How to Make Yogurt

 

WELCOME TO MY BLOG! I’M EVANGELINE & A MOM. ALSO, AN RMT, and AYURVEDA-YOGA COUNSELLOR. I STARTED MY BLOG DURING COVID TO STAY CONNECTED TO MY CLIENTS AND SHARE MY LOVE OF COOKING HEALTHY, AYURVEDIC MEALS.
AYURVEDIC COOKING TAKES A BALANCED, HEALING APPROACH FOR YOUR DAILY COOKING NEEDS. YOU WILL FIND SIMPLE, EASY TO MAKE NOURISHING MEALS I HAVE MADE FOR MY FAMILY, WITH A DOSE OF AYURVEDA & YOGA WISDOM.


Fermented foods are a staple in nearly every traditional cuisine, celebrated for their ability to support gut health—think kimchi, sauerkraut, and takra. Today, it's well understood that thriving colonies of friendly bacteria are the foundation of strong digestion, immunity and overall well-being.

In our home, yogurt is a regular after-school snack for my kids—either on its own or made into a refreshing drink by blending with water. I learned this simple takra recipe from my Ayurvedic teacher, Vaidya Mishra: blend ¼ cup plain yogurt with ¾ cup spring water and a pinch of ground cumin. Discard the froth. Cumin is added as a digestive aid, helping to enhance nutrient absorption.

Natural, good-quality yogurt is an excellent source of:

  • Friendly bacteria (probiotics)

  • Calcium

  • Protein

  • Vitamin B12

  • Digestive enzymes

  • Phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium

Making yogurt at home is simple and rewarding. The method I use requires only an oven light left on during incubation. I’ve followed this approach for years, and it reliably produces thick, creamy yogurt. On rare occasions, I’ve had thin or runny batches—usually due to the quality of the milk or starter, temperature fluctuations, or other environmental factors.

There’s something deeply nourishing about making your own yogurt. It’s fresh, alive, and made with love—just as food should be.

 
 
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Add your starter when the milk has cooled to a warm temperature, not too much lower than 105F/41C.

 
 

I make yogurt before I go to bed. When I wake up in the morning it’s all set.

Natural yogurt will have whey, a yellowish, thin liquid. This whey is very nutritious and rich in friendly bacteria. I’ve added it, instead of water, to make my facial clay masks. It’s a wonderful tonic for the skin, and replenishes your skin’s friendly bacteria.

 
 
 
 

Yogurt Recipe

Yield: 4 cups yogurt
Prep Time: 20-30 minutes
Incubation Period: 6-8 hours

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 cups milk - Use whole organic milk, grass-fed, and *unhomogenized when available

  • Yogurt starter- choose one of the following:

1 cup yogurt from previous batch - I used this for this batch

Natren Yogurt starter- follow instructions on bottle

1 cup plain yogurt store bought with live culture

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Place the milk in a medium size pot in medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it reaches about 180°F/82°C, avoid boiling it. Let it be at about this temperature for 5 minutes, longer up to 10 minutes for a smoother yoghurt.

  2. Remove from heat and transfer into a glass jar or bowl.

  3. Let milk cool between 108-112°F / 42-44°C, but not too far below 105°F / 41 °C when the starter is added. If you don’t have a thermometer, touch the outside of the jar or bowl and it should feel warm to the touch, like the gentle feel of milk in a baby bottle. I’ve done the latter method a few times before I could replace the broken thermometer, and the yogurt turned out fine.

  4. Add your starter and whisk gently all together. If you are using a powder starter, have the powder starter in a separate smaller bowl and add a few spoonfuls of the warm milk and stir, and then add this to the rest of the milk and whisk gently.

  5. Place in the oven, covered with a tea towel with the oven light on for about 6-8 hours.

  6. Refrigerate. Fresh yogurt contains more friendly bacteria within 24 hours of making it.

    Enjoy!


* When milk is homogenized xanthine oxidase, a protein enzyme in cow’s milk, gets absorbed in our body and can cause a build up affecting cardiovascular health, whereas this is not the case with unhomogenized milk.


Fresh home-made yogurt the next day.

References

Vaidya R. K. Mishra- Shaka Vansiya Ayurveda Courses, Practicum, Conferences and Lectures 2003-2015

Marianne Teitelbaum- Healing the Thyroid with Ayurveda, 2019

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/7-benefits-of-yogurt#TOC_TITLE_HDR_3

 
Ayurveda, Recipes, FeaturedEvangeline Manguneyogurt, yoghurt, dairy, whole milk, milk, friendly bacteria, snack, snacks, takra