HOW TO MAKE THICK CURD

Preparing curd is an art by itself. Indian homes are very used to having curd/ yoghurt also called dahi along with meals. In South India curd is consumed at the end of the meal be it lunch or dinner. Fresh curd is in great demand.

Yogurt is a fermented milk product produced by bacterial fermentation of milk. The bacteria used to make yogurt are known as “yogurt cultures“. Fermentation of lactose by these bacteria produces lactic acid, which acts on milk protein to give yogurt its texture and its characteristic taste.

An old myth regarding curd

Curd is tasty when fresh and it is not sour (pulla / pulippa) . Starter yoghurt is called Ora /thodu. There is a myth that starter curd/ ora/ thodu should not be borrowed from another home at night. When there was a need for going to neighbors house for starter curd, my granny used to remind that it was not the right time to borrow. Grandma would continue saying that you should not borrow salt and sarso i.e mustard seeds from anyone. It will convey poverty or daaridram i.e financially poor status. This tradition of borrowing starter curd continues in modern times because it is natural and not induced.

These were few old memories. Now that we have groceries and super markets at every lane in the localities be it urban or rural, buying commodities can be planned any time of the day.

Tips for preparing curd :

Do not add starter curd to hot milk. The bacteria will die and the milk will get curdled…appearance of split milk. Ensure the milk is lukewarm temp app. 45 deg C. Check point is when you dip your finger into the milk (ready for preparing curd) it should be feel warm. The curd will set in the shape of the container you dispense into. You can cut thru’ the curd while serving.

I’ll share the benefits of curd after I share the easy recipe of making thick curd at home.

Ingredients :

Starter curd / Thodu: 1 tbsn heaped

Milk: 2 cups

Procedure for making thick curd:

• Boil milk .Lower the flame and let it continue boiling for 3 to 4 mins.
• Allow the milk to cool down to lukewarm temp. Higher temperatures will split the milk and it will have a curdled appearance with an odd taste.
• Dispense the starter curd into a glass and add ½ cup of milk and mix thoroughly with the spoon.
• Now transfer the quantity from one glass to the 2^nd glass, back to back 4 to 5 times. The process is similar to cooling tea which is seen in tea shops. The vendor transfers the tea from one jug to another jug and repeat this 3 to 4 times, the tea will be of right temp to drink also giving a foamy appearance on top of the glass.
• The starter curd gets thoroughly mixed with milk. Keep the utensil closed and undisturbed for 4 hours. Setting is quick in summer due to external temp and heat. In winters you need to provide at least 6 hrs setting time.
• You can leave a red dry chilly along with stem over the curd. This will also help curd set faster.

You can make several recipes with curd. Common recipes are: Butter milk, Lassi, Raitha, Curd rice, Kadi etc. Curd is added in chicken preparations eg: chicken curry, manchuria, used for making cake.

Benefits of curd:

Curd improves appetite when taken along with sugar and salt, actually stimulates the taste buds. Curd quenches thirst too. By-products like lassi and buttermilk are popular drinks at summer.

Curd is good for digestive system, immune system, osteoporosis, stomach problems and cures vaginal infection.

Curd is enjoyed by people of all ages. Do you know preparing curd without starter curd i.e thodu. Give your inputs on this query, article in the comments.