Homemade Yogurt / How To Make Curd or Dahi at Home

Homemade Yogurt is easy and simple to make, and all we need is two ingredients, milk, and yogurt culture. Making yogurt, also known as Yoghurt, Curd, or Dahi at home, means it will be free from preservatives and thickening agents. And we will have healthier, fresh, cost-effective, and delicious yogurt.

Jump to:

• About Homemade Yogurt
• Ingredients
• Step by Step Directions
• Set Yogurt in Small Bowls
• Helpful Tips For Homemade Yogurt
• Frequently Asked Questions
• More Homemade Recipes
• Recipes With Yogurt
• Recipe Card

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About Homemade Yogurt

My family loves yogurt, and we like to have it in many forms like plain yogurt, Greek yogurt, fruit yogurt, Chhas, Lassi, and so on. For me, yogurt is a staple ingredient for many Eggless Baking recipes. Also, many Indian recipes require fresh as well as sour yogurt.

But the fact is, we like homemade yogurt, and we always prefer it over store-bought. And making yogurt at home is incredibly easy, requiring only two ingredients. 

When I was in India, my mom used to make curd every day (she still does), just like most Indian households. After moving to Canada, I was terribly missing homemade yogurt and couldn’t develop a taste for store-bought yogurt. Also, we had to make sure that the yogurt we pick is vegetarian and Gelatin free.

So I decided to continue Indian tradition and started making Dahi at home. With certain tricks, even in freezing cold winter, I make yogurt at home without fail.

Ingredients

For making yogurt at home, we need milk and a little bit of yogurt as a starter. 

Milk: We can make yogurt from 2% milk, whole milk, or full-fat milk. However, with 2% milk, the yogurt will be low-fat and not thick and creamy. So if you want your yogurt thick and creamy, use whole milk or full-fat milk. We drink Chhas or eat yogurt almost every day, so I often make yogurt with 2% milk (to keep it low-fat). And for special recipes where I need thick yogurt or hung yogurt, I make it from whole milk. In this recipe, I have used whole milk to make yogurt.

Yogurt Starter: We need somewhere from 1 teaspoon to a tablespoon of starter to make homemade yogurt. We can use a starter from previously made yogurt or store-bought yogurt. However, do not use Greek yogurt as a starter. If we ran out of yogurt or if it is too sour, we used to get a starter from neighbors in India. When I started making yogurt in Canada, I got a starter (from homemade yogurt) from one of my friends. So to start with, you can also get it from a friend or family who makes homemade yogurt.

Step by Step Directions

• Rinse the pot which you are using to boil milk with cold water. Rinsing with cold water will reduce the chance of milk sticking to the bottom.
• Pour milk in it and bring to a boil on medium-high heat.

• Keep string at regular intervals to prevent milk from sticking to the bottom.
• Stirring will also break the skin or forming of cream layers on the milk.

• After milk starts boiling, turn the heat on low and allow milk to simmer on low heat for 5-10 minutes.
• Simmering of milk for few minutes will help yogurt to be thick and creamy.

• Turn off the heat, remove the pot and let it cool down to a lukewarm temperature. 
• If you do not want a cream layer on top of milk, keep stirring at intervals while milk is cooling down.
• If your yogurt starter is in the fridge, take it out. Set it on the counter, so it will come to room temperature while your milk is cooling down.

• Check the milk for the correct lukewarm temperature. You can check by immersing a clean finger into milk; it should be warm (tolerable) but not hot.
• But if you are not sure, you can also check the temperature by using a candy thermometer. The temperature should be between 40-44 degrees celsius.

• Pour the milk into a container or bowl in which you want to set the yogurt. 
• You can also use the same pot or a clay pot to set the yogurt.

• Add yogurt culture and mix it with the whisk.
• The amount of yogurt starter may vary depending on the weather and how sour the starter is.
• It could be a teaspoon to a tbsp. You will need less starter in hot weather, and in winter weather, you may need more.
• If your starter is sour, do not add too much of it.

• Mixing with a whisk will evenly distribute the starter into the milk. It will also froth the milk and help in making thick yogurt.

• Cover the container or bowl with the lid. Keep the container in a warm place without disturbing for 5-7 hours or until set.
• In hot weather, it can set as early as in 4 hours. So keep an eye. Keeping the yogurt at room temperature for longer after it sets will make it sour.

• Place the curd in the refrigerator for at least two hours to let it set further. Then yogurt is ready to enjoy!
• Keep the yogurt refrigerated; it will stay fresh for 3-4 days.  If you still have leftover yogurt after 3-4 days, you can use it in many other Indian dishes where sour curd or buttermilk is required.

Set Yogurt in Small Bowls

• After milk comes to a lukewarm temperature, pour it into individual bowls.
• Add the yogurt starter, a tsp, into each bowl and whisk well. Cover bowls with lids and keep them in a warm place to set.

• Once the yogurt is set, place the bowls into the fridge for at least two hours to set further.

Helpful Tips For Homemade Yogurt

For Creamy and Thick Homemade Yogurt

• The yogurt will be creamy and thick depending on the type of milk; for the best results, use only whole milk. We can make yogurt with 2% milk for low-fat (I often do for the low-fat option), but then yogurt will not be too thick, and there will be lots of whey.
• So if you are looking for thick and creamy yogurt, use only whole milk or full-fat milk. In this recipe, I have made yogurt using whole milk.
• Also, simmering the milk for 5-10 minutes after boiling will help yogurt to be thick. After adding the yogurt starter, mix it in the milk with a whisk because frothing will also make the yogurt thick and delicious.

Best Places Where Homemade Yogurt Can Set Well

• Place the container in a dark and warm place. Place it in the kitchen cabinet or the oven without turning it on. If it is cold in your kitchen, you can also turn the oven light on.
• In the last couple of years, I found the best place to keep the container for yogurt to set. And it is my countertop which is close to the gas range! So when I cook, the surrounding area of my gas range will also become warm, and yogurt will be ready in 4-5 hours. Even in the winter, this trick works.
• Have you ever totally forgotten about the container after putting it in the cabinet or oven to set the yogurt? It has happened to me a few times in the past. And by the time I remember, the yogurt already becomes sour. But keeping it on the countertop means I can never forget about it. However, it is essential to keep it close to your stove, and if you are not cooking that day, it will take more hours to set.
• If you don’t find any warm place in winter, you can also cover the milk container with a woolen scarf or a warm cloth and place it in the kitchen cabinet.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why My Yogurt didn’t Set, and it’s still milk?

• If the milk’s temperature is not warm and the milk is cold, the bacteria from the starter will not be active. And so yogurt will not set. On the contrary, if milk is too hot, and you add a starter, the hot temperature will kill the bacteria.
• It may also happen because your starter is not good.
• The other reason could be that the place where you kept your container is cold and does not provide the necessary warmness.

What To Do If My Yogurt Does Not Set?

• If you are sure that you followed all the steps correctly for making the yogurt, and still it didn’t set, do this: place your container carefully in the oven and start your oven to a warm setting. Keep your oven warm for 3-5 minutes. Then turn it off, and check the yogurt after 30 minutes. If this trick works, your yogurt should be set in half an hour or about to be set soon. If your oven does not have a warm setting, set the oven temperature to 170° F. Once the oven reaches this temperature, keep it on for 2 minutes and then turn the oven off. And check the yogurt after half an hour.
• However, if you do not have an oven, there is another way. After you finish cooking your meal, place the container on the stovetop, which is turned off. The stovetop will still be hot and stay warm for a while, which will help yogurt to be set. 

Why My Yogurt Has Too Much Whey or Water?

• If using low-fat milk, there will be more whey part in your yogurt. The other reason is temperature; if you mix the starter with hot milk and not warm, the yogurt will be runny and not thick. 
• Also, placing the milk container in a very hot place instead of a warm place, the yogurt will have more whey.

Why My Yogurt is Sour?

Keeping the yogurt at room temperature even after it is set makes the yogurt sour. If your yogurt starter is sour, and you use more than needed, then yogurt will be sour. Do not disappoint if your yogurt comes out sour, make Chhas, or use in the recipes which require sour yogurt.

So I hope you will like this recipe and if you make it, please leave your comment. You can also easily rate the recipe in the recipe card below.

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