4:30 am: a morning on the farm
What happens between the first cow being milked and the bottle arriving at your door before seven.
Setting dahi is simple, but small things decide whether it comes out thick or watery.
Use full-fat milk
Buffalo milk sets the firmest curd. Cow milk works well if you boil it a few minutes longer.
Get the temperature right
The milk should be warm, not hot: comfortable on your little finger for ten seconds.
A little starter goes a long way
One teaspoon for half a litre. Too much starter makes sour curd.
Leave it alone
Cover it, keep it somewhere warm and do not move it. Six hours in summer, ten to twelve in winter (an oven with just the light on helps).
Chill before serving
Refrigerate as soon as it sets. It firms up further and stops turning sour.
