Delightful Curds / Setting of Curds.

Delightful Curds………… 

Curds are dairy product obtained by curdling (coagulating) of milk. It has a special place on palate of India. Freshly cultured starter should be then added and mixed thoroughly with the milk to obtain curds. Children and elders both enjoy curds alike.

Setting up of curds is an art in itself which has to be learned by individual in their own way and experience depending upon the weather of the place they stay in. Once you get the knack of it, then it’s a breeze work.

Curds play an important role in our home. They are necessary part of every meal in some Indian home. They form a part in each meal in many a homes and are must with some people. Many items can be prepared with curds. They are consumed as it is or with a dash of salt / sugar by many people. Curds are added to salads or also served as dips with salads. Curds ane strained to make cheese or sweet dish like Shrikhand which is a famous dish of Maharashtra served with poori.

Curds are also added to curries in many parts of India. They are a great and simple combo when served with parathas, in many homes specially in Northern parts of India parathas are always reserved with curds. Curd is added to rice and seasoned with spices and served as curd rice in the southern parts of India.

Buttermilk / Chaas is another item prepared from curds which is had all round India and is good for digestion. A pinch of hing powder and salt is added to the same by adding some water to it and making it into a lassi type drink. The list of items made using curds are endless in our Country. So it is necessary that one learns the method of setting curds in their own home to ensure its purity and hygiene. 

To set curds : Bring one litre of milk to boiling point. Lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Mix well so that there is no cream on top. If you want to make curds out of skimmed milk then let the milk cool completely, keep it in the fridge for 8-10 hrs or overnight for best results. The cream will all come on top and form a thick buttery / creamy layer. Remove the layer gently and keep it in a box. You can beat it and make use of it as cream by adding a bit of curd to it, and leaving it aside for a few hours. Then the set curd with cream should be churned to get fresh homemade butter. Use the skimmed milk to make into curds and you will get a fat-free curd for healthy / diet conscious people. 

Once the milk has cooled add 3-4 tblsp of thick curds to the milk and mix well. The milk should be slightly warm to touch. Cover and keep aside for 4 hrs till the milk has set into curds. Keep the curds in fridge once it is set. You can use this tasty curd as and when you wish.

The temperature of the milk to set into curds depends on the weather from city to city. If the weather is cold then the milk has to be slightly warm to make curds. And if the weather is hot you can add the curds to milk at room temperature.

The timings of milk to set into curds again also depend from place to place. In a hot place the curds sometimes set within 2-3 hrs. But in a cold place it may take longer. In very cool place it is very difficult to set the curds as the room temperature is cold. In which case the curds when added to lukewarm milk should be kept in a warm oven or thermal coated boxes to set it to curds.

All said please do ensure that you make fresh curds at home which can be enjoyed by all without any worry whatsoever. 

The set curds even though refrigerated should preferably be consumed within 3 days and should not exceed 5 days at any given time. It is always better / recommended to prepare fresh curds every day. But due to constraint of time in modern days it can done so for 3 days at a time. Do give it a try and enjoy fresh homemade curds.