Homemade Curd
Mild, slightly sour set dahi from cashew and almond milk—neutral flavor closer to dairy curd than peanut or plain soy. Everyday base for raita, curd rice, chaas, and marinades.
Peanut curd is useful and cheap, but it always tastes of peanuts. Plain soy yogurt can taste beany. For dishes where you want the tang and cool of dahi without a competing nut or soy note—raita, curd rice, chaas, marinades, plain with rice—cashew plus blanched almond is the most reliable homemade base: creamy body, pale color, and a clean sour after a proper culture.
The method follows the same logic as dairy dahi and plant-curd guides: make a smooth milk, warm only to body temperature, inoculate with live culture, set warm, then chill hard. Slight sourness should come from fermentation time, not lemon juice.
Nutrition
Per 1/2 cup (~120 g)
- Calories
- 170 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 8 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
Dietary
plant based · gluten free · jain · no onion no garlic · soy free
Protein sources
cashews · almonds
Ingredients
- 11/2 cup Raw Cashews
- 21/2 cup Raw Almonds
- 33 cups Water (plus more for soaking)
- 42 tbsp Active plant yogurt or previous batch of this curd (live culture)
- 51/2 tsp Sugar or jaggery (feeds the culture; optional but helps a reliable set)
- 6Pinch of Salt (optional)
- 7Starter alternative: 2 probiotic capsules (dairy-free, with Lactobacillus) if you have no live yogurt
Instructions
- 1
Soak cashews and almonds in water 6–8 hours or overnight. Drain. Blanch almonds: cover with boiling water 2 minutes, slip off skins, and discard skins. Rinse both nuts.
Blanched almonds matter: skins add bitterness and beige color. Peeling is the difference between “nut milk” and mild white dahi.
- 2
Blend nuts with 3 cups fresh water on high until completely silky (2–3 minutes). For the smoothest dahi, strain through muslin or a nut-milk bag into a clean pan, squeezing well. For a thicker Greek-style set, skip straining and use the full blend.
Use only live culture. Heat-treated supermarket tubs will not set a new batch. Once you have a good jar, keep propagating from it.
- 3
Warm the milk on low heat only until it is body-warm (about 38–42°C)—comfortable on a clean finger, never hot. Do not boil; boiling can make the set grainy and can kill a later starter if you reheat too high.
If the milk is too thin, the curd will be watery—use less water next time (about 2½ cups) or hang the set curd in muslin 30–60 minutes.
- 4
Cool a minute if it overheated. Whisk in sugar, optional salt, and starter until smooth (or open probiotic capsules and whisk in the powder). Pour into a clean glass or ceramic jar.
If it has not set after 12 hours, it was too cool or the starter was weak. Move to a warmer spot rather than adding lemon.
- 5
Incubate 8–12 hours in a warm, draft-free spot (oven with only the light on, Instant Pot yogurt mode, or jar wrapped in a thick towel). It should smell mildly sour and jiggle as one mass when tilted gently. For more tang, leave 1–2 hours longer once it has set.
Lemon juice alone makes sour cream-style liquid, not cultured curd, and you cannot use it as a starter for the next batch.
- 6
Refrigerate at least 4–6 hours to firm and mellow. Stir only after chilling if you want a smoother spoonable yogurt. Use within 5–6 days; reserve 2 tbsp as starter for the next batch.
This recipe is soy-free and peanut-free. It is not nut-free—see variations for coconut or store soy options.
Closer to dairy dahi
- Equal cashew and almond keeps flavor neutral; more cashew = creamier, more almond = slightly tangier edge for some palates.
- Culture longer (up to 14 hours in warm weather watch carefully) for a sharper, more traditional sour.
- Hang set curd for hung curd—thick raita, shrikhand base, or sandwich spreads.
When peanut or soy is fine
- Peanut curd: use when the dish already likes peanut (some kadhi-style gravies, chutney-adjacent sides). Soak 1 cup peanuts, blend with ~3 cups water, strain, culture the same way.
- Soy path: plain unsweetened soy milk + starter sets easily and is higher protein; best when you do not mind a light soy note (see Soy Curd Fruit Bowl).
- Coconut milk sets rich but tastes of coconut—better for desserts than plain raita.
Uses once set
- Plain with salt and roasted cumin.
- Cucumber or boondi-style raita.
- Curd rice with mustard, curry leaf, and ginger tempering.
- Blend into chaas (see Buttermilk / Chaas recipe).
- Tofu or vegetable marinades with ginger, chilli, and spices.
Starter options
- Previous successful batch of this curd (best consistency).
- Unsweetened plant yogurt labeled with live active cultures.
- Dairy-free probiotic capsules emptied into the warm milk.
Used in diet plans
This recipe can fill a meal slot in these day plans.
- No Onion/No Garlic Plan — Simple sattvic-style protein meals