Homemade Yogurt

Yogurt is one of the most eatable things in every corner of the world, its cold-effects reduce the effect of heat in summers, especially in Pakistan, “lasi” is made with yogurt to kill the summer heat. I have always seen all the women in my family making yogurt at home, and I follow their footsteps. Its only very rare that we use a store bought yogurt…. 

Ingredients:

1 liter Milk 

1/2 to 1 tsp curd (yogurt with active cultures)


Method:

Bring Milk to a boil on the stovetop. Use preferably whole milk to get a thick consistency of the yogurt. Allow Milk to cool to slightly warmer than Luke warm, if you use to hot milk it will kill the bacteria’s in culture and your yogurt won’t set or will be too sour. Transfer the milk to the container with a tight fitting lid, add the starter yogurt to the milk and stir it (you can also whisk it to get a slight froth). Cover the container with a kitchen towel and leave it to set for 5-6 hours preferable in a warm place such as a cupboard or oven. After 5-6 hours take it out and check it. If you feel its set place it in the fridge for 2 – 3 hours before using it. 

Tips: If weather is too cool especially in winters cover the bowl with some woolen cloth for better results. In summers it takes less time to get done. If a thicker consistency is preferred, strain the yogurt through muslin in a sieve, it will be more like Greek yogurt. If you want a creamier texture then let the milk simmers for 10-20 minutes. If you don’t have curd at home to use as starter then use the dry starter you can buy ( not available in Pakistan though) Package will tell you how much dry starter to use. Don’t follow the other directions from the dry starter package