temperature.
STEP 2
Ensure your milk is heated to the correct temperature—we call this coffee drinking temperature. It should not be boiling or too hot to sip. Neither should it be too cool. Pour the heated milk into the bowl with the yogurt mother. Stir to ensure the bacteria in the mother disperses through the milk.
If you do live in a cool climate, set a single chilli (fresh or dried, red or green) atop the bowl of still-liquid yogurt. It will float there. The chilli helps the setting process of yogurt in cooler temperatures. Secure the lid, and keep away in a warm place where the bowl will be undisturbed: if yogurt is moved too much while setting, it won’t set. Refrigerate once set so it doesn’t continue to ferment. In a cool climate of 25 degrees (or less) this will take at least four hours.
LEARN MORE ABOUT
MAKING YOGURT
Where can I buy a yogurt mother?
Across India, a yogurt mother or starter can often be bought at mithai stores, or sweet shops. In other countries, consider using a sample from a pot-set yogurt, or bartering fro a yogurt starter with friends or neighbours.
What is the yogurt mother?
A yogurt mother or starter is similar to a sourdough starter. Essentially it is a sample of yogurt that is alive with the bacteria required to ferment the milk to achieve what we know as yogurt.
Can I use any milk?
Yes. You can use full fat, skim milk, or any variation thereof. Milk with a higher fat content will produce a thicker, creamier yogurt.
What if my yogurt doesn’t set?
If the yogurt doesn’t set, you can add lemon juice to the un-set yogurt to create a soft curd cheese.
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