3 ways to make healthy homemade curd or yogurt

You don t need reasons to have curd or include a bowl of yogurt to your menu with your main meals. Curd or yogurt is an excellent probiotic and does a great deal of good to your gut health. However, instead of picking up a packaged product it is much better to prepare a bowlful of it at home to reap its benefits. There are various ways to make homemade curd or yogurt to ensure fresh, healthy and better consumption. Here are a few ways in which you can make homemade curd.

1. Curd made with starter or stale curd: This is a traditional method of making homemade curd. To prepare curd with starter or stale curd, first, boil at least half a litre of milk and allow it to cool. In a separate bowl (preferably the bowl in which you would like to set the curd) beat two spoons of curd and smoothen it. When the milk turns lukewarm, mix it with the curd by constantly stirring it with a clean spoon or a spatula. Once the milk and the curd are mixed well, cover the lid of the bowl and set aside in a dark warm place. Many people prefer to keep it on the kitchen counter next to the gas stove for the required warmth. Leave the bowl overnight for the curd to form or leave it undisturbed for at least five to six hours. Once the curd is formed you can refrigerate it and use it for up to two days. However, if you wish to make curd by the traditional method, you would need little curd from the previous day or have to buy some from the market. Here are 9 health benefits of curd you need to know.

1. Curd made with red chillies: In case you want your curd to be purely homemade without adding any stale curd or starter curd to it, try making it with dried red chillies. Boil half-a-litre of milk and allow it to cool for a while. When the milk is lukewarm add two to three dried red chillies to it with its stem intact and don t cut the chillies from the middle. A logical explanation given to this process is that dried chillies are rich in lactobacilli, bacteria that help in fermentation of milk to form curd. However, curd made from dried red chillies might not be thick and creamy, but might help you get your own starter curd that you could use later to make thick creamy homemade yogurt. Keep the bowl in a warm cosy setting without disturbing it for at least five to six hours or leave it overnight. Here are some beauty benefits of curd you ought to know.

1. Curd make in pre-heated microwave oven: If you want your homemade curd to be formed quickly, use your microwave for the purpose. Boil half litre of milk and cool it till it s lukewarm. In another vessel, preferably a microwave safe vessel, beat two spoons of curd, smoothen it and add it to the milk. Stir, till the milk and curd has mixed well and then close the lid. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees for two minutes and switch it off. Keep the container inside the microwave and leave it. The curd would be formed in around three to four hours depending on the quantity of milk. Alternatively, you can also boil the milk in the microwave and cool it before making the curd. Did you know eating curd could also help you to lose weight?

Follow these handy tips to ensure you get good quality homemade curd:

• Opt for whole milk over toned or skimmed milk to get creamy, thick homemade curd.
• Never mix starter curd with boiling hot milk as the curd formed would be watery in consistency and turn sour.
• Make sure the starter curd that you use is not too sour.
• Avoid making curd in the vessel in which you boil your milk.
• During winters you might need more starter curd to form thick creamy yogurt. Also, it takes longer for the curd to form during winters than in summers.
• Smoothen starter curd into a creamy consistency before pouring the lukewarm milk so there are no lumps formed.
• Remember the milk should not be too hot or too cold else the curd formed would be gooey or watery.
• Once the curd is formed, refrigerate it and don't leave it in open for too long as it might turn sour.
• Use the homemade curd within two days after it is formed.

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Reference:

1: Sharma S, Jain S, Nair GN, Ramachandran S. Capsicum annuum enhances L-lactate production by Lactobacillus acidophilus: implication in curd formation. J Dairy Sci. 2013 Jul;96(7):4142-8. doi: 10.3168/jds.2012-6243. Epub 2013 May 6. PubMed PMID: 23660136.