Instant Pot Yogurt Starter(Culture) and Yogurt | How to Make Yogurt without any existing Yogurt

Homemade Instant Pot Yogurt Starter(Culture) and Yogurt / How to Make Yogurt without any existing Yogurt
Hello Foodies,
          Have you ever made your yogurt starter(culture) and yogurt at home? It's actually not too tricky! After moving to the USA, I find difficulties to get starter and yogurt taste like back home. I tasted a bunch of different yogurts but unfortunately didn't like one. So I decided to make my own culture from scratch and using that culture made homemade yogurt. It's so yummy, thick, creamy and slightly sour like my back homestyle yogurt/Dahi, I can say it's just perfect! 


           To make homemade yogurt and starter culture from scratch is incredibly easy. Nothing can beat the creaminess, thickness, and tangy taste of homemade yogurt. It's a foolproof and fun DIY project to experiment with. 
To make your own culture, all you need is whole milk, green chilies, dry red chilies, or lemon juice, and some hours to let it set. You can also use a pure silver coin to make yogurt. So guys here is the recipe to make yogurt without any existing yogurt 

Video Recipe:

Culture: 
               To make yogurt, you will need a small quantity of yogurt, and that is known as culture or starter. So in this post, you can learn how to make your own culture and from culture, how to make yogurt. 
You can make your own culture by using red and green chilies, lemon juice, tamarind, or silver coin too. Also, the consistency of culture will vary, and it is based on the ingredients used. 


Yogurt:
               It can be made from all types of milk. Varieties made from skim milk are considered fat-free, whereas those made from whole milk are considered full-fat. Most commercial brands contain added ingredients, such as sugar and artificial flavors. These yogurts are not good for your health. On the other hand, homemade, plain, unsweetened yogurt offers many health benefits.

Some of the Recipes Using Yogurt:
Vegetarian Recipes:

Non-vegetarian Recipes:

To Make Culture/Starter (Virjan(विरजण-Marathi)/Jaman( जामण-Hindi)) in Instant Pot:

Ingredients:
  • Whole Milk 3 Cups
  • Green Chili with the stem/Thai chili/Bird's Eye Chili 2-3
  • Dried Red Chili with stem 2-3
  • Lemon Juice 1-2 Tsp
Instructions:
  • Take instant pot safe 3 bowls and add a cup of warm milk in each bowl.
  • Add 2-3 green chilies in the first bowl, 2-3 red chilies in the second bowl(Make sure you are using green or red chilies with stem), and 2-3 Tsp of lemon juice in the third bowl.
  • Cover the bowls with the aluminum foil or if you have lids then cover with the lids.
  • Place trivet into the insert of the instant pot and the bowls and close the lid.
  • Turn on Yogurt mode and set the timer for 7 hours.
  • After 7 hours, open the lid and take the culture bowl out.
  • Remove the aluminum foil or lids.
  • Thick and creamy cultures are ready.



Tips:
  • You can refrigerate culture for 6-7 days.
  • Make sure you are using warm milk to make culture.

Taste and consistency of different Cultures/Starters:
Green chilies starter:
  • Thick, Creamy, and a little bit of Tangy(Sour)(Perfect for my family's taste, so I have used this to make a batch of yogurt).
Red Chilies Starter:
  • Thin, and runny
Lemon Juice Starter:
  • Thick, Creamy, and Tangy(Sour)


To Prepare Yogurt from the Culture in the Instant Pot:
Ingredients:
  • Whole milk (warm) 4 Cups
  • Culture/Starter 2-3 Tbsp (I have used Green chilies culture/starter)

Instructions:
  • Rinse the pan with cold water (to prevent scorching).
  • Add milk into the pan and bring to a simmer, and stir the milk occasionally as it heats.
  • Remove pan from the flame and let the milk cool until it feels warm when you touch the milk.
  • Now add about 2-3 Tbsp of starter(I have used green chilies starter, as it's thick and a bit of tangy).
  • Mix starter with warm milk very well.
  • Place trivet into the insert of the instant pot and the bowl and close the lid.
  • Turn on Yogurt mode and set the timer for 8 hours.
  • After 8 hours, open the lid and take the bowl out.
  • It's perfectly set, and now keep it in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours, it will continue to thicken as it chills.
  • Thick, creamy, and homestyle yogurt is ready to serve. Enjoy!!!




My Take:
  • You can use low-fat milk(2% milk) instead of whole milk or full-fat milk.
  • To make culture, you can use tamarind, pure silver coin too.
  • Skim milk will give you a thinner version of yogurt.
  • You can add 2-3 Tbsp of milk powder to the milk as its heat, which will give you thick and creamy yogurt.
  • Save 2-3 Tbsp of yogurt to make the next batch, so that you don't need to make culture for next time.
Health Benefits of Yogurt/Dahi:
  • High in protein and so is good for vegetarians.
  • It contains probiotics, which may help boost digestive health.
  • Rich in vitamins and minerals.
  • Strengthen the immune system.
  • It helps in weight loss management.
  • If you make this recipe, share your food picture with hashtag #aaichisavali on Instagram and Facebook, so that everyone can enjoy it too! 
  • Subscribe to my YouTube channel for Healthy, Tasty, Instant Pot, and Air fryer recipes.
Eat Healthy, Stay Healthy!!!

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