Tips to Make Thick Curd: A delicacy and a wonder food, fresh curd is a must-have in almost every Indian household. Making curd at home is the easiest, yet if it is not set to a soft thick creamy texture, a variation upon which depends heavily, one ends up with a curd that is runny and cloudy. With these easy-going tried and tested methods of making thick curd, you shall be surprised to find that some of them are being used in hotels!
The thickness of curd depends on the fat composition of milk. Full-cream or whole milk curd is far creamier and thicker than that from toned or skim milk, it is better to keep everything low in fat.
After boiling, keep boiling the milk for another 3 to 5 minutes. This evaporates some amount of water, concentrates the solids in the milk, yielding thick curd. Remember, stirring the milk occasionally is important, or else the bottom will burn.
The milk should be not hot or cold; just warm before putting in the starter. The ideal temperature should hover around 37C-40C-just the right temperature for the milk to be fed to a baby. At this temperature, the bacteria present in the starter flourish.
A fresh starter is thick and slightly sweet. Sour or watery curd contributes mainly to runny curd. For 500 ml of milk, use about 1 to 2 tsp of starter culture, stirring in one direction gently.
These curds need to be set in a warm place for 6-8 hours. Do not disturb the container during setting, as it affects thickness. During the winters, wrapping the jar in a cloth or placing it inside a closed oven provides warmth.
Also Read: Glow Naturally With Raw Milk on Face
Always refrigerate the curds for about 1-2 hours before serving after setting. Chilling curd will halt fermentation and help it hold onto a thicker texture.
Pro Tip: Add Milk Powder
To the milk, add 1-2 tablespoon milk powder before boiling. This will enhance the thickness of the curd by increasing the solid content of the final product, thereby enhancing the richness in creaminess.
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