Homemade Yogurt Indian Style

My students love the homemade yogurt and say it is much better than what I buy in the store. It is so easy that you will wonder why you didn't make it all your life. In India, it is made daily.

After many experiments with incubating the yogurt, including putting it into a cooler wrapped in towels in front of the heat register, I found the oven method is the easiest.

Creamy firm consistency is the hardest thing to achieve. Once my yogurt turned out slimy and stringy. So I googled and found a lot of possible reasons. The most likely is the quality or age of the starter. I also read a lot of moaning from desis (Indians transplanted to US or Canada) about how they miss their Indian yogurt. I agree, the Indian yogurt is the best.

Desis miss their yogurt so much that they entreat relatives to bring frozen yogurt culture from India. The other option mentioned by one desi online is a yogurt starter called Yogourmet. I found it at Stongs, tried it and I agree the result is superior to using store yogurt starter, very firm and very delicious. You want to eat a whole litre, so it's good discipline to eat a little bowl.

In any case, take the starter for the next batch from the fresh yogurt that you just made and freeze it in a small glass jar --- about 1/2 cup (125 ml). When making the next batch, thaw it in advance and get it to room temperature. Once the consistency of the yogurt is not good any more, use a new Yogourmet envelope.

You have to use fresh milk and, if using store yogurt starter, fresh yogurt, straight from the store. Using milk or yogurt from containers that have been opened or taking your starter from the bottom of a container does not make nice firm yogurt.

Whole milk and full fat yogurt results in creamier firmer yogurt but you can use 1 or 2 percent milk. I think whole milk and yogurt are healthier because dairy fat contains CLA which has many health benefits.

All utensils and containers must be very clean and dry but you don't have to sterilize them. I was a little careless one day and the result was blue mold on my yogurt. If anything not clean touches the yogurt or jars, the yogurt will be contaminated and not ferment or thicken properly. Wash the jars and lids in the dishwasher and use a clean tea towel or paper towel to dry your containers and utensils. I use glass jars, a glass measuring cup, and a pottery bowl, and try to stick to wooden and metal utensils. I also use a thermometer, but you can also use traditional methods.

Homemade Yogurt Indian Style

Ingredients:

2 - 3 litres of fresh whole milk
Yogurt starter (fresh store yogurt, Yogourmet envelope, or yogurt from the last batch)

Instructions:

Heat the milk to a boil in a stainless steel pot on the stove or in a large glass or pottery bowl in the microwave (much easier and easier to clean up). If heating on the stove, watch it constantly so as not to burn or scorch. In the microwave, it will take between 20 and 40 minutes to heat the milk, depending on how much milk you are heating. It doesn't actually have to boil, but it should be very foamy and a skin should form. I use a thermometer and get it to about 180 degrees F. (80 degrees C.) but you can just look at it.
Take off the skin and discard.
Cool the milk to between 110 and 120 degrees F. (43 - 48 degrees C. ). Finger test: it should be a little warmer than lukewarm. You should be able to put your finger into it for more than 10 seconds. It takes about 45 minutes to cool but you have to watch it carefully.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees F. (80 degrees F.) and turn off.
Add 2 or 3 heaping Tbsp. (75 - 125 ml.) of fresh unopened store yogurt, or all your thawed starter yogurt from the last batch, to the warm milk. Mix very well with a whisk.
Using a clean glass measuring cup, fill clean dry 1-litre glass sealer jars with the warm milk and put the lids on tightly.
Put the jars into the warmed oven for exactly 3-1/2 hours. Exactly 3 1/2 hours makes perfect creamy yogurt, not too tart. For a more tart yogurt, leave it longer. Do not disturb. No checking or moving it.
Put the jars into the frig overnight to thicken the yogurt.
Don't forget to put the starter for the next batch into the a jar in the freezer. When your yogurt consistency is not firm and creamy any more, use a new starter.