Homemade Yogurt Recipe / How to make Yogurt(Curd) at Home

Actually this is not a recipe but got more request to share How to make Yogurt/curd at home. Even some of my friends also asked to share this Basic Recipe. Yogurt/Curd is one of the staple ingredient in most of the house and we have the habit of including yogurt in our daily diet. I rarely buy yogurt from stores or mainly for the first culture. Otherwise I use only homemade yogurt, the store bought one turns sour soon and also it doesn't have that fresh flavor of curd. So I rarely buy them and rely on Homemade ones. Homemade yogurt tastes so delicious, fresh and even after a week it remains fresh. I love buttermilk made out of homemade Yogurt and Me and V daily drink at least 1 or 2 glasses of Buttermilk.
The main pics were not the end result of step wise homemade yogurt. I couldn't take a pic on the same/fermented day bcoz of some reason so took this pics last week. The main pics were low fat yogurt made out of 1% low fat milk and the step wise pics yogurt were made with combo - 2 cups of low fat & 4 cups of 2% reduced fat milk.

Though its not a great recipe have heard from of my friends and neighbors that they never got their yogurt fermented. The two important things to be taken care to make a perfect homemade yogurt - one is the amount of culture we add to the milk and the other is temperature ie warm/hot milk which we make yogurt. As here in WI, the weather is too cold and in night time its below 15F and sometimes even below 8F but still I could able to make Perfect Yogurt set overnight.

Usually I boil the milk and add starter and allow to ferment overnight. Next day morning Fresh Yogurt will be ready. Now to the recipe...

Ingredients

1. Milk          4 cups 
2. Plain Yogurt      4 tbsp(as a starter/active culture)*

*For Starter Yogurt - You can use store bought plain yogurt or left over homemade yogurt (full cream / low fat), just take 4 tbsp dilute or lightly beat with 1 tbsp of water and thats it ur starter ready, keep aside.

Method

• In a large sauce pan, bring milk to boil in medium high heat. Here it takes more than 15 minutes to reach the boiling level. See 2nd row pic the milk should raise completely to the rim of the vessel/sauce pan.

• Then reduce the heat and simmer for few seconds and turn off the stove.
• Allow the milk to cool for a while, the milk should be hot enough but not burning hot if you touch, you should  able to tolerate the heat.

• At this stage, add plain yogurt now and cover it with lid and leave it undisturbed for 10-12 hours or overnight but in case of warm place u will get within 6-8 hours.

• Next day morning your fresh homemade yogurt ready. Refrigerate and use.

Recipes using Yogurt
Yogurt Rice / Thayir Sadham
Potato Raita
Cucumber Raita
Carrot Raita
Eggless Orange Cake
Eggless Ragi Cupcakes With Coffee

You can also make Fresh Buttermilk with this homemade yogurt, in a pitcher add about 1 cup yogurt, whisk it to a smooth liquid then add 1 and 1/2 cups of water whisk again till frothy n forms a thick liquid. Add some salt, pinch of hing, torn some curry leaves n cilantro, crushed ginger mix well leave it for 10-15 minutes, then filter using strainer and your Spiced Buttermilk Ready.

Notes:
* I usually left the vessel on stove top with the lights on. But u can keep it on oven with its light turned on.
* To increase the chance of fermentation i also add a small green chili as such, no need to stir the milk after adding yogurt.
* Milk should be boiled well and should be hot enough while u add the starter yogurt.
* If it didn't fermented in the morning, don't throw it wait for another 4-6 hours sure u will get a fresh yogurt.
* One of my friend was complaining that if she boil the milk it gets completely burnt at the bottom and the color of the milk tunrs yellow and also it got some burnt flavor. To show her, have clicked the bottom of the vessel, i cook milk in medium high heat and boiled completely but still didn't burnt.
* I usually check it using my finger, if its hot n bearable i add it :)
* If You add starter to the completely cooled milk, yogurt will not set properly, I recommend boiling the milk either in Microwave by increasing the time to 5-6 minutes or more based on ur oven. OR simply boil milk on stove top, cool for a while then add it.
* If your starter yogurt is too sour then add only 2 tbsp for 4 cups of milk
* You can use any milk - whole milk, reduced fat, low fat but dunno about skimmed milk, since haven't tried that.

Sending this to Vardhini's Basics, Tips, Tricks Event