The art of making curd in a clay pot

by Vivek Choudhary Nice life

A curd is an Indian form of yogurt and it is one of the most essential dishes in a typical Indian household. It comes with plenty of benefits such as being a natural probiotic and compatibility with both sweet and salty recipes. The most preferred way of making curd is using the traditional cookware called clay pot cooking set. The benefits of using clay utensils for cooking and storing are plenty. People for the longest time have been even storing drinking water in these utensils to relish cook and chemical-free water.

It is important to understand that using-friendly clay products for making curd is optional but modern cookware are believed to leave toxins in the food. Hence, using the best-unglazed clay pots for cooking, preparation and storing is a good choice. Clay pot curd turns out to be thick and creamy with no toxins and tastes the same or some claim even better.

The best part of making curd in the earthen cookware India is that one can skip the curing process. The curing step is intended to avoid getting crack in mud vessels while cooking on direct flame. However, the process for making curd does not use stovetop for cooking. The cleaning process is imperative before and after the process. Hence, experts suggest washing the new unglazed pot with plain running water at least 3 times before use.

For best results, it is advised to soak the pot for about an hour in clean water and then use a sponge or a clean cotton cloth to wipe off sand or mud. Let the pot dry thoroughly before use. The important step in cleaning is to avoid any detergent. This is applicable both before and after making the curd in it. If washing with plain water is not working well and the stain are stubborn, one can use some common salt and a brush to scrub them off. This is to be followed by the imperative step of sun-drying the pot to allow the mud to breathe and the odor escape.

The list of ingredients used in the process are:

- 1/2 liter Milk

- 1 tablespoon curd

- Curd Pot

Method:

1) Boil milk in a pan and let it cool for some time.

2) Take a clean clay pot and pour the luke-warm milk into it.

3) Add 1 tablespoon of curd into it and churn well. This 1 tablespoon of curd is called starter curd.

4) Close the lid and place it in a warm place.

Make sure that you do not disturb the pot while the curd is setting. The time taken for the setting process varies as per the temperature and climate of the place. Warm places require lesser time than cooler places. Refrigerate the curd with clay pot once it is ready to avoid getting it sour.