How to Make Curd and Butter From Raw Milk

Rajan loves cooking dishes from his native Indian cuisine. He likes to share his favourite recipes with his online readers.

I always prefer homemade curd/yoghurt and butter rather than their store-bought counterparts because when I make it myself I can control all of the ingredients. I don't add any chemical preservatives or additives, which the store-bought products contain.

The method I describe below is the one we use at home. It is a very traditional method of using raw milk to make curd—and then using the curd to make white unsalted butter.

As a side benefit, this recipe will give you a large amount of buttermilk, which is very low fat, healthy and cooling. It's a great beverage for the hot summer months.

Try it and share your experience.

Cook Time

Ingredients

• 1 litre raw full-fat milk
• Cold or chilled water, as needed
• 1 tsp jaman (curd starter)

Instructions

1. To make the curd/yoghurt, heat the milk until it comes to a boil, then remove it from the heat and let it cool down until it is just warm. The temperature of the warm milk should allow you to comfortably immerse a finger. It should not be too hot nor too lukewarm.
2. Add 1 tsp of jaman (curd starter). Stir it in well and cover with a lid. (Jaman is leftover fresh curd from an earlier batch of curd. If you do not have jaman at home, you can buy readymade curd from the market and use a little bit of it as the starter.)
3. If the weather is cold like it is where we live, wrap the covered pot in a warm cloth or shawl (in warm weather there is no need to wrap it in a warm cloth) and let it sit undisturbed overnight or for 8-9 hours until the curd sets completely. This curd can now be used to make butter (or any curd-based dish or raita).
4. To make butter: Add 1/2 the curd and some cold water in a blender and blend for 2 minutes, a little at a time, until the butter starts to separate out.
5. Blend for another 2 minutes or so until all the butter has separated out. Transfer the butter to a plate and transfer the liquid (buttermilk) to another pot.
6. Process the leftover curd and transfer the butter to the plate and the buttermilk into the pot.
7. Collect the butter and wash it with cold water until the water runs clear.
8. Homemade butter is ready for use. Serve it with paratha or use it in the dishes you prepare.

How to Make Curd and Butter From Raw Milk

© 2021 Rajan Singh Jolly