Setting Curds In Smaller Cups

Dear Friends,

My mother has always been very fond of curds. She likes it thick and a bit sour. We set it everyday. It’s a must for us as we cannot do without curds in our daily meals - both for lunch as well as for dinner.

It is a ritual to boil milk well. Pour into another pot or container and allow it to cool until it’s a bit warm to touch.
Then we add a few drops of curds in it.
We never use the same milk pan to set the curds in as the containers for milk and curds are dedicated and never allowed to intermingle.
This is done due to the fact that milk could spoil upon boiling if a container in which curd was set previously was not washed or cleaned properly.
A small content of curd sticking somewhere in the pan can spoil the fresh milk when it comes to boil.

In our childhood days, my mom used to pour out warm milk in smaller cups - 6 cups in all - for the entire family. Then she would add a drop or two of curds in each cup and allow it to stand until the milk could turn into curds in a few hours. Then she would hand out a cup each at meal times. It would be so much fun.

Today we had curds in individual, newly bought, colored melamine cups. My mom was so happy seeing them and recalled how we all as kids used to enjoy curds in cups.
This was like tapping a memory from the past.

Curds set in earthen cups are very tasty with a certain richness to it. I think that is primarily because the water in the milk to an extent, gets absorbed by the earthen cup naturally. That leaves only the thick milk to get set into curds. The layer of cream forms a tasty and creamy cover for the curd underneath. It is yummy to taste. In north India this is still followed in many places like Delhi, Mathura, Agra and parts of Hyderabad also. These earthen cups with curds are supplied in running trains and hotels have picked it up. Makes eco sense too to go green this way. Not to mention helping the potter make a livelihood out of making earthen ware.

3 cheers for curds in earthen ware!

Mahalakshmi