Who doesn’t enjoy a bowl of curd? With its many health benefits and the million different ways in which you can consume it, curd is almost irreplaceable. Did you ever wonder how curd came to be discovered? Was it made with intention?
History suggests that curd, like many other fermented milk products, was discovered by accident! It was primarily due to milk being left unattended for a long time which initiated curdling. Basically, the milk began souring as a result of microbial action. A microorganism called Lactobacillus is responsible for the curdling of milk.
Curd is considered to be a superfood as it is rich in proteins, provides the body with Vitamin B and Calcium and is a fantastic Probiotic and is good for the gut. However, there are many who still struggle to make good thick curd at home and dependent on packaged curd.
So let us learn to make thick, perfect curd at home!
What You Will Need
- Milk – 500 ml
- Curd – 2 tsp
- Water – 2 tsp
How to Prepare Thick Curd
- In a pan add milk and allow it to boil. Keep stirring it lightly.
- After the milk comes to a boil, switch off the flame and let it cool down.
- Now take a bowl, add 2 tsp of curd and 2 tsp water & whisk it together.
- Once the milk cools down, remove the cream from the milk and strain the milk in a bowl.
- In the strained milk, add 2 tsp of curd + water mixture & mix well.
- Cover the bowl and keep it in a warm and dry space for 4-5 hours to set.
- Refrigerate the curd for an hour before you serve it.
Things to Keep in Mind
- Do not use skim milk for making curd, it will be runny.
- The milk should not be very hot when you add culture in it otherwise the curd will coagulate
- Never forget to remove cream
Benefits of Homemade Thick Curd
- Curd which is commercially available is the result of a straining process that removes the liquid whey, resulting in thicker curd.
- In its traditional form, the curd is far more nutrient-dense and is rich in high-quality protein, beneficial probiotics and cancer-fighting linoleic acid.
- Poor quality milk is used to produce most commercial curd, which can be a concern.
What if You Do Not Have Starter Curd?
- Take boiled milk in a vessel and reheat it a little for making the starter curd. Use lukewarm milk. Now, pour little amount of milk in 3 different bowls for making the starter curd.
- In one cup of milk drop 2 green chilies. It is very important to have the stalk attached to the chilies for making the starter curd and make sure it is submerged completely in the milk.
- In second cup of milk, add 2 red chilies and submerge it completely.
- In third cup of milk, add 1 tbsp. of lemon juice and mix it well.
- Cover all the three cups of milk and store in a warm place for 12 hours.
Making starter curd is little time-consuming. Its not as good when compared to Dahi and is only used in making the curd.
Here you go! Try this natural and healthy way to make thick curd at home and don’t rely on packaged curd. Do share your experience in the comments below!
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#BeTheForce
We always learn a lot from our traditions. It’s not only stories, but also practical implementations that we can do in our day to day life. There’s so much to learn from mythology and history alike. For instance, we have grown up listening to stories of Lord Krishna. We all know that Lord Krishna was brought up in Gokul, where there was plenty of milk & milk products. He was considered notorious for stealing milk, butter, and curd in his childhood. In one of the folklores, it’s mentioned that Lord Krishna used to gather all the food stuff brought by his fellows and mix it up. This gave birth to the dish – Gopalkala (Dahikala) which has different foods mixed up with curd.
