Homemade Dahi & Yogurt

Reserving ½ a cup (125ml) of milk, heat the remaining milk until it comes to a boil, about 180°F (80°C). As soon as it begins to bubble, let it simmer for about a minute, then switch off the heat.

Let the milk cool to about 98°F (37°C). An easy way to check this is to use your body temperature as a gauge: the milk should be slightly warm to the touch, not hot.

You can optionally warm your bowl in a microwave for 30 seconds, or in an oven for about 1 minute. Make sure it isn’t hot though, just warm to the touch.

Pour the reserved room temperature milk into the bowl. Add in the yogurt culture — dahi or Greek yogurt, depending on which one you’re making. Whisk it gently but thoroughly to ensure it evenly inoculates the milk.

To subtly sweeten your yogurt, whisk in raw honey if using. You’ll also get the benefits of the probiotics in honey added to those in your yogurt.

Add the remaining warmed milk to the bowl, stir well, and cover with a lid. Store in a warm place to set. You can wrap the bowl with a warm towel to maintain optimum temperature, or keep it in an oven with the light on. Depending on the season and temperature, dahi will take around 6 to 10 hours; yogurt should take around 5 to 8 hours. To check if it is set, gently tilt the bowl, the curd should jiggle but not flow. To get a firm, thick set, refrigerate the bowl for an additional 4 hours, and ideally overnight.